Following on from the success of 2020’s hugely fun, and surprisingly endearing, Sonic The Hedgehog, Director Jeff Fowler has returned with the next cinematic outing for the SEGA mascot; Sonic The Hedgehog 2; another fun, fast, family film sure to appeal to anyone who loves Sonic (and the video games he’s known for), safe/child-friendly jokes, and simple family-friendly adventure movies with a quick-witted animated hero.
Picking up the action less than a year after the events of the previous film, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 finds our titular blue hero (once again voiced by Ben Schwartz) living with his new adoptive parents Tom and Maddie (James Marsden and Tina Sumpter respectively); happy yet unfulfilled, as he’s still feeling lonely, and unable to become the hero he knows he’s destined to be. At least until the hedgehog-hating Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carey) returns from Mushroom World with a super-strong new ally, a plan to exterminate our beloved hedgehog, and an even more diabolical scheme to find the universe’s ultimate power and use it to his own evil ends.
What follows is a globe-trotting treasure hunt (think Indiana Jones; complete with derivative rolling boulders in an ancient temple, but with an animated hedgehog and Jim Carey in place of Harrison Ford and the Nazis), filled with huge action set-pieces; such as a missile-dodging snowboard chase, a face-off against a giant robot, and even a shirtless bar-room dance-off; and the introduction of two beloved video game characters; Knuckles (Idris Elba, The Suicide Squad) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey, who fans will already recognise as the voice Tails from various TV shows and video games).
Sadly, while there’s a lot going on, the story takes a somewhat darker tone than the original film and feels a touch downbeat in places because of it. Thankfully these areas are short-lived and our hairy blue hero is always on hand with a quick-witted joke or pop-culture reference to ease the tension and keep the ball rolling with an easy laugh, but it’s still a shame the movie isn’t quite as light-hearted and jovial as its first big-screen outing.
The cast however do a fantastic job of keeping things light and fun; Schwartz is just as fun and energetic as ever returning to voice the consistently chatty caricature that is Sonic (and easily able to lead a movie such as this). Marsden, though sadly sidelined somewhat this time out, is as goofy and charming as one would hope for a man playing the animated animal’s human co-star/father figure, and Jim Carey might not be having quite as much fun as he did during the first Hedgehog film, but still fills every second of Dr. Robotnik’s on-screen persona with all the vim and vigor of any 1990s Jim Carey persona.
Colleen is clearly the perfect choice for Tails’ voice and never misses a beat, returning sidekicks such as Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub, and Natasha Rothwell all effortlessly slide back into their mildly amusing roles, and even Criminal Minds alum Shemar Moore joins the cast with a small but memorable appearance. Elba however, often falls disappointingly flat when voicing Knuckles; a stern character, but one who often comes across as rather monotonous and devoid of emotion, rather than angry or determined, as a result of Elba’s average voice-work.
Still, despite the fact Idris isn’t the most engaging Knuckles to date, the darker tone seems more of a drag than the joviality of the first film, and the fact clocking in at just over two-hours really makes it feel about half-an-hour too long, there’s a lot to love about Sonic The Hedgehog 2; sure it’s predictable, cliché, unoriginal, but it’s supposed to be.
It’s a rollicking family film, filled with fun, adventure, fast-paced jokes and a trio of colourful characters people have adored for years. Not only that, but the music (once more crafted by Junkie XL) is excellent at delivering every emotion it needs to whilst also playing a perfect homage to the source material, there’s an abundance of video game nods, references, and easter eggs to amuse and impress discerning fans, and the perfect balance of nostalgia, easy-to-access fun, and enjoyability which make Sonic The Hedgehog 2 a worthwhile two-hour watch for kids and grown-ups alike. Everything you need from a family film, and the perfect way to take a beloved video game character to the big screen.
