Finally Watched…Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Finally Watched week concludes with the second Sonic movie. The first movie, after changing out the character model the internet hated with one that was closer to the classic depiction while still working in the live-action world, gained a lot of positive support from game fans, but it also had to grab enough of the casual movie-going public who may not even know there was a game in order to do well. The fact that we’re talking about a sequel, another one is coming, and a spin-off Paramount+ series featuring one of the characters exists I’m going to guess they succeeded.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 still had the same issues of any sequel while still convincing fans they could properly interpret the game rather than slapping brand names onto someone else’s script, like sewing a Levi’s label onto a Chinese knockoff set of pajama shorts. I rarely compare a movie to its sequel because all I want is for the story to continue, not whether or not it was better…unless they do some major mistake of course, like Marvel Studios are doing now with their “adaptations”. How did they do with only two years between them?

RELEASE DATE: 2022

RELEASED BY: Paramount Pictures

RUNTIME: 2 hr, 2 min

RATING: PG

VIEWING SOURCE FOR THIS REVIEW: MGM+ Hits

STARRING: Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Jim Carrey, Idris Elba, and James Marsden

SCREENWRITERS: Pat Casey & Josh Miller (also story) with John Whittington

BOX OFFICE: $190,872,904 and $405,421,518 worldwide gross, according to IMDB

ESTIMATED BUDGET: $110,000,000 according to IMDB

The Plot: The last survivor of the Echidnas, the ones who attacked Sonic’s mentor in the first movie, has come seeking the Master Emerald. Years ago, Longclaw (voice of Donna Jay Fulks) hid it on Earth, and the echidna, Knuckles (voice of Idris Elba), has rescued Robotnik (voice and body of Jim Carrey) to find it. Learning of the warrior’s arrival, Miles “Tails” Prower (voice of O’Shaughnessy) goes to Earth to warn Sonic (voice of Ben Schwartz. With the government still after the Blue Blur, and Robotnik sure to betray Knuckles, can our hero form a team to save the universe?

Why did I want to see it?: For the same reasons as the first one. I’m not a huge fan of the franchise, but I do enjoy it. Additionally, the first movie was an enjoyable time and this one had Tails, my favorite character of the franchise.

What did I think?: Since I mentioned him, let’s talk Tails. While Ben Schwartz returns as Sonic and Idris Elba takes on Knuckles, they actually got a voice actor–well, actress, who was familiar with the character. Colleen O’Shaughnessey played Tails in Sonic Boom and some other material for SEGA, and she handles the role just right. And she’s not even a boy fox. Being my favorite character in the franchise I wanted to see him represented well. He’s the current tech whiz kid who can fly by spinning his tails, with the character arc of gaining confidence like his hero, Sonic. That’s what we get, and I’m happy.

The adaptation elements are handled well, from Tails flying a biplane to the appearance of this reality’s version of GUN, the Guardian Unit Of Nations. If you don’t know the games, comics, or shows, the references mean nothing to you but don’t detract from the experience because you only need to see how they’re used here. If you are familiar with the used elements, you get to see them used properly within the world of the movie but as a fan the elements are translated properly. See, adaptations CAN use the source material for the fans without losing the casual audience. It’s called giving a damn!

The first part of the movie focuses on Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Robotnik, the characters the fans care about most, but knows when to bring in Tom (Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) to help with the story as part of Sonic’s character arc about being a responsible hero. We get to see Sonic and Tails bond, and when Knuckles joins the team it feels earned. Sonic and Knuckles both lost something that day, and while you could argue the whole Master/Chaos Emerald story, which again is translated well from the games, was forced in, we do get closure to Longclaw’s battle and what happened. It’s the teaser for the third movie that felt a bit forced in, but maybe the third movie will make it work. It’s not out yet as I write this review.

I only have two major complaints: Knuckles doesn’t glide like he does in other media, and the sister (Natasha Rothwell) is back. Honestly, outside of the gag with the ring, the whole wedding thing could have been replaced with the GUN agents just hanging out undercover at the hotel as staff and guests and nothing would have been lost. Please tell me she’s either not in the third movie or they actually find something more to do with her beyond giving us more time with her daughter? Little Jojo makes me Cassie from the first Ant-Man, but she doesn’t get much to do, either. The actresses are good enough, but they aren’t given anything to do beyond the sister hating Tom, an arc with her fiance that goes nowhere, and Jojo (Melody Niemann) finding Tails’ backpack. Maddie could have done all that and still got to do her big rescue scene with Tails’ gear. I also want her more involved, but she and Tom being kept out of it for the first half does benefit the game heroes.

Was it worth the wait?: You know how I never compare the sequel to the original? All I expect a sequel to do is continue the story and give us more time with the characters in a satisfying way. It doesn’t have to be better than the first movie, just the next chapter. Well, I actually liked this more than the first. Granted I’m bias because Tails is here (and he does get his full name), but it’s also proof that a good adaptation can make the fans happy with a good story that makes the general audience happy. More adaptations could take lessons from the Sonic movies, and I’m hopeful that the third movie continues the trend rather than what Marvel Studios or recent Warner Brothers offerings have done by giving the source material the bird and then not even give us a good story as compensation. We’ll see, but so far this is my favorite Sonic movie.