Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Reviews: When Sonic (Ben Schwartz) defeats the villainous Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and sends him to the Mushroom Planet, he becomes a hero. Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessy) join forces to avenge the death of Sonic’s best friend, Knuckles. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is released on 1 April in cinemas.
Films based on video games are notoriously unreliable. A curse is frequently referred to. First, live-action Sonic The Hedgehog spiky, Sega’s fast blue boy in 2020 overcame initial hostility and mixed reviews to become an extremely unusual box office triumph. No matter how basic and forgettable the film was, Sonic has become the most commercially successful video game adaptation ever. With the sequel, it’s making a play for a larger cinematic universe. A third film and at least one television spin-off are already in the works. It doesn’t matter if there’s a curse or not; Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is simply more of the same.
A Saturday morning animation with a Hollywood budget targeting an audience of eight-year-olds, steered by the same creative team as before, is just rather basic and forgettable family fodder. In addition to the CG character designs that look jarringly cartoonish in comparison to the live-action setting, the jokes remain largely awful. Among the notable additions is Colleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles, who is like a Poundshop Drax the Destroyer. Both characters are portrayed by O’Shaughnessey in the video game.
Sonic has to Discover a Map
There’s not much of a story here, other than Sonic having to discover a map, which leads to a magic compass, which leads to an underground temple, which leads to a maze, which leads to a magical emerald. Friendships are forged, ties are reinforced, and dance-offs are conducted as a result of these experiences. With a two-hour-plus running time, it’s bound to annoy children, despite its hero’s fast-paced approach.
It’s Jim Carrey’s return as a pantomime villain that’s the closest thing to a redeeming quality in this sequel. Batman Forever’s portrayal of the Riddler is a marvel of subtlety and understatement in comparison to this performance. He tells us yet again that no one in Hollywood can expertly gurn quite like him, wearing a bushier mustache. When he was at his most energetic in the ’90s, it would be great to hear him use that energy again. In fact, it is via Carrey that the picture demonstrates rare glimpses of self-awareness. This is not the way I want to die!
When Robotnik is racing from a boulder that seems like it belongs in Raiders Of The Lost Ark, he lets out a scream. What a rip-off! Even if the filmmakers didn’t intend for it to be so sly, the sentence is still amusing. Despite Jim Carrey’s tremendously devoted portrayal, Sonic’s second outing is barely more than a half-term diversion tool. Sonic’s race isn’t over yet, however, thanks to this slick sequel. Quite the contrary, in fact. The Blue Blur is moving full steam ahead, with a threequel already announced and a Knuckles spin-off planned for 2023.
KINETIC FAMILY FUN BACK SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2
In a follow-up to the surprising success of Sonic the Hedgehog in 2020, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 taps a slew of gaming legends and voice actors for yet another round of energetic family fun. Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is now in Green Hills, a small suburb outside of Los Angeles. As the spiny speedster teams, up with the twin-tailed fox Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey, reprising her role from the games) on the high-octane hunt for Master Emerald, a source of limitless power, that dose of introspection – and ill-fated superhero audition as the Batman-esque ‘Blue Justice’ is quickly dispatched.
A returning Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) as well as his new uneasy friend, Knuckles, pose a threat to that bejeweled goal (Idris Elba). With the bristling echidna’s hard-hitting style, Sonic now faces a significantly larger physical challenge than he did in the original film. Knuckles’ role as a counterbalance to Sonic, who is a never-ending ball of energy, doesn’t always succeed. Elba, on the other hand, gives a level of seriousness to the role that would otherwise have been too smug. Maddie’s (Tika Sumpter) wedding to her sister Rachel (James Marsden) is a perplexing subplot that brings an end to Tom and Maddie’s (Tika Sumpter) fun-filled vacation (Natasha Rothwell).
Sonic 2 shines when it finally says “aloha” to the middle section of the game. Toby’s absence allows Jim Carrey, in mustache-twirling form, to recapture his ’90s glory days with an exhilarating sugar high. The CGI fights between Sonic and Knuckles are also a good example of director Jeff Fowler’s improved sense of action. It may not be as funny as it should be, but there are still plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Several mature jokes, including an eye-rolling mushroom pun, keep Sonic 2 from becoming a kid’s game.
In reality, the first film had a little edge over the follow-up. Storylines here follow the same familiar pattern as the 2020 picture, even with Knuckles and the enhanced special effects. Even with the extra twist of Knuckles, Robotnik’s insane machinations and the power-of-friendship message feel reheated.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has been overwhelmingly positive
It appears that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a hit with critics. In spite of some controversy over the character’s appearance in the first picture, Sonic was a huge hit and one of the last major releases before the epidemic. After theatres were briefly shut down in early 2020, families had something to watch while they waited for the movie to be released on streaming services. Paramount promptly approved a sequel after the huge success of the first film, and the sequel is now out around two years later. Sonic and Tails and Knuckles are back for another adventure, and this one seems to be even better than the first.
Several critics have already seen Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and the reviews have been largely good. Initial social media reception of the film has praised it as fun and an upgrade over the original, mostly due to the fact that the film embraces its video game roots and pushes toward an action movie. Other viewers were impressed by the cast’s wit and sincerity in the upcoming game adaptation. Additionally, ComicBook’s Chris Killian urged fans to stick around for the end credits for a treat.
It’s encouraging to hear that the sequel succeeds, given that video game adaptations can go either way. Despite its flaws, the first was a pleasant surprise. As far as I can tell, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 appears to have found its feet and established a firm identity. The film’s distributor, Paramount Pictures, has indicated that it is already working on Sonic the Hedgehog 3. For the time being, all of the reviews are under embargo, but we can expect them to be revealed before the film opens.
On April 8th, 2022, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will be released in theatres. You may find more of our film coverage by visiting this link. Will you be attending the premiere of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 when it comes out? In the comments below or on Twitter, @Cade Onder, I’d love to hear from you. Here are some thoughts on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 from the community.
