Product Info

Studio

Paramount Pictures

Director

Jeff Fowler

Genre

Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated

PG

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

Apr 8, 2022

Release Date (NA)

Apr 8, 2022

Film Length

2hrs 2min

Purchase From

After the successful release of Sonic the Hedgehog in theaters in early 2020, just before the global pandemic shut down public activities, the film’s sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, finally arrives on the big screen. Sonic returns to fight off Dr. Robotnik once more, but things aren’t as easy as last time. With characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise making their big screen debut, fans will surely be excited with this sequel.

Hit the Ground Running

© Paramount Pictures

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 picks up after the events in Sonic the Hedgehog. Dr. Robotnik, a brilliant and evil scientist, was teleported to a mushroom planet, thanks to Sonic and his human buddy, Tom. 

However, Robotnik was able to escape the planet and return to Earth, with a little help from Sonic’s quil that Robotnik still hung onto and a red echidna named Knuckles. First introduced in the 1994 Sega Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Knuckles is quite entertaining in his film debut. His knowledge of modern-day concepts like baseball and text messaging is nonexistent, and all the corny jokes thrown around go over his head. So, like Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, his serious responses are amusing. This sets Knuckles apart from Sonic’s laid-back, cocky attitude and Dr. Robotnik’s quirky reactions.

Due to Knuckles’s narrow thought process, it makes it easy for the likes of Robotnik to take advantage of him and make the echidna do the hard work. However, it’s not just revenge against the Blue Blur that Robotnik is after. After learning that the Master Emerald, a gigantic diamond forged from seven chaos emeralds, holds an enormous amount of power, Robotnik must have it and will do anything to get his hands on it.

© Paramount Pictures

Jim Carrey returns as Dr. Robotnik, Sonic’s nemesis, and is as quirky as ever. After being trapped on a mushroom planet for almost a year, anyone would go insane. Carrey continues to emphasize nearly every line, and at times, it works but can become too much. If Carrey continues to act as Robotnik, it works for him and the film. Otherwise, it’s hard to see who can fill those shoes.

Back on Earth, Sonic tries to play the hero by stopping a robbery in progress. Despite his success, he causes a lot of collateral damage. Scolded by his friend, Tom, he has a lot to learn when it comes to knowing when the time is right to use his powers to help. It’s a familiar scene like many superhero films—with great power comes with great responsibility. However, the film doesn’t really focus on Sonic growing up to learn about responsibilities and the right moments to use his power. With so many activities and action happening, it’s go-go-go.

Another character from the Sonic game series, Tails, also makes his debut. This yellow-orange fox with two tails idolizes Sonic since Sonic fought off Robotnik back in the first film, and warns him about Knuckles. He comes in very handy to aid Sonic, but his disappearance in part of the film does feel missed.

A Wrong Turn?

© Paramount Pictures

The film slows down with a couple breaks in-between Robotnik and Sonic’s battles: the dance-off between Siberian dancers and the wedding with Sonic’s human pals.

The dance-off between the dynamic duo of Sonic and Tales and the Siberian dancers was a hit and miss. While in the middle of nowhere in the snowy mountains of Siberia, Sonic and Tales need a place to stay until a blizzard goes through but find themselves having to compete in a dance contest or be thrown into a fireplace. Considering that the situation started with a miscommunication due to Tails’s invention that tried to translate Serbian, it’s a weird outcome. After blasting Sonic’s style of music, it was interesting to see Sonic and Tales sync. It was a moment aimed towards kids, but it could have been left out.

Sonic’s human buddies, Tom, Maddie, and Maddie’s family take center stage with a few comical moments. They’re amusing, but they feel out of place, as if one is watching a different film. Moreover, the aftermath of what happened with Maddie’s sister, Rachel, and Rachel’s fiance, Randall, was left unresolved. The film potentially could have cut more scenes from this subplot, and it wouldn’t have affected the film much. Afterwards, everything is back to speed as Sonic continues to pursue Robotnik.

The human element feels more like a minor role than the previous film. Instead of Tom and Maddie, Sonic’s “parents”, playing significant roles, it feels like they don’t have a significant role to play, due to the way the script was written. Sonic 2 tries to keep them and other human roles intact but feels pushed and out of place. As the film continues, the human element is pushed further away.

The first film gave little-to-no detail regarding the blue hedgehog’s backstory. Originally, the first film made it seem like it was about the power in Sonic’s quills and evil trying to take it from him. Longclaw, Sonic’s guardian as a child, gave him rings and a map to escape from harm. In Sonic 2, it takes a different direction. Instead of the focus being on Sonic’s power, Longclaw instead gave him a message saying that the blue hedgehog was now a guardian of the Master Emerald. Watching the films back-to-back will raise some questions, but fans will brush this aside and just go with it.

Nostalgia Continues to Flow

© Paramount Pictures

Like the first film, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 continues to pump in nostalgia. For example, Tails’s red plane, the Tornado, makes its appearance and Dr. Robotnik’s turning bald and having a larger mustache make him resemble his video game character more. The temple that houses the Master Emerald also gives off vibes of the labyrinth maze from the Sonic the Hedgehog video game. It features spikes moving across the floor and a slide down a staircase of watery slopes. In addition, the ending animation, like the last film, continues to recreate the movie like a 2D Sonic the Hedgehog video game. It’s so well done that it could potentially be its own separate game.

The fim also makes many references to movies such as Indiana Jones and Ghostbusters throughout. For example, Robotnik running from a large, rolling boulder and shouting “I don’t want to die like this! It’s derivative!” adds chuckles. It’s comical for those who catch them. Otherwise, the film continues to pile on the jokes in its 2-hour runtime. Viewers may start to feel like Knuckles when he grunts about Sonic’s jokes.

© Paramount Pictures

Unfortunately, there aren’t any nostalgia tracks from the video games. Instead, the film’s soundtrack consists mostly of vocal artists such as Run DMC, Ice Cube, Andy Willams, and Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars. Some sound effects such as the ring sound or the air bubble effect as Sonic inhales oxygen from a bubble underwater would make the experience more amusing. For example, Tom’s phone goes off during a wedding with a classic Sonic the Hedgehog track as his ringtone. However, the underwater countdown sound bit from the game did make its appearance in the film but was very subtle. That said, the slow-paced, Andy Williams track “A Summer Place” makes for the perfect accompaniment to a great moment when Sonic puts his speed into hyper mode, making everything around him go in slow motion.

Visually, the film is well put-together. The fur and quills from Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails come off as vibrant, when not soaking wet or dirty. With the film more focused on Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and Robotnik, it’s more reliant on computer graphics than before. Considering today’s movie standards, this is normal. Going forward, fans should expect to see more CGI characters than humans with the path it’s taking.

The Final Attack

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 brings more action and more nostalgia than the first film. Some moments feel slower paced and others could have been handled better, but overall, the sequel is taking the right steps as it races forward. Sonic boom!