If you grew up in the 90’s, then you’ve probably heard of Sonic the Hedgehog. Was a weird shock for me when I saw an actual hedgehog for the first time. But I still enjoyed watching the Saturday morning TV show Sonic the Hedgehog, and finding that toy set at the local Blockbuster (yes, I am from that era) that had Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. I also enjoyed playing some Sonic Sega games at family member’s house once upon a time.
So, although I will admit I am not the most well versed in Sonic games, I am still fond of the blue hedgehog I grew up watching.
Fast forward to 2020, and imagine my geeky delight to see that Sonic is going to get his own live-action movie! Then the horror at that first glance of the newly revealed Sonic. Those eyes! 😱 Needless to say, my enthusiasm was quickly squashed. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, but obviously I wasn’t the only one. So many were appalled by Sonic’s appearance that they postponed release to do a redesign on his face. To my great relief, he looked as close to the cartoon version I grew up with as I could hope.
When Sonic the Hedgehog was finally released in 2020, I, along with several friends all in our late 20’s and early 30’s attended opening weekend. Was it geared toward kids and cheesy? Yes. Did we love it? Absolutely.
Skip to 2022 and I am beyond eager to see Sonic 2 at the local cinema. More Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik AND the appearance of Tails and Knuckles? Yes, please! We get our tickets and off we go for some great popcorn & food from our local Alamo Drafthouse (sorry AMC).
My Review
First of all, if you did happen to enjoy the first Sonic movie, you need to see Sonic 2. You won’t regret it. That’s just the short and sweet of it. I am going to make this a little more general of a review, just for the sake of not spoiling anything. There’s nothing worse than trying to avoid spoilers for movies when it comes to the internet. They’re everywhere.
If you didn’t like the first one, probably don’t go see the second; it’s more of the same heartwarming, cute and cheesy lines as its predecessor. (And if you didn’t like Sonic the Hedgehog (2017), I have to wonder why you’re here at all?😅 )
General Theme
If Sonic the Hedgehog (2017) was a story about finding family, then Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) is a coming-of-age story. Sonic has found his family and his power, but we can argue that he is just a kid/pre-teen. And what do kids tend to do with newfound power? A whole number of things. None of which are normally good, but done with good intentions. Which leads to perfect opportunities for learning and growth, especially when accompanied with new friends and even new enemies.
New Faces
From the trailer to the many posters, it’s no spoiler that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 features the two-tailed fox Tails, and the hard-hitting Knuckles. As I mentioned above, I am a big fan of the cartoon show featuring all three, and if you’re a fan of the games you’re familiar with them as well.
Tails is just as I remembered; the gadget-wiz and always looking on the sunny side of things. That tail is so fluffy…you just want to rub your face on it. No? Just me?
Knuckles…I will not say too much about him for spoiler reasons, but I will say he gave me some heavy Drax (Guardians of the Galaxy) vibes, which made for some really great scenes and banter between him and other characters throughout the movie.
As far as human faces, we did get a little more of Maddie’s sister Rachel in this movie and it was hilarious and relatable in many aspects. Rachel and her small character arc got a decent section of the middle of the movie. When it first started I thought they were adding too much, human face to the film, when all I was really interested in was Sonic and the other animated characters. However, as the arc went on I was thoroughly impressed and rather enjoyed Rachel’s involvement in the movie.
Little Gems (see what I did there)
Peppered throughout the movie are little homages to the games, which is no surprise, but they always make you smile. Along with the opening scene resembling a certain level in one of the games, ringtone going off, a racecourse that looks so very familiar, and Sonic may or may not mention a dislike of water throughout the film. (If you know, you know…or you can click the link😏 )
The details this film includes are what make it great in my opinion. As someone who only played one of the games casually, and watched the tv show as a kid, I still found a lot to warm the nostalgia memories. If you have played the games, you’re going to find tons more that I have only read about (and I’m officially jealous of you and will be looking into remedying my lack of Sonic game time).
Speaking of gems, stay for the after credits!! It’s a short foreshadowing scene, and left my friends and me super excited for what’s to come next in Sonic’s adventure. 😉
In Summary
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a great and wholesome movie for children, and adults, aka, big kids like me. If you’ve ever, at any point in your life, have had a fond memory of the blue hedgehog, do yourself a favor and treat your kid (if you have one), yourself, and your inner kid and go see it!
P.S.
If you say you are or have gone to see this show “for your kid/child”…we know the truth 😘
