Truly, the film industry hasn’t been the same since “Sonic the Hedgehog” released in theatres way back in February of 2020. While there’s obviously one huge reason why, the film also represented a somewhat groundbreaking moment in Hollywood: a studio listened to criticisms and changed a product for the better. After the disastrous original design, the film’s release date was pushed back a few months and Sonic’s design was overhauled. The result was a lot of fan goodwill and a warm, if not overwhelmingly so, reception from critics and fans as it raked in a good amount of cash.
Now, the ultimate test is here: the sequel. Returning director Jeff Fowler (“Gopher Broke”) and returning screenwriters Pat Casey (“Transylmania,” “Golan the Insatiable”) and Josh Miller (“Transylmania,” “Golan the Insatiable”), with John Whittington (“The LEGO Batman Movie,” “When We First Met”) along for the writing ride now as well, have their sights set on one large goal: pleasing fans. If the first film existed simply to introduce Sonic to a mainstream audience, even if he had to be crow-barred into bog standard family film fare, this sequel is here for those who stuck around, for those who’ve been fans of the Blue Blur for thirty years or three.
Picking up a bit after where the last film ended, Sonic’s comfortable life in Green Hills is uprooted when Eggman returns to Earth, now with an angry red Echidna in tow named Knuckles. The pair are after a mysterious emerald and it's Sonic’s job to stop them, now with a young eager twin tailed fox named Tails alongside him. If that sounds far closer to the games it's based on than the first film, then take that as the first of many improvements made in this sophomore outing.
Ben Schwartz (“Parks and Recreation,” “The Afterparty”) continues to be perfect casting as Sonic, rivaling his best voices from the last three decades, in games or other media. He gets the fun loving, big hearted nature of the hero, without making him so silly the dramatic moments can’t land. Colleen O'Shaughnessey (“Sonic Forces,” “Danny Phantom”) joins the cast, reprising her role from the recent games and media as Miles “Tails” Prower, the genius inventor who idolizes Sonic. She’s a great addition to the cast, continuing a career of bringing life to one of gaming’s greatest sidekicks with enthusiasm and gusto. Speaking of gusto, Idris Elba (“Beasts of No Nation,” “The Wire”) also joins the voice cast as Knuckles, and if ever there was a Hollywood actor who throws himself into any role, it's Elba. You can tell that he cares just as much about delivering his lines with weight as a space Echidna as he does a drug dealer or lawyer.
While they’re still the least interesting part of any animated-live action hybrid, the humans here are as entertaining as they could possibly be. James Marsden (“X-Men,” “Hairspray”) and Tika Sumpter (“Get On Up,” “Southside with You”) are back as Tom and Maddie Wachowski, Sonic’s adoptive parents and there’s just as much charm pouring out of the two of them as there is silliness. Natasha Rothwell (“The White Lotus,” “Insecure”) gets a lot more time in the spotlight as Maddie’s sister, Rachel, resulting in some of the film’s funniest lines and most crowd pleasing moments.
But of course, everyone pales in comparison to Jim Carrey (“Dumb and Dumber,” “The Mask”), reprising his role as Doctor Robotnik, aka Eggman. He’s once again delivering every line as extremely as he can, cementing his performance as one of the greatest villain roles in modern cinema. And for anyone saying he’s too extreme, you clearly haven’t seen Eggman in a recent Sonic game. Let’s not forget his right hand man though, as Agent Stone, played by Lee Majdoub (“The 100,” “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency”), is just as delightful and even a bit more mischievous than before.
Silly is the word of the day here. Yes, the entire concept of Sonic as a character, world, story, etc. is silly, and the film openly embraces that. It’s more accurate to the games, but not in a cynical corporate way. It’s an expansion of the first film, and it openly embraces as many of Sonic’s game elements as one could possibly fit in one film. It’s a film for the fans, plain and simple, with no other goals than to just make a lot of people smile. Look no further than the 122 minute runtime as an example of the filmmakers wanting to squeeze as much fun out of this project as possible.
Its a glorious tribute to a three decade long series but it's not without its faults. The film is the most invigorating in its latter half, and it still features its fair share of kids' movie fart jokes and pop culture references. It also continues the baffling trend of dance fights, a kids movie staple that seemed to appear out of nowhere a decade or so ago. You’d be hard pressed to be bothered by any of it during the film though, as the few lows are so overpowered by the exhilarating highs felt in the film’s latter half, and it's all because, underneath it all, the film takes Sonic and his friends extremely seriously.
That love for the source material is felt in every fiber of the film. There are Easter eggs and references everywhere and it feels more willing to embrace its weird and silly side inherent to the franchise's roots than ever before. In an age where the phrase “it knows what it is” can feel like a backhanded compliment, it's a privilege to say that “Sonic The Hedgehog 2” knows what it is, and embraces it.
Yeah, it’s not a cinematic masterpiece, but nor is it a terrible film by any means. “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” ratchets up the game lore and story and it results in a movie not afraid to get weird with it all. It's got some minor speed bumps, but when a film like this is made without a shred of cynicism and has people behind the scenes who clearly care as much as the ones buying the cup toppers and showing up in character t-shirts, then you know you’re in a for a good, silly, and adventurous good time. 4/5
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