Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Sonic the Hedgehog

The fast-paced, video game movie sequel is now playing in theaters nationwide.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 2 hours 2 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

Paramount Pictures presents the sequel to the popular film that tickled fans of the Sega video game and created new fans for the franchise. Directed by Jeff Fowler, the story brings back characters from the first movie and adds a few new ones. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

THINGS I LIKED:

Starting off with what Dr. Robotnik has been doing on the mushroom planet all this time was super entertaining. I was worried that Jim Carrey might phone it in since he has taken a break from filmmaking, but it didn’t look like it at all. His over-the-top performance is always welcome.
I always enjoy watching James Marsden. Unfortunately, the side-story about the wedding seemed more like a distraction than something that was truly necessary for the story.
Other cast members that are crowd-pleasers are Idris Alba, Adam Pally, Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba, and Shemar Moore.
Speaking of Idris Alba, he’s already getting a spinoff by Paramount Plus!
Bouncy soundtrack
Fans of the video game will be thrilled to see Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails all together. They’ll also get a kick out of a lot of the characters, Easter Eggs, and many details from the video game. I never played the game, but my 4 sons did. I’m hearing from gamers that they’re really loving this video game adaptation, maybe even more than the first film. Before the movie starts, Sega offers a little clip for fans.
Lots of physical humor and amusing lines.
Random Russian dance fight. ha ha
Keep watching during the final rolling credits for some cute video game scenes.
Paramount did a great job advertising the film.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

If you didn’t know anything about the video game or characters, you would be very confused at the beginning of the movie, since it doesn’t really spend any time helping you catch up to speed.
I really enjoyed the first movie because it allowed newbs like me to learn about the characters for the first time. This sequel assumes you already know the new characters that are introduced, which I didn’t.
The first time we see Sonic in this movie, he appears very cocky and destructive, which immediately lessens any feelings of endearment for viewers who have never seen him before. It’s hard to feel invested or care about him when we haven’t been given any time to get to know him and fall in love with him. Likewise, no time is really given to explain any motivations that the villains might have. Fans of the original video game will definitely enjoy this movie a lot more than those who are new to this franchise.
So many puns. I like puns, but I admit that this movie really laid it on thick.
This is definitely not a movie I’ll watch again.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Lots of destruction and mayhem
Adults drink a lot of alcohol
Violence
Kids seem to really be enjoying this.

THEMES:

Flying solo vs. having friends
Sticking together, teamwork
Family
Showing support
Loyalty
Adventure
Good vs. evil
Being inspired by others
Thoughts

FUNNY LINES:

“Blue Justice, patent-pending.” – Sonic (Ben Schwartz)
“So nice when diabolical evil lives up to the hype.” – Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey)
“It’s time to say goodbye to this piece of Shitake planet!” – Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carey)
“Did your butt just turn into a helicopter?” – Sonic (Ben Schwartz)

INTERESTING LINES:

“You put people in danger and that’s not what a hero does.” – Tom (James Marsden)
“Taking care of yourself is not what a hero is all about. It’s taking responsibility for other people.” – Tom (James Marsden)
“Maybe being weird isn’t so bad.” – Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey)
“Families stick together, no matter what.” – Tom (James Marsden)