Depending on who you ask, the original Sonic the Hedgehog was the first good movie based on a video game IP. It was able to incorporate what the Sonic franchise is known for into a live-action story that was clever and original, while still feeling true to its origins. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 does that again, but brings it to the next level thanks to the solid groundwork the first film laid down.
Almost a year after the events of the first film, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is trying to play hero by stopping bad guys, but doesn’t really understand the responsibility that goes along with it. One of Sonic 2’s significant character notes is that Sonic is still just a kid. Despite his victory against Robotnik in San Francisco, Sonic is still figuring things out about himself even if he acts like the same old blue hedgehog.
Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who is still stuck on the Mushroom planet that he is left on at the end of the first film, escapes thanks to the help of a red echidna by the name of Knuckles (Idris Elba). Jim Carrey was made to play Robotnik. The execution and mannerisms that Carrey implements into Robotnik is something that only he could do. Honestly, I never saw Robotnik in either film as an accurate adaptation of Eggman, but Carrey makes the character his own to the point where it really doesn’t matter. His goal this time around is pretty straightforward. Obtain the Master Emerald and take over the world.
With the help of the smart and charming Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), Sonic is off to find the Master Emerald before Eggman and Knuckles do and learns he has a strong connection to the emerald. Even though Tails is Sonic’s partner for most of the movie and does have his fair share of good moments, Knuckles steals the show in every scene he is in. Being the brawn of the trio, Knuckles lacks in smarts to the point where the movie almost goes too far joking about it. Based on the background of his character though, it makes sense why he is dimwitted in this interpretation. It also pays off for some fantastic jokes.
The human cast -which primarily consists of Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter)- is better than ever, bringing fun humor as well as gravitas in serious moments. Unfortunately, their purpose in the plot feels very disjointed, until everything falls into place around halfway into the movie’s runtime. However, when the plot does come into perspective, it brings some of the best laughs in the entire movie.
Sonic 2 is a sum of its parts in the best way possible. Each member of the main cast plays their role so well, that they carry the relatively straightforward plot the movie has. The action, while not amazing, is good enough to entertain, but has some great applause moments for longtime fans. There is a strong theme of family and the importance of embracing being an outcast instead of letting it affect you negatively. Sonic fans know that Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are more than just friends, they’re family. Sonic 2 does a great job showing each of their weaknesses and why together they make a great team, even if at the end of the day Sonic is still in the spotlight.
After watching the first Sonic film, I was happy that it simply wasn’t a trainwreck. On top of that, it laid a foundation for the future of the series that I could be optimistic about. Sonic 2 was a great payoff for a lot of what the original movie established, without needing much time to retread old ground. Even though we have a tease on what the future holds for the series, Sonic 2 ends at a place where really anything can happen. Fans of the series know that there is still a lot of original material and characters yet to be adapted and that is the most exciting thing for the franchise moving forward.
