Directed by Jeff Fowler, the world’s favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba), in search of an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with a sidekick of his own, Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.
The first Sonic film back in 2020 was a massive surprise to everyone, especially after the original panning it had before its release for one of the most horrible character designs ever put on screen. It was a fun film that I and many others loved for its heart, humor, and high-speed hijinks. And ever since the first film’s post-credits scene where Tails appeared, many of us were excited to see the sequel and what they had in store. Then we got even more excited with the surprising debut of Knuckles making this film feel bigger and more important for Sonic fans.
So did the sequel deliver on expectations? It sure did! Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is an absolute blast that goes bigger than the first film in many ways and sticks closer to the source material, offering fantastic and well-earned fan service in the process. It felt like I was transported to my childhood of growing up with Sonic games, specifically the Sonic Adventure games from which this film takes a lot of inspiration.
Even though the first film was good there were definitely some things they could have improved on and that is what this sequel does. It improves upon what its predecessor made and adds even more new fun stuff for everyone to enjoy, whether you’re a fan of the games or not. There were so many grand surprises in this film that I wish so badly I could talk about but I can’t.
Let’s start off with the characters, the main highlights being Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and of course, Robotnik who serve as the primary focus of the film.
Ben Schwartz once again delivers a fantastic performance as Sonic, who looks and sounds even better than the previous film. Sonic is the speedy wisecracking kid we know and love. We see him learn what it means to be a hero as he goes on a fun adventure that puts his skills to the test. Ben delivers the same charm and heart to the character that made him lovable in the first place but now he gets to share it with new faces.
Colleen O’Shaughnessey gets to reprise the role of Tails, this time on the big screen, and I couldn’t be happier about how he turned out. Tails was adorable, awesome, and perfectly shares the iconic relationship with Sonic many were hoping for including myself. He’s a young tech genius who looks up to Sonic and, similar to him, has been so isolated from others as well looked down upon due to his two tails. Seeing the way these two bond together over the course of the film was very heartwarming and it does provide a thoughtful message about how we should never judge anyone for their features. Also, it was really great to have Colleen return to the role from the games.
Idris Elba as Knuckles was a massive stand-out, delivering a hilarious no-nonsense echidna warrior that delivers some of the best scenes in film in terms of action and humor. He is similar to Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy in which he takes things very literally and only has the mindset of a hardened warrior, leading to great interactions between him and Sonic as well as Robotnik. He has a sympathetic back story that makes us understand his motives and leads to surprisingly touching moments within the film that will probably make people love the character very much. On top of that, his design is absolutely perfect, along with being given great expression to match Idris Elba’s epic voice that fits so well with the character. He’s definitely going to be a guaranteed favorite for everyone, even for those who aren’t too familiar with the games.
The beloved Jim Carrey once again delivers a spectacular performance as Robotnik channeling his inner 90s self and going all out for us to enjoy. He understood the assignment, giving us the mad mustache-wearing genius we know from the games but of course adding his own special Carrey spin. He’s as perfect as expected, especially when he gets an interesting upgrade.
As for the other human characters, even though they aren’t focused on that much they do manage to deliver great performances and even manage to have some surprisingly great scenes of their own. James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Lee Majdoub reprise their respective roles well and have their fun, but the most surprising standout was Natasha Rothwell as Rachel. She wasn’t really that memorable in the last film but she instantly became an absolute gem in this film, having some of the most unexpectedly over-the-top hilarious scenes. It may seem out of left field and not contribute much to the story but she was honestly brilliant.
Speaking of story this film goes completely off-chain, delivering a fast-paced Sonic adventure that is way more investing compared to the first film and adapts more lore from the games in interesting ways. Anyone with knowledge of the games will probably understand and connect with the story more than regular viewers, but the film also does a great job explaining the lore for new fans to understand, therefore not isolating anyone. It’s mainly a fun family adventure film that everyone can enjoy and understand that doesn’t take itself too seriously. After all, this is a story about a fast blue hedgehog and his fox friend going up against a maniacal scientist and an echidna warrior, it’s not necessarily trying to be the next Godfather as some critics seemed to have expected.
But the film does manage to deliver some grounded heartfelt scenes and themes at times, as well as delivering massive surprises for fans that completely caught me off guard. I never thought I’d be able to witness iconic elements of the Sonic games adapted to the big screen, including one very special moment that occurs in the final act. This moment brought me back to my days as a hardcore Sonic fan and made my theater go wild, cementing this film as probably the best live-action video game adaptation.
The one downside to the story I will say is that, similar to the first film, there are some jokes and humor that didn’t always land. There is definitely better humor in this film compared to the previous but it’s not entirely perfect. However, it never takes away from the good stuff this film delivers so it didn’t bother me that much.
The action is way bigger in this film compared to the previous installment and absolutely fluid, matching the energy of the games and the fun adventure story. It made the film feel much larger, thrilling, and more exciting as it delivers the kind of action fans have wanted to see, as well as deliver gorgeous displays of effects that make that hideous atrocity of a Sonic design a distant memory. So many beautiful frames can be plucked from this film even more than before and it shows that the filmmakers put more effort into making this visually pleasing to the eye and feel more like the Sonic games.
Tom Holkenborg returns for the score, delivering thrilling music that gets the blood pumping and everybody excited. It was also interesting to hear some classic tunes from the games in some scenes as a neat little easter egg in a film that is littered with many of them.
And then there is the post-credit scene which absolutely makes up for the mediocre post-credit scene I had to witness in Morbius. While that film left audiences pissed off and confused, this film delivers a post-credit scene that made my whole theater shake with hype and excitement. I was jumping up and down in my seat when it happened as did everyone else but I can’t tell people why. The only thing I will say is that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 needs to happen. It needs to!
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 managed to be an excellent sequel that could have easily been a soulless cash grab that doesn’t respect its fan base or general audiences. But that is why I am thankful that we have a passionate team behind this franchise, led by Jeff Fowler, that has gone out of their way to deliver a video game adaptation that everyone can love no matter what age you are. This film goes beyond the limits of the first and is a guaranteed great time. If you have the chance to see it. Do it. I’m going to give Sonic the Hedgehog 2 an A = 96.
You can find more of my writing on instagram, and check out my channel on YouTube!