Two years after Sonic the Hedgehog made its debut, which was mere weeks before the pandemic turned the world upside down, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 arrives in cinemas, just as we are easing ourselves out of the COVID chaos. The film – a direct sequel to part one – picks up the story shortly after the events of its predecessor, with Sonic still living on Earth with his friends Tom and Maddie.
But with Tom and Maddie heading off to their friend’s wedding for a couple of days, Sonic is left home alone to take care of the dog. He promises to act responsible, but as soon as Tom and Maddie are gone, he kicks back and throws a party for himself and the pooch.
All is going well until Dr. Robotnik turns up at the house, seeking revenge on his blue-spined enemy. And to make matters worse, Robotnik has enlisted the aid of a red echidna warrior named Knuckles, who is incredibly strong and potentially more powerful than Sonic.
As Sonic and Knuckles fight it out, Knuckles makes it known that he is on Earth searching for a mystical stone called the Master Emerald. Upon hearing this, Robotnik changes his plan of action, ditches his revenge scheme and instead works with Knuckles to find the missing gem.
But Sonic knows that if the Master Emerald falls into the hands of Dr. Robotnik, the world is doomed. So, teaming up with a new ally in the shape of a fox called Tails, Sonic sets out to retrieve the gem and stop the mad doctor from achieving his goal.
Directed by Jeff Fowler, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 stars Jim Carrey, James Marsden, and Tika Sumpter, and features the voice talents of Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, and Idris Elba. The movie opened in cinemas today, and is a loud, explosive, and rather enjoyable romp, which kids will love.
If you’ve already watched the first movie, and you liked what you saw, this sequel is more of the same and then some. It ticks all of the right boxes the original did, but in my humble opinion, it is better than its predecessor.
The reason I believe it works better is because the action barely lets up. From start to finish the film zips along, throwing various action set pieces and scenes of spectacle at the screen, and all of it is a blast to watch.
Whether it is a snowboarding escape sequence, a smile-inducing dance-off, or a hilarious wedding revenge scene (complete with pissed off bride), this movie is loaded with memorable moments. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is all about providing its audience with bucket loads of entertainment, to ensure no one gets restless in their seat, and it doesn’t put a foot wrong.
The film also leans into Sonic’s computer game lore a little more, via the inclusion of fan-favourite characters, Tails and Knuckles. Dr. Robotnik is also more closely aligned with the gaming version of the character this time around, with Jim Carrey reprising the role of the vile villain with a more success than he did in his first outing.
My biggest gripe about the original film was that I found Jim Carrey a bit ‘too Jim Carrey’ in that first instalment. This time around, Carrey dials things back a touch, and finds a better balance between evil genius and mad scientist, and this is something I much preferred.
I also quite liked this film’s focus on Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles as a whole, with the three characters getting a significant amount of screentime. While all of the human characters from the first film return, and they appear throughout the movie, this film does spend a fraction more time with the CGI characters instead.
As Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was filmed during the pandemic, I expect the slight reduction in screen time for the human characters was a logistical decision as much as a budgetary one. After all, it is much easier to shoot scenes with CGI characters than it is to shoot them with humans during the lockdowns.
But as I say, for me spending time with Sonic and Co. isn’t a problem and I doubt it will be for fans of the Sonic franchise either. After all, if you are going to the cinema to watch Sonic the Hedgehog 2, then there’s a good chance you are itching to see the likes of Tails, Knuckles, and of course, Sonic, in action.
As far as I’m concerned, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 hits exactly the right level of fun, laughs, and adventure. It won’t blow anyone away, but it is a fine piece of escapism and a delightful way to spend a couple hours of your time.
Movies based on computer game franchises often drop the ball, but this movie proves that there’s life in this series, and if the mid-credit scene is anything to go by, I expect we will see a Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in the not-too distant future. I for one welcome it.
If you’ve got kids, this is the movie to take them to this weekend, and if you’re a fan of Sonic I think you’ll enjoy what’s on offer too. It’s a solid recommend from me.
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