Remember back a few years ago when we got our first look at Sonic for the first Sonic movie? Remember when fans went ballistic that the studio delayed the movie a few months so that they could recreate the character to make him look more like the character from the game? There’s a saying in life that goes “any publicity is good publicity” and while Paramount, or any studio, should never listen to what fans have to say, there is an argument to be made that making Sonic look more representative of the actual design of the game. It’s thin ice that the studio is walking on because listening fans in that regard can be kind of scary moving forward, however, this was a move that we’ll give a pass too. And what we got with the first Sonic movie back two years ago (right before theaters shut down) was a damn delight. It had no right for being as charming as it was but for the sake of the video game genre, this was some solid quality with great voice work, a solid performance from Jim Carrey and a lot of heart.
The first Sonic was a huge success, making it the biggest opening weekend for any video game movie and a lot of the success of the movie is attributed to the redesign of Sonic and the positive publicity it created and really how little competition the movie had at the time. Obviously, with the COVID-19 pandemic on the horizon at the time, Sonic the Hedgehog still proved to be a success on all accounts, so a sequel announcement was a guarantee, even with the shutdown of movie theaters and the entertainment industry in a pickle. With Sonic the Hedgehog 2, you’re not only brining back the original cast playing their original characters, you’re bringing in popular characters from the games with Tails and Knuckles, and that’s not to say average people will know these characters are, but it’s exciting stuff if you’re a fan of this material.
The first Sonic was a huge success, making it the biggest opening weekend for any video game movie and a lot of the success of the movie is attributed to the redesign of Sonic and the positive publicity it created and really how little competition the movie had at the time. Obviously, with the COVID-19 pandemic on the horizon at the time, Sonic the Hedgehog still proved to be a success on all accounts, so a sequel announcement was a guarantee, even with the shutdown of movie theaters and the entertainment industry in a pickle. With Sonic the Hedgehog 2, you’re not only brining back the original cast playing their original characters, you’re bringing in popular characters from the games with Tails and Knuckles, and that’s not to say average people will know these characters are, but it’s exciting stuff if you’re a fan of this material. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is superior to its predecessor in a surprising way. The visuals pop, the action is vibrant & exciting, the characters are great, the charm and heart is there, but beyond all else, it’s a solid and maybe the best video game movie ever? It does suffer from having an ending that does feel overstretched but it’s funnier, paced well and knows how to cater to all ages across the board, especially to the diehard fans of the source material.
After Sonic makes a new living for himself in Green Hills, Montana with Thomas and Maddie, things take a turn with Dr. Robotnik returns with a new partner, Knuckles, who is on a mission to find a mystical stone/emerald that has the ability to wipe out all of humanity. With the help of Sonic’s new sidekick and new best friend Tails, it’s up to them to stop Dr. Robotnik and Knuckles from a global takeover.
Even with the redesign of Sonic in the first one, there were moments where the CGI needed a bit more work done and a bit more of some replenishment. The character design of Sonic, Tails and even Knuckles are a complete step up in this sequel. It’s not only accurate to the game, but the attention to detail to the fur and the movements that replicate from the games are really impressive. The overall scope of the visuals in this movie is quite terrific whether it’s the hand to hand combat scenes between Knuckles and Sonic, the avalanche sequence in Siberia and the finale battle in Green Hill. The extent of this movie feels bigger and a lot more vigorous.
The performances and the voice work form the cast, once again, delivers. Ben Schwartz might be the perfect actor to voice Sonic and it’s one thing to cast big name talent instead of properly trained voice actors for animated characters, and that’s not to say Ben Schwartz is the biggest name in the world, but her certainly has his fame from the show Parks and Recreation. He delivers another great voice over performance as Sonic with more laughter and heart. Jim Carrey might deliver an even better performance as the villainous Dr. Robotnik, James Marsden and Tika Sumpter are wonderful but maybe the biggest surprise was the voice work of Idris Elba as Knuckles. His line delivery was so perfect and how overly serious Knuckles is just made it more amusing that by the end of the movie, Knuckles will have you laughing your ass off.
The only real issue with the movie is how stretched out its ending feels. Without getting into spoiler territory, there’s a moment where you think the movie is wrapping up but it continues for an extra 20 more minutes or so. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 doesn’t have any pacing problems that are noticeable, but the overall structure of the ending of the movie lost its focus for a little bit.
If you’re a fan of the first Sonic movie, then odds are you’ll get a kick out of this movie. If you weren’t a fan, then the odds are you won’t find any pleasure in this movie. Be that as it may, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a pleasant surprise, just like its predecessor. Big action, tons of heart, charming performances and big ol’ laughs.
My grade for Sonic the Hedgehog 2: B+
Zane's take at the Cinema's 