Film review: Apollo 10½ A Space Age Childhood
A dreamy memoir of a space-mad 1960s childhood
A “swish, animated yarn” about a gang of criminal animals in LA, DreamWorks’ latest is like a “U-rated Reservoir Dogs” with a bit of Ocean’s Eleven and a twist of Dostoevsky thrown in, said Ed Potton in The Times. Adapted from Aaron Blabey’s graphic novels, it features a voice cast including Sam Rockwell, channelling George Clooney as the gang’s suave leader Mr Wolf, the comedian Marc Maron as the “sardonic, safe-cracking” Mr Snake, and Awkwafina as expert hacker Ms Tarantula (aka “Mata Hairy”).
At first, the gangsters provide “a great advertisement for criminal misbehaviour”, pulling off show-stopping heists and making effortless getaways “while nodding along in unison to Daniel Pemberton’s ghetto-fabulous soundtrack”. But when they are caught red handed during a particularly daring raid, they must submit to a rehabilitation scheme run by guinea pig philanthropist Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade). Then Mr Wolf “discovers the lure of the straight and narrow” while doing a good deed for an old lady, and the real trouble begins.
The Bad Guys is “cheery and diverting”, said Guy Lodge in Variety. But its villains, “while fun to hang out with”, are not “all that easy to care about”, and the dialogue isn’t as “nifty” as it could be. Screenwriter Etan Cohen resorts to “easy single-generation laughs”, said Robbie Collin in The Daily Telegraph: “Clooney jokes for the parents, green clouds of flatulence for the kids”. But on the plus side, The Bad Guys is appealing to look at, with a more cartoonish, hand-drawn feel than is customary in digitally animated feature films. “As easy Easter holiday fun, it meets the brief.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Daniel Wallace's 5 favorite books that should not be forgotten
Feature The author recommends works by Italo Calvino, Evan S. Connell, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 picturesque homes in Arizona
Feature Featuring a glass elevator in Sedona and a grotto waterfall in Paradise Valley
By The Week Staff Published
-
Silversea cruise review: a Central and North American adventure
The Week Recommends An incredible journey featuring cultural exploration, cooking classes, comfort and more
By Yasemen Kaner-White Published
-
Baffin Island: looking for narwhal in Arctic Canada
The Week Recommends An exploration of this island between mainland Canada and Greenland is ideal for the adventurous at heart
By The Week UK Published
-
Knife: Salman Rushdie's 'mesmeric memoir' of brutal attack
The Week Recommends The author's account of ordeal which cost him his eye is both 'scary and heartwarming'
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sarah Langan recommends 6 women-centric horror books
Feature The horror novelist recommends works by Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 spacious homes for car lovers
Feature Featuring a 14-car showroom in Oregon and a Bentley-style apartment in Florida
By The Week Staff Published
-
6 serene homes in Vermont
Features Featuring a four-level Shaker barn in Hartland and a Scandinavian-inspired home in Stowe
By The Week US Published