The Bad Guys 2 (in theaters)

If you liked “The Bad Guys,” then you’re going to love “The Bad Guys 2.”

Everything the first one did, the sequel is doing just a little bit better. The heists are better, and the thieves themselves are cleverer. The team is stronger. The emotions are deeper. The underlying theme about public perception being the hardest part of genuinely changing is more nuanced. It’s also got the silly fun of the original, good fight scenes, and a great idea for the continuation of the series. If this was how all sequels did it, animated or otherwise, the cinematic world would be a much better place.

The movie starts a little after the last one ends, with our crew of now ex-thieves in the dire situation of trying to get hired for regular jobs. When another rash of mysterious heists hit the city, our crew decides to help solve them to try and win the city’s trust. Unfortunately, they get sucked into helping with one last job that’s bigger, more complicated, and far more dangerous than they ever could have imagined.

Though there’s a quick recap at the beginning (as well as a flashback heist that’s a lot more fun), there’s a lot more payoff if you’ve seen the original. The team’s relationship with both Governor Foxington and Police Chief (now commissioner) Luggins are key from one movie to the next. The villain from the first movie also makes a minor but important reappearance, with a fun twist at the end that could mean interesting things for the series.

Hopefully, we’ll get the chance to see more of these not-so-bad Bad Guys.

Grade: Three and a half stars

The Naked Gun (in theaters)

Leslie Nielsen’s comedic touch can’t be duplicated.

The new “The Naked Gun” makes a surprisingly good attempt at it, though. The movie tries valiantly to capture the spirit of the original, and though the balance isn’t quite right the results are still pretty hilarious. Those who have watched his career closely enough won’t be surprised that Liam Neeson has great comedic timing, especially in a role like this. Pamela Anderson is perfect as his foil, possessed of her own great delivery and a wonderful addition to the movie. Yes, the results are completely ridiculous, but if you’re going to “The Naked Gun” that’s what you’re there for.

Trying to summarize the plot would both be pointless and spoil some of the fun, but for those not familiar with the series it’s basically a cop show parody. Instead of the regular jokes, though, the majority of the humor comes from characters doing the most absurd thing in any given moment and puns taken so far they circle the earth and come back again. Yes, there’s some naughty humor – this is a modern comedy, after all – but there’s also a deeply entertaining running gag about endless coffee cups.

If you didn’t like the original “The Naked Gun,” this isn’t going to change your mind. It doesn’t want to. It’s a celebration of the original, and even if it doesn’t quite recapture the magic it comes closer than I imagined it could.

Grade: Three stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society and the Utah Film Critics Association. Drop her a line at [email protected].

Credit for photo ©Universal