A Reel Review: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2

For decades, movies based on video games did not fare well with fans, critics, or the box office. The reasons for the many failures are debatable and can go on forever, but all that changed in 2020 when SONIC THE HEDGEHOG raced into theatres and finally delivered, earning a claim to the crown of the best of the genre. That film was an origin story of-sorts, and now that all the set-up is out of the way, the path is clear for some true video-game fun. 

 

After banishing the evil Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to another planet, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), is using his supersonic-speed powers to be a hero. When his caretakers Tom (James Marsden), and Maddie (Tika Sumpter), leave for a destination wedding, Sonic is left alone before being visited by a helpful ally in Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and then a vengeful Robotnik and his new ally, Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba).

 

Directed by Jeff Fowler, SONIC 2 begins with a youthful Sonic who, despite all the fun he is having trying to be a hero, is still trying to find his true place in the world. Meanwhile, Robotnik and Knuckles are causing chaos in their quest to find the legendary Master Emerald, a source of great power that Sonic holds the key to finding. The film moves into a race around the world, bouncing around locations from Siberia to Hawaii to keep the gem away from evil. In a rare feat, Fowler and his team of writers makes SONIC 2 not only a fun movie that stays true to its video game origins, but a true character study as well. Sonic has a terrific arc as he goes through the paces with his enemies and new allies, and the final battle in the third act is packed with a lot of heart. 

 

As it should be for a Sonic film, the pacing is brisk, the action scenes are a blast, and deep pulls from the vast video game history of SONIC appear in all the right places. Visual effects are dazzling; Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails look great…and their blending into their live-action environments is seamless. The script is witty and sharp but has a few bumps: the destination wedding sub-plot has an excellent twist but spends too much time resolving itself and the film goes sideways for what seems like forever, and the sudden appearance of an adversarial character seems to be missing a set-up scene. 

 

The entire cast is excellent, and everyone seems to be having fun, especially Jim Carrey who is off the chain and back to his early 1990’s zany comic roots. Ben Schwartz is perfect as Sonic, as is Idris Elba as Knuckles. Natasha Rothwell nearly steals the show. 

 

One of the many reasons video game movies bomb so hard is that they stray too far away from their roots. SONIC 2 avoids that and manages to tell its own story that’s relevant and works for modern audiences and fans of the games from 30 years ago. When the first SONIC rolled into theatres, we were crowning it as the best of its genre. That movie has now been dethroned. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it