Sonic the Hedgehog 2: A Passable Follow-up

Early 2020, pre-pandemic 2020, was a weird time. Maybe it was the fact that the pandemic lockdowns hit in March that makes everything that comes before it look better because it was the last time before the present that audiences could gather to watch movies in large groups. Maybe it was the fact that the period began with the underwhelming Cats and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker so when movies like Birds of Prey or The Invisible Man or Sonic the Hedgehog came out, audiences were more receptive to them. Regardless of what caused it, Sonic the Hedgehog
managed to surprise audiences everywhere and quickly became a hit. The sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is unlikely to convert any new fans but will please existing fans.

There is a fundamental debate that Sonic the Hedgehog 2
throws itself into and that is the debate over how much fan-service is too much fan service. The first movie did not lean heavily onto the mythos that has been developed over the decades, throwing Sonic into the real world and teaming up with James Marsden’s Tom to stop Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik from getting his powers and taking over the world with them. This new movie feels a bit like Aquaman
in so much as it feels like the producers were not sure they would get a third chance so they just threw as much as they could into it to try and appease long-time fans and younger people who have the bandwidth to learn nonsensical video game logic and lore.

Where the first movie captured audiences with characters that they could care about, the sequel throws everything at the wall and hopes something sticks. Sonic’s long time partner Tails appears in the movie with Colleen O’Shaughnessey reprising her role from the video games and animated television shows. It is a good decision to bring her back, however when juxtaposed with Idris Elba voicing Knuckles and Ben Schwartz voicing Sonic, it feels weird that one character sounds identical to the last two decades but the other two do not. There is the introduction of the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds which adds a whole new level of depth to the world that needs to be exposited in a two-hour long movie.

The ultimate way to gauge if an audience member is going to like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is to have a moment of introspection to determine how much they like the franchise. If they find the franchise enjoyable (say through Sonic Heroes), they will probably find this movie enjoyable. If they enjoyed the first entry, they will probably enjoy this one. If they want something to keep their kid quiet and entertained for two hours, this will meet that need. However, if someone is coming off the street and just looking to see something in the movies this weekend, this is not exactly the most newbie-friendly movie. There is enough fun to be had in the movie because everyone seems to be having a good time and the effects are good enough so it is entertaining enough to be this week’s best option for family-friendly entertainment.

Final Rating: 7/10