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It isn't as much fun as the little blue guy's greatest games, but if you enjoyed the first film, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 serves as a generally acceptable sequel. Read critic reviews
A fun, fast-paced improvement on the original, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is like a video game come to life -- and for once where a movie's concerned, that's actually a compliment. Read audience reviews
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The world's favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.
Rating: PG (Mild Language|Action|Rude Humor|Some Violence)
Genre: Kids & family, Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Director: Jeff Fowler
Producer: Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara, Hitoshi Okuno
Writer: Pat Casey, Josh Miller, John Whittington
Release Date (Theaters): wide
Release Date (Streaming):
Box Office (Gross USA): $190.7M
Runtime:
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Marza Animation Planet, Paramount Pictures, Original Film, Sega Sammy Group, Blur Studio
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
Improving on the original in (mostly) every conceivable way and giving us a more genuine video game adaptation, Sonic 2 is a helluva lot of fun. With temple runs, puzzles, giant Robotnik monsters, this genuinely feels like a Sonic the Hedgehog movie. There's even G.U.N., yeah, G.U.N., that's a weird deep cut. But then there's also a wedding subplot and a bridezilla scene that kinda' derails the fun Sonic stuff. And hey, this stuff isn't bad, it's actually kind of funny. But it's not Sonic. Still, when the film is being a Sonic movie, it's fantastic. Jim Carrey is great again, but the real star is Idris Elba as Knuckles who steals every scene he's in. Think something in line with Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy, a warrior who doesn't understand subtlety, it's an endlessly funny gimmick and he kills it in the role. In the end Sonic 2 is a lot of fun, and it has a post-credit scene that absolutely broke the theater I was in.
While not as enjoyable as the first outing, Sonic 2 mostly fulfills what you would be looking for with a sequel. This is the kind of kids movie that is aimed primarily for the little ones, and that's okay, not every movie intended for children has to work on multiple levels of maturity. We follow our signature alien speedster as he meets two of the other famous faces from the video game franchise, Tails (voiced by the game's original actress) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), except Knuckles is working with a returned Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to find a hidden gem of ultimate power. The plot is just a disposable excuse to set up some big screen adventure-seeking, and everything is kept at a very low-stakes realm of entertainment, breezy and quippy and pleading with you to just accept it on its own minor terms. At points, the Sonic sequel can feel like a direct continuation of its predecessor and Carrey is once again the MVP. I enjoyed the Knuckles character because the screenwriters have made this new alien warrior very much like the literal-minded himbo, Drax (Guardians of the Galaxy). Plus I just enjoy Elba's natural British voice. The length of the movie is a bit padded at over two hours, a full twenty minutes longer than the 2020 original, and the attempts at heart feel strictly boilerplate and perfunctory. The subplot about a destination wedding in Hawaii feels included just to give the humans something to do away from the action, and while I enjoyed Natasha Rothwell (Insecure) getting to go full avenging bridezilla ham, this stuff could have easily been cut as much as it matters to the bigger picture of world-saving and robot-smashing. If you were a fan of the first Sonic movie, which I found to be a pleasant surprise, then you'll likely relive those same feelings but just a little less potent. It's still a fun, agreeable kids movie and one that can be enjoyed on that level even by adults, though the fun just might not be the same size as before. Nate's Grade: B-
Having enjoyed the Sonic the Hedgehog video games throughout the years and also having enjoyed the first film in 2020, I was curious where they would go with a sequel. Now playing in theatres, I would say that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is about just as enjoyable as its predecessor. Everything I liked about the first film is doubled up on here which was a nice treat, but new issues are also present. I don't go into films like this hoping for some masterful piece of filmmaking, but I do question when a creative decision just feels off. Here are my mostly positive thoughts on Sonic the Hedgehog 2. After being banished to the Mushroom Planet, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) forms a new ally in Knuckles (Idris Elba). Returning to Earth with his new companion, he once again seeks out Sonic. The only addition however is that he wishes to find the chaos emerald, which holds "ultimate power." Sonic (Ben Schwartz) teams up with a new ally of his own in Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) to search for it as well. This film becomes both a treasure hunt and villain showdown, which was fun to see. It doesn't get much simpler in terms of storytelling for a film such as this, but I thought it was well done. On top of having fun with the story itself, I also found myself impressed with how witty the film was with its dialogue. I laughed at multiple puns and Jim Carrey's portrayal is once again great, if not even better. What did bog the film down though was a portion of the film that took place in Hawai'i. I understand continuing the parent storyline with both James Marsden and Tika Sumpter, but why they go to Hawai'i and why so much time is focused on secondary characters when it ultimately amounts to nothing to move the story forward was beyond me. Sure, these scenes had their moments and I didn't hate them, but they felt out of place for this film. Taking this out would leave no impact and make the film feel much better-paced. Overall, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 delivers on all of its promises. It's a film for both kids and adults that doesn't take itself overly seriously (only when it needs to), and is also just a pure blast of energy from start to finish. I never once found myself bored, other than that major story detour, and that's all I really wanted from this sequel. It's bright, vibrant, energetic, and delivers just the right amount of emotion without feeling overdone. The setup for a third film does excite me and I will gladly watch the next instalment. There's nothing all that special about these movies, but I have fun watching them. Especially if you enjoyed the first movie, I recommend checking this one out. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is now playing in theatres.
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