It’s crazy to think that the first Sonic movie was released before we went on lockdown due to the pandemic. Two years later, we’re still in a pandemic, but we are doing much better, and the sequel was released. Dorian Parks admitted in his review, “As a fan of the first Sonic, this movie took every element that I loved from the first film and multiplied it by 10. Outside of the film franchise, I’ve always been a big fan of the blue speedster, and I can easily say that this film truly felt like a love letter to all of Sonic’s history throughout the years.”
After settling in Green Hills and finding a home with Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter), Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is more confident in his powers and wants to prove he is capable of being a true hero. That comes when Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) returns with the help of Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba). The duo is searching for the Master Emerald, which can wipe out all mankind. Sonic is joined with Tails, voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey, and together they go on a mission around the planet to find the emerald before Robotnik and Knuckles get it first.
The original movie was more of a road trip with Sonic and Tom, and more of a way to set the foundation and the world before going even further. Parks said, “I thought the first film did a great job of setting up the perfect hero’s journey for Sonic to go through, and, by the end Sonic is ready to take on the world.” In the sequel, the story does an amazing job of developing Sonic as a character, and this is a good thing for Schwartz as he voices the character. You’re able to cheer for and empathize with Sonic because of the real emotions when he speaks.
In this film, Sonic isn’t alone anymore, he has his classic friend Tales who was teased at the end of the first movie. Tails was a great addition to the film. O’Shaughnessey is epic when bringing the two-tailed fox from the games and cartoons to the film. Audiences get to see the friendship between Tails and Sonic from the beginning and can see them grow as they go on their mission. On a sidenote, it’s also great to know O’Shaughnessey reprised the role after hearing the announcement, since she had voiced Tails in the games. It’s rare for a voice actor to be appreciated like she has, and she deserves it.
Tails isn’t the only one who joins the crew because we cannot forget about Knuckles. Parks said, “After watching the film, I completely understand why a Knuckles spin-off series was given the green light before the sequel even debuted.” Elba kills it as Knuckles. Usually when actors voice animated characters, it usually just sounds like a little heightened version of themselves. However, with Elba, he completely changes in the role. Parks said, “At certain points, you forget it’s him voicing the character and I mean that in the best of ways. The epic rivalry between Knuckles and Sonic brought some of the best moments of the film and I really enjoyed the fish-out-of-water story they told with Knuckles.” Despite Knuckles being a huge threat to Sonic, they do give him moments of humor and those moments work. Parks admitted, “I’d like to compare Knuckles to a more agile version of Drax who can adapt to earthly customs a lot quicker. There is so much lore around Knuckles and the echidnas as a whole, so I’m excited to see what they dive into for the series.”
This time around, Carrey is even more deranged as Dr. Robotnik. Viewers didn’t see Carrey start to look like Robotnik until the credit scene from the first movie, so seeing him go all out in the sequel was joyful. We rarely see Carrey do a sequel, so you can tell he loves the character and puts in everything. His faithful sidekick Agent Stone, played by Lee Majdoub, is back giving his all. The banter between Stone and Robotnik is just as funny as the first film and Majdoub is hilarious in the role. Parks admitted, “I’m glad Majdoub’s fan favorite character got an expanded role for this second movie.”
We also have Sonic’s extended family return. Park said, “One thing that I appreciate about the humans in this Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is how grounded they keep Sonic.” Tike Sumpter and James Marsden have great chemistry again as Tom and Maddie, and it was great to see how much they’ve grown to love Sonic. Parks noted, “There are some emotional moments with the Wachowski family that I think fans will surely love.” As always, Natasha Rothwell is hilarious as Rachel. She is the highlight when we see her performance in this sequel and she is given more to do, especially with the story arc about her wedding to Randall, played by Shemar Moore.
Director Jeff Fowler’s experience in visual effects work is completely shown in the cinematography of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” There are so many set pieces that made this feel like a real action movie, and it was incredible to see. Parks criticized, “I would have never expected the Sonic film franchise to be so visually pleasing, especially with all of the amazing action sequences. When I was watching the film on the big screen, there were so many moments from beginning to end that put the biggest smile on my face. Seeing Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all on the big screen was something I will never forget. I got goosebumps multiple times (especially during the third act).” Fowler understands the characters and knows how to highlight their abilities in great ways. Parks said, “If I’m being honest with myself, I would call it peak cinema.”
When adapting video game storylines, somethings studios seem to move away from some of the fantastical elements to make it more grounded for a general audience. With the Sonic franchise and with this movie in particular, Fowler fully depends on the roots of the video game and the movie is better for it. Parks said, “One could say it’s “fan service” but to me, it felt like the team behind these movies are fans of the game and wanted to make a movie they would enjoy themselves and that’s exactly what this film is.”
Parks continued, “Paramount has a hit on their hand with this franchise and I hope we get 10 more movies and a bunch of spin-offs.” This movie gave everything a Sonic fan could ask for and then some. Fans of the franchise and usual watchers alike will have a great time watching the sequel.
If you don’t feel comfortable going to the theaters, see this on Paramount+, if you have an account. I think this film is better than the first one and I really found myself enjoying this one more, especially with the addition of more familiar characters. If you have played the games or have not and are familiar with the game character, see this because it was really enjoyable.
Spoiler Alert: there is a mid-credit scene that sets up a third movie that will include Shadow the Hedgehog. I’m pumped for that.
Thank you for joining in on my review today. Tune in tomorrow for the continuation of “Pride Month.”
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