It’s interesting how Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Paramount’s sequel to his 2020 box office debut once again directed by Jeff Fowler, is taking such a foothold in the box office in terms of capturing a family market that’s finally eager to return to the theaters post-COVID (being the biggest hit prior to the mass shutdown two years earlier). It’s a movie that’s got more teeth and intense moments than something like Sing, or the typical kids’ movie nowadays.
Ben Schwartz still has plenty of puns and quippy moments as the title character, but because of the increased stakes this time around, his performance is much more serious and nuanced here, increasing the depth he helped add to Sonic the first time before. As opposed to a hero who’s just 1990s cool and nothing else, Sonic’s allowed moments of reflection and vulnerability throughout the story signaling his growth as a character. Early on his attempts in Seattle to thwart a bank robbery do indicate he still has some work to do as far as maturing.
It’s the kind of growth he’ll be in dire need up, because Jim Carrey’s theatrical and manic Dr. Robotnik is back from being trapped on the mushroom planet (that’s not a Mario reference, his new film’s still on the way), and he’s brought along Knuckles, the red echidna warrior voice with a naive gruffness by Idris Elba. With the help of the latte-preparing Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub) they’re seeking the Master Emerald, a mystical artifact that Sonic’s lost surrogate Longclaw has connections to (and Sonic as well by virtue of association).
Our soft-furred speedster is assisted by Miles “Tails” Prower (played by long time Tails voice actress Colleen O’ Shaughnessy) in his quest to save the entire known (and unknown?) universe before Sonic’s new parents Tom and Maddie (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter) return from their Hawaiian vacation for the wedding of Maddie’s sister Rachel (Natasha Rothwell) to the hunky but mysterious Randall (SWAT’s Shemar Moore).
This new sequel does a nice job expanding on the game-based elements present in the first film as well as upping the scale. While Sonic 1 was a fairly grounded fish-out-of-water tale with some solid action throughout, the followup plays out even more like a tentpole superhero epic, which is apt given the full extent of Sonic’s powers here. A trip through Siberia for him and Tails leads to both a cute (if cliched) dance-off with a Russian brute along with nods to the Sonic 3 Genesis game;’s Ice Cap Zone.
The Blue Blur bounces around temple traps eerily similar to some of his most challenging levels. Tails lifts Sonic to safety with his helicopter tails and Knuckles scales walls with his fist-claws, and inadvertently crushes the hands of whomever he shakes with. Many of these battle scenes wouldn]t feel too out of place in a high level DC or Marvel storyline.
You should go into Sonic understanding it’s a pretty silly and upbeat film aimed at kids foremost, especially with Carrey’s trademark whirlwind energy still a major factor. But Ben as Sonic remains the heart of this franchise, bringing an engaging sincerity to his Sonic that keeps him from feeling like just another campy CGI mascot. He’s not a brooder like Batman, consistently confident and always up for a good time as he and the Wachowski’s dog Ozzie party it up while the fam is away.
Once the plot thickens though, he’s a determined and sympathetic lead who can match the gravity of a situation and be as badass as many big-screen heroes. While the creators mostly claim they’re taking influence from the games and some of the cartoons, I wouldn’t be shocked if there was a bit of Archie Sonic influence working its way into the script.
The side cast around him also make this film worth a watch. O’ Shaughnessy’s Tails is insanely adorable and his evolving relationship with Sonic will easily invoke plenty of “awwwws” from movie goers, and Elba’s Knuckles is compellingly funny as a dimwitted and comedically series gladiator who can’t understand how to properly read a text message. And while I do understand the criticism on how much focus the human characters do get, to me it helps that most of the town of Green Hills are pretty likable and endearing. It’s the game characters carrying the bulk of the screen time and they’ll easily make the biggest impressions, but Marsden as Tom was low-key one of the strongest elements of the first film IMO, so I was more than happy to see his evolving relationship with Sonic receive more attention.
Also, Adam Palley gets some laughs as Deputy Whipple who fills in for Tom’s absence. I was a bit surprised by how much time Rachel’s subplot got, leading her to help out Tails at one point. Natasha Rothwell got a limited amount of screen time in the first movie though she made a funny impression, so her wedding has more stakes in the plot than you might expect, but it surprisingly weaves well into the story.
What I think makes these Sonic films work is how they understand Sonic’s range. He’s a character able to handle silly and bouncy material geared towards younger audiences, and there’s plenty of that here. But it’s never in a way meant to feel insulting, and the filmmakers are also able to capture the epicness, heart, and scope of Sonic’s adventures seen in some of his best games and adaptions. Thanks to a committed cast, this is one of the rare second chapters that avoids the dreaded sequel traps and improves on the first one.
But how did you feel about it? If you’ve had the chance to see it, let us know how you felt at FAN’s social media spots!