SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 movie review

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 (hereafter simply referred to as SONIC 2) is directed by Jeff Fowler. It stars Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Colleen O’Shaughnessy, Lee Majdoub, Idris Elba, and Jim Carrey.

Sonic, following his last adventure and his battles with the evil Dr. Robotnik, finds himself settling into life in Green Hills with the Wachowski Family, but he can’t resist the urge to go out and be a hero; something that often ends in disaster. When the Wachowskis leave Sonic alone to attend a wedding, disaster strikes, and Sonic finds himself on another adventure. Robotnik has escaped his exile and teamed with the super strong Echidna tribe warrior Knuckles at his side. Allying with new friend Tails, Sonic must stop Robotnik and Knuckles from getting the Master Emerald, a relic that can give its holder endless power.

The first SONIC THE HEDGEHOG movie was a pleasant surprise for me, seeing as how video game-based movies are usually trash, but it captured the spirit of its source material surprisingly well and was an ideal adventure for young and old; even if not quite a perfect film, it still ranked in the upper tier of game-based movies. SONIC 2 ups the ante, bringing in more characters and plot elements from the long-running video game series. And while some elements fall flat and are a bit underdeveloped, the end results are still surprisingly strong. The audience I saw this film with at my screening, with a nice mix of kids and adults, were cheering with enthusiasm throughout. It’s not hard to see why; the mix of action and humor appeals to all ages, and it certainly hits all the right nostalgia buttons for the gamer crowd.

One place I was satisfied with the first film and ever more so here, is the casting. The voice cast, of course, features Ben Schwartz returning as Sonic, who gives this character the perfect personality, with humor and dramatic moments in equal quantities. Joining the cast for this film are Colleen O’Shaughnessy as Tails, the young and inexperienced inventor who idolizes Sonic and wants to help his on his adventure, and Idris Elba as Knuckles, the super-powered warrior on an unflinching quest to retrieve the Master Emerald. I look forward to seeing where these character go and end up in future movies; this is a great introduction to them.

The human cast fares nearly as well, with James Marsden and Tika Sumpter returning as the Wachowskis, Sonic’s foster parents of sorts. But the standout remains Jim Carrey as the villainous Dr. Robotnik. This is, hands down, Carrey’s best comedic role since his prime in the 1990s. It’s impossible not to laugh when he’s on screen playing this role. You’ll love every scene he gets.

The tone of the movie is all over the place, but it fortunately feels balanced and gives audiences what they’ll want. The action sequences are epic, going everywhere from the icy mountains of Siberia to the picturesque islands of Hawaii, and the comedic moments, particularly those with Carrey, strike gold. There’s gut-busting laughter to be had here amid all the action, and despite it all, the movie also hits some emotional highs that’ll connect with the audience. Even non-human cg-animated characters feel humanized and three-dimensional, and that’s a tough thing to pull off in a family film.

There are some issues with the film that keep it from prevent it from reaching perfection, however. The single biggest problem with the movie is bringing back the Rachel character from the first movie. She’s an obnoxious over-the-top “Angry Black Lady” stereotype character who feels more like she belongs in a different film. The movie also abruptly ends a subplot involving her with no real resolution, and the subplot involving her is something the movie would’ve been better off without altogether. At times, the humor gets a little too juvenile, but I do supposed it at least handles this material better than a lot of other movies that are literally nothing but childish potty jokes. The film has problems, but I’m still recommending it.

SONIC 2 ups the ante, and it does things surprisingly well even if some of the storytelling and humor don’t quite hit the mark. There are more hits than misses in this action-packed laugh riot, which beautifully expands this universe, adding in more elements from the video game mythos that’ll have old-school gamers giddy and excited on many an occasion. Like its predecessor, it still ranks among the better game-based movies, and it’s good, mostly family-friendly entertainment with action and laughs that should appeal to young and old. Definitely recommended.