The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist

The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist (2024) is the second TV Special in the Bad Guys franchise and it was a lot of fun.

Positives for The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist (2024): I like seeing these characters doing a heist during the Halloween season. I liked the supernatural elements to the plot of this special. I like how the characters are playing Halloween pranks on each other. And finally, I liked a lot of the fake out deaths with these characters on each other.

Negatives for The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist (2024): This TV Special was only made by Netflix to capitalize on the Halloween Season in 2024.

Overall, The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist (2024) is a fun TV Special for kids to watch on Netflix during the Halloween Season.

Wolf has an idea for a Halloween heist. He recruits the gang to steal from Reginald E. Scary's haunted mansion. The group is leery of Wolf's motives as he usually executes a Halloween prank on them.

I probably like The Bad Guys a little more than the general public. I find them endearing despite their villainy. That's the trick of this franchise. They need to be Bad Guys but ultimately not really. It's following somewhat the Despicable Me formula, but it seems to be staying with Bad for now. I don't think that this franchise will ever get to the top tier level. It may be stuck doing TV for awhile.

The Bad Guys - Netflix Specials (Haunted Heist & A Very Bad Holiday)

I'm combining these two into one review because they're only 24 minutes each and there's not enough in either to justify a full deep dive. That being said, the writing is solid and fits right in with The Bad Guys franchise's ongoing story direction.

The holiday special (A Very Bad Holiday) actually contains a Santa Claus scene that's referenced in the second theatrical film. I didn't fully get the joke until I saw the movie today-now it clicks perfectly. It's a nice little connection for fans paying attention.

For kids, both specials are still fun and entertaining, but they're missing that final spark that makes the movies so great: the original voice cast. No matter how hard you try to ignore it, it's obvious different actors are voicing the characters here. They just don't bring the same energy, charm, and comedic timing that the theatrical cast nailed.

That change shifts the tone, too. The Bad Guys movies feel like clever adult comedy wrapped in kid-friendly fun-something both kids and parents can enjoy together. These specials lean much more childish, almost like something you'd put on in the background for a toddler, rather than something the whole family would be hooked on.

Still, they're enjoyable little additions to the franchise and will keep younger fans entertained. I just wish they had brought back the original cast to make them truly shine.

The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist

This holiday TV special brings a festive twist to the beloved characters from The Bad Guys, as the gang embarks on a new adventure.

The story comes and goes effortlessly-not particularly good or bad, but definitely light. It mostly feels like a cash grab from Netflix with the spooky season as justification, especially with the original film's voice cast absent. Still, the new cast performs well, with Mallory Low standing out as she masterfully captures Awkwafina's vibe as Tarantula.

For fans looking for another adventure with these characters, this movie offers a simple and enjoyable treat.

6/10.