Sonic the Hedgehog 2 doesn’t try to recreate the games it takes inspiration from. I suppose there’s only so much across the Blue Blur’s disparate lore you can draw upon aside from its iconic characters and locations. Narratively, the games are mostly nonsense, but thankfully Sonic is a compelling enough protagonist that creating a meaningful universe around him on the big screen is an easy enough task.

Keeping it interesting is the hard part. While the first film was a relatively isolated tale of family and friendship in the charming town of Green Hills, the sequel is bigger, better, and more grandiose in the threats it hopes to depict. While it’s utterly formulaic and filled with pop culture references that are going to age like milk in the sun, the adventure on offer here is a substantial improvement over what came before. It understands the formula and iterates upon it to create a kid-friendly blockbuster I had a blast with.

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Sonic is now a permanent member of the Wachowski family, acting as a surrogate son to Tom and Maddie with a sickeningly sweet dynamic that feels genuine much of the time. Given the film’s demographic, I think turning Sonic into a young child is the right move, with his desire to make friends and care for his family coming across well despite some saccharine dialogue and hamfisted moments that make it incredibly obvious where the film is going.

Sonic 2 Review

But it works, and you’re invested the moment Tom and Maddie jump through a ring portal to attend a wedding in Hawaii while trusting Sonic to watch the house without getting in trouble. Easier said than done, since it takes only a handful of seconds for Eggman and Knuckles to show up and kick his ass before demanding he give up the location of Earth’s Master Emerald. From here it’s a case of stopping the bad guy, repairing broken bonds, and having fun along the way. It’s your typical family film, but Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is brimming with so much imagination that even its more derivative moments manage to work.

Jim Carrey as Eggman is the undeniable showstopper once again. After being stranded on a Mushroom Planet for several months he has concocted a way to return home by using one of Sonic’s blue quills to send a shockwave throughout the universe. This attracts the attention of Knuckles the Echidna, a brave warrior who also wishes to kill Sonic for a misunderstanding that could easily be solved by sitting down and having a chat. Idris Elba’s performance of the red menace paints him as a strong, charming, and ultimately stupid villain who take things literally while always abiding by the tenets of honor. I won’t spoil where Knuckle’s character arc concludes, but if you haven’t guessed it by now let me know, and I’ll personally deliver a tenner to your door. It’s that obvious.

Sonic 2 Review

The chemistry between Eggman and Knuckles works because Carrey’s performance is so outlandish, filled with far more memorable one liners than ever before. He compares Knuckles to a Limp Bizkit backstage pass, claims there are good people on both sides of the conflict, and even complains about a toxic work environment report emerging after knocking his boyfriend/servant/latte-maker Agent Stone onto the ground. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is weirdly topical and biting in its humour, offering plenty of jokes for adults to pick up on while younger audiences eat up the exciting action scenes and cutesy approach to friendship.

Speaking of friendship, Tails ‘Miles’ Power is one of the main players this time around. Colleen O'Shaughnessey reprises her role from the games and does a brilliant job of bringing this sly little fox to life. He’s adorable, and his arsenal of gadgets provide a newfound inventiveness to set pieces and a handful of other sequences that Sonic wouldn’t be able to accomplish on his own. An early moment has Sonic and Tails arriving in a rowdy Serbian pub where they find themselves competing in a dance battle to save their lives. Before we know it Uptown Funk has come on the speakers and a doppelganger device is being used to turn our two furry heroes into a fully-fledged dance crew. It put a smile on my face, and reminded me of a similar scene in White Chicks of all things. Let’s get tricky.

Sonic 2 Review

Funnily enough, one of my favourite sequences doesn’t involve CG animals at all. Natasha Rothwell reprises her role as Rachel and is getting married in Hawaii to a suspiciously attractive hunk. Only it turns out the entire ceremony is a cover operation to monitor and capture Sonic. Watching as she turns into a woman scorned after her wedding is thrown into ruin is hilarious. She’s angry, passionate, and delivers each line with an over-the-top energy that I wish more of the film’s human characters managed to express. James Marden is a convincing father figure, but it’s always obvious he’s acting against nothing, while other human characters are either excellent or entirely forgettable. There’s no middle ground.

When Sonic, Tails, and a range of other characters come together in the final act to save the day it feels like a live action adaptation of Sonic Heroes. Paramount understands why the fanbase adores these characters while simultaneously crafting a distinct adaptation we’ve never seen before. You’ll be smiling along as they save the day and learn valuable lessons even if the final destination is painfully predictable. It’s a kid’s movie though, so those expecting to come in and get mad at the execution of lore should find something better to do.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is an improvement on the first film in every conceivable way. Not only is it bigger, better, and understands why these characters work all the more, it also advances the formula and establishes a future for this cinematic universe that I’m eager to see explored. Part of me worries that it will only be a matter of time until it grows overly convoluted and leans into fandom hell instead of being the charming kid-friendly caper it is so clearly designed to be, but right now I’m more than along for the ride.

Sonic 2 Review

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