"Sonic The Hedgehog 2" is the sequel to the 2020 video game film adaptation of SEGA's "Sonic The Hedgehog". Starring James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Jim Carrey, as well as the voice talents of Ben Schwartz, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, and Idris Elba, it is a decent continuation that's sure to entertain both fans of the games and the previous film.
Sometime after the events of first film, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) has taken it upon himself to become a hero that others can rely on in Green Hills, Montana. After causing a great deal of collateral damage foiling a bank robbery, Sonic is forced to housesit for Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) while the two are attending a wedding in Hawaii. Meanwhile, Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik (Jim Carrey) has returned from the Mushroom Planet thanks to the help of Knuckles the Echidna (voiced by Idris Elba) to seek out the powerful Master Emerald, which will help them conquer the world. After learning of this, Sonic teams up with his new fox friend Miles "Tails" Prower (voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey) to stop both Dr. Eggman and Knuckles before they can wreak havoc with the Emerald.
What I believe made the first "Sonic The Hedgehog" movie such a success was how it managed to appeal to hardcore Sonic fans while also functioning as an amusing family film in its own right. Something like this is easier said than done because various other movies based on video games have tried too hard to be as close to the original games as possible, alienating uninitiated viewers in the process. Because of how it was able to rise above this common mistake, I rank the first Sonic movie among the best video game related films of all time (although considering the lack of competition, the bar isn't exactly very high). Most of what made its predecessor work so well has been replicated here in the sequel, as it provides about the same amount of entertainment value one might expect from a follow-up.
Deviating from the original, this film has a slightly darker tone since the Emerald is shown to be something that could easily destroy all of life as we know it. Because of this, we see Sonic actually treating this as a serious threat, limiting the amount of jokes and wisecracks he makes when attempting to hunt it down. This could be compared to the power of Infinity Stones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where their use has the potential to cause catastrophic damage if it were to fall into the wrong hands. I'm not entirely sure if this is accurate to the games since I'm only a casual fan of the series but it all seems like a typical plot device one would see when playing something related to Sonic the Hedgehog.
However, things aren't all doom and gloom since that signature fun factor is still there to prevent things from becoming too bleak. Sonic, who is now joined by his good friend Tails, can be seen dancing off against foes to some catchy songs on his iPhone and snowboarding down mountainous slopes in Siberia. Scenes like these are as fast-paced and likeable as the blue hedgehog himself, elevating the film above the usual onslaught of family movie fodder designed solely towards very small children. To my surprise, Sonic now only seems to use his superspeed sparingly rather than just for the sake of it. Perhaps this was done in an effort to develop Sonic more as a character using his head instead of mindlessly speeding around, or maybe they simply didn't want to show Sonic being way too overpowered. Either way, it is an interesting creative decision.
Visually, the film looks considerably better than its predecessor. Years ago, many people on the internet infamously cyber-bullied the makers of the first film into changing Sonic's look, winning out in the end with his current design. Normally I'm against this type of vitriolic attack on filmmakers but after seeing the fixed product, I'd say it was all for the best. I'm not sure how they were able to pull it off, but Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all look well integrated into our world. Scenes where human characters were interacting with Sonic, both physically and verbally, all looked quite convincing, as though there really were an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog sitting next to them or dancing alongside them in a bar.
I also like how each of the three characters' distinct colours did a clever job of representing their personality traits. Sonic's blue stands out as he confidently speeds past everybody, Tails's orange highlights his supportive nature, and Knuckles' red perfectly mirrors his angry determination. Whether or not this was done intentionally I'm not entirely sure but if it was, then it was a nice addition the film. With that in mind, it also makes it easier to distinguish each of them from a distance, especially during certain action scenes where many things were happening at once.
Like last time, Ben Schwartz does a great job playing up Sonic's cocky attitude to full effect. Although he still has that streak of impulsivity, Sonic this time feels as though he is trying to make an effort to use his intellect rather than just his speed to hunt down the Master Emerald. It was also nice to hear Colleen O'Shaughnessey reprise her role as Tails from the video games, as I can't really think of any other mainstream actors capable of voicing the loveable two-tailed fox. If you enjoyed O'Shaughnessey's voice of Tails in the games, then you are sure to like how she is able to hold her own alongside the rest of the cast. Idris Elba is appropriately irritable and brutally strong as the voice of Knuckles. Elba seems to be voicing Knuckles in the vein of the MCU's Thor in his first appearance, in that he is very powerful and one track minded but ignorant to basic things like food and recreational activities.
Jim Carrey's performance as Dr. Eggman was easily my favourite thing about the original film. I remember laughing out loud quite a lot at the over-the-top material the writers gave him to work with. It was almost as though the character has been personally tailored to make use of all his comedic talents. This time, he bears a stronger resemblance to his video game counterpart, complete with a bald head and comically huge moustache, and like before he steals the show in virtually every scene he is in. For a man in his 60s, Carrey still demonstrates a considerable amount of versatility and physical dexterity when playing this iconic villain. I look forward to seeing more of Carrey's version of Dr. Eggman in future Sonic films.
As far as video game movies and sequels are concerned, "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" is a fun follow-up that is able to recapture what made the original a success in the first place. It isn't afraid to be goofy fun if it wants to be but it also doesn't shy away from serious moments whenever it feels necessary. If you liked the first film, then it stands to reason that you should like this one as well. Judging by the mid-credits scene, it seems there are some more surprises on the horizon so Sonic fans definitely ought to stay tuned.
I rate it 7/10.
