Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)

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"While I didn't expect much from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, what I got in the end was a pretty enjoyable experience! [...] Heck, I'd even say that it's better than the first one!"
— Isaacarthy

"Where.. are my manners? Sonic, meet... Knuckles."
— Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik

"Do I look like I need...YOUR power?"
— Knuckles the Echidna

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

He's short & BLUE and back for 2.

Genre:	Action Adventure Comedy Science Fiction Fantasy
Directed By:	Jeff Fowler
Produced By:	Neal H. Moritz Toby Ascher Toru Nakahara Hitoshi Okuno
Written By/Screenplay:	Pat Casey Josh Miller John Whittington
Based On:	Sonic the Hedgehog by Sega
Starring:	James Marsden Ben Schwartz Tika Sumpter Natasha Rothwell Adam Pally Shemar Moore Colleen O'Shaughnessey Lee Majdoub Idris Elba Jim Carrey
Cinematography:	Brandon Trost
Distributed By:	Paramount Pictures
Release Date:	April 8, 2022
Runtime:	122 minutes
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Budget:	$90-110 million
Box Office:	$401.8 million
Franchise:	Sonic the Hedgehog
Prequel:	Sonic the Hedgehog
Sequel:	Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (not to be confused with the video game of the same name) (also known as Sonic the Movie: Sonic Vs Knuckles in Japan, Sonic: The Movie 2 in France, and referred to by fans as Sonic Movie 2) is a 2022 science fantasy action-adventure comedy film based on the video game franchise published by Sega, and the 1992 sequel game of the same name. It is the sequel to 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog.. Directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington, it stars Ben Schwartz reprising his role as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog, alongside James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Lee Majdoub, Idris Elba, and Jim Carrey.

Following the success of the first film, Paramount Pictures announced the sequel in May 2020. Filming took place from March to June 2021 in Vancouver and Hawaii.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was first theatrically released in several international markets, starting on March 30, 2022, and was released in the United States on April 8, by Paramount Pictures in association with Sega Sammy Group.

Plot

Following Robotnik's defeat, he returns to Earth for revenge with the red echidna warrior Knuckles in tow. With Tom and Maddie Wachowski on vacation in Hawaii, Sonic then teams up with a yellow two-tailed fox named Tails on a world-wide adventure to search for the Master Emerald, which gives its user ultimate power.

Why It's Rollin' To The Stars In The Sky

This movie is far more faithful to the video game franchise on which it is based than the first film. Examples include:
- Robotnik's design is far more faithful to his video-game counterpart. He now has the red suit along with the black outlines and is bald like in the games. His mustache is also well-designed to fit the games as well.
- The inclusion of Miles "Tails" Prower and Knuckles makes the film's roster far better than the first, as Sonic and Robotnik are the only characters in the Sonic franchise to appear in the first movie, just like in the original game it was named after (except for newer releases).
- The introduction of the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald are great references to Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 respectively.
- Robotnik now uses a giant mech that resembles the Death Egg Robot in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
- Tails now pilots a plane that resembles the Tornado, Tails' plane in the games, in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
- In the scene where Sonic dives into the water, not only does he suck up an air bubble, but the score also implements the infamous drowning theme from the games.
- Knuckles is tricked by Eggman to fetch the Master Emerald, and this part of the plot plays out almost exactly like in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles.
- Super Sonic and Shadow are also even introduced here.
- Like the first movie, the credits animation resembles that of the original games in the 16-bit era.
Just like the previous film, the film takes lessons on how to do a good film-adapted buddy hybrid film unlike other films like Hop, Tom & Jerry (2021), The Smurfs duology, and Alvin and the Chipmunks tetralogy.
The visual effects are a significant upgrade and appear just as amazing with beautiful visuals that look like they were in a Pixar film. Take the scene where Knuckles generates an explosion by throwing a spinning Sonic to the ground with his power, for example.
- Like the first movie as well, the opening Paramount Pictures logo has its stars replaced with rings.
- The CGI for Sonic is even better here than in the previous film and stays even truer to its original game counterpart, thanks to his more colorful color scheme, fluid movements, and even cartoonier features which many other live-action/animation hybrids lacked.
- Tails' and Knuckles' character designs are also nothing short of awesome in this film.
- The credits animation is done even better in this movie, while retaining the art style from the Genesis-era games like with the first movie, even though Sonic in the credits animation here is (while not the biggest deal in the world) ironically seen with blue arms, for whatever reason, probably to fix the inconsistency between the first movie and its credits sequence.
The soundtrack, like the first, is also amazing as it was composed by Tom Holkenborg (known as Junkie XL who also composed the first film's score). "Stars In The Sky" by Kid Cudi was a great choice for the credits.
Excellent character development:
- Sonic's newfound devotion to protecting others also opened his eyes to the superhero lifestyle, which he has gained a taste for due to the excitement it provides. As such, he strives toward becoming a hero in his own right, which is exemplified in the superhero nicknames he comes up for himself. While he sees his heroics as chances to get some thrills in his otherwise peaceful lifestyle, Sonic is nonetheless motivated by a strong desire to use his powers for good and help people out with them. However, his inexperience as a hero prompts him to act rather reckless and rush into chances to prove himself without an actual plan in mind. His relationship with Tom Wachowski also evolved from a friendship to a form of son-and-father relationship, with Tom trying to be a supportive presence to Sonic by reminding him that the time will eventually come for him to use the incredible powers he possesses but is not allowed to use in public.
- Tails is a determined and brave young fox who is willing to face the unknown on multiple worlds and deadly villains, all in an attempt to find Sonic, no matter what. He is also quite logical and intelligent, as seen by how he steadily narrowed his search for Sonic by thinking things through and using what he learned along the way. Tails was once insecure about his extra tail, but after seeing how Sonic uses his weird quality, his super speed, to be a hero, Tails came to believe that his weird quality is not so bad. This is a relatable message as many people may have some sort of disability that makes them get ostracized.
- Knuckles is described as being serious yet still gullible at times. Being better suited for combat than Sonic in many ways, his entire existence is about honor and about being a warrior, to the point where he appears to be a force of nature. He is also somewhat overconfident, claiming that he does not need Sonic's powers because he has his own. Knuckles is very determined and meticulous when he is pursuing his goals, never letting go or accepting the possibility of giving up. He is also very much a loner by instinct and prefers to do things on his own. However, he is willing to betray his instincts and ask for help if he recognizes a task that may be beyond his capabilities. Knuckles is also very persistent when it comes to his supposed destiny to take down Sonic, even going so far as to be judgmental towards him when fighting. He also takes great pride in his species, and as a warrior, as he was somewhat offended by Agent Stone misidentifying him as a "porcupine". Knuckles is revealed to be socially awkward, as he did not know what a handshake was when Robotnik showed him the gesture. He initially did not know how the concept of baseball works either, asking Sonic why he should be mad at "the enemy ball" and instead punches it rather than swinging with the bat.
Great acting and voice acting for the characters as they reprise their original roles from the previous film, with newcomers Idris Elba and Shemar Moore doing an excellent job as their characters, particularly the former who plays Knuckles.
- Colleen O'Shaughneesey also reprises her role as Tails and still does a great job at her role.
- Another one of the greatest things about this movie is that Idris Elba for the most part is a really excellent choice for Knuckles in this movie and arguably gives a better performance than the alternative from the video games and even television series. In fact, Elba as Knuckles here sounds like the veteran James Earl Jones, so much so that he might as well be a good impressionist for S t ar Wars' Darth Vader alongside The Lion King's Mufasa.
The humor is still as strong as it was in the previous film, such as:
- When Tails faints at encountering the goons from the first film;
- When Agent Stone exclaims "HE'S BAAAACK!!" in delight upon meeting the Doctor... as a coffeemaker;
- When Dr. Eggman says "Papa's got a brand new 'stache!" when he comes to the Mean Bean cafe.
- When Agent Stone says "You bought some kind of... space porcupine?" and then gets his hand crushed by Knuckles.
- That part when Sonic reuses his famous "Uh, meow?" line during the cabin scene.
- Knuckles reading the hacked conversation, including him saying, "Dot, dot, dot...dot, dot, dot...dot, dot, dot..." out loud.
- Sonic saying, "Step one: light taunting. Step two: I have no idea."
- When Sonic is smacked by a Badnik during a battle sequence again
- Knuckles casually falling off Tails' plane.
- Knuckles playing baseball.
- Sonic: "And who is Clifford the Big Red Rage Monster?"
An incredibly well-written plot that's just as good as (if not even better than) the original.
- Overall, this movie is a massive improvement over the original, and it serves as a great example of how to break the video game movie curse, more so than even its predecessor.
It stays true to the first film.
As with the first film, it includes references to other games, such as the Tornado from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 returning and Sonic striking a very familiar pose from Sonic Adventure, not to mention Dr. Eggman finally wearing his iconic suit from the games after wearing a generic black suit in the first film.
The scene where Knuckles asks Sonic "Do I look like I need your power?" is definitely one of his most badass moments, and Idris' delivery only makes it better.
There's a post-credits scene that foreshadows the third movie. The scene has G.U.N. not finding Dr. Eggman's body in the Death Egg Robot crash and presume him dead. However, as they go and try to erase his file, they find a hidden 50-year-old file named Project Shadow in a capsule, and who's in that capsule? None other than Shadow.
There are several pop culture references to Sonic-related memes like Uganda Knuckles' "do you know the way." line in the opening scene, and another Sonic Easter Egg not long after.
- One of the movie's posters is a great reference to the cover of Sonic The Hedgehog 2
- There are some nice references even to the SEGA Megadrive/Genesis, such as when Agent Stone shows that he read the manual of the robot, he shows the manual which has the cover of a Megadrive/Genesis manual.
There is a lot more focus on Sonic and his friends than the movie-exclusive human characters, something that many other live-action CGI hybrid films are guilty of.
Thankfully, it subverts certain clichés that would've made the movie not as enjoyable as it is, such as the liar revealed cliché and the second-act breakup between Sonic and Tails, which thankfully doesn't happen, rather, Sonic realizes for himself that what he had done throughout the movie so far is wrong and decides to redeem himself, rather than having someone (aside Sonic himself) chew him out for it first.
Like the first movie, despite being comedic and zany, there are some genuinely heartfelt moments like Sonic comforting Tails after the latter talks about his past, and Knuckles not going along with the other echidnas since he is too young to join.
Like the first movie, the action scenes are impressive as well.
The movie moves with wonderful pacing.
Super Sonic's fight with Robotnik is arguably one of the most epic, climatic, and exciting battles in cinema history.
Very heartwarming/emotional scene, such as when Sonic covers up Tails with a blanket, and then Tails covers up Sonic with his tails. Then, Sonic calls the Donut Lord (aka Tom) "Dad" at the climax of the film, and the scene where Sonic and Knuckles have a meaningful conversation.
Awesome cinematography.
Like the first one, the direction by Jeff Fowler is great.

Bad Qualities

Some characters might have the wrong amount of screen time:
- The main problem with this movie is that Sonic himself takes up way too much screen time, causing Tails and Knuckles to not have enough of it. The same can be said about the human characters, but to be fair, they aren't one of the movie's focuses. Of course, this is admittedly justified since Sonic is the main protagonist of the movie.
- There's a weird 15-minute stretch of the movie where the film focuses on Maddie and Rachel. In this part, Sonic, Tails, and Tom don't even appear.
The story is admittedly a bit predictable, although it was an excellent idea on paper. This is likely because part of the plot is a direct adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles combined.
Just like the first movie, there are still a couple of dated references, like Eggman flossing (only once this time), despite it being done as a gag to show how out of touch he is with the modern generation. Ignoring the joke, this comes across as an instantly dated attempt to be hip with the kids, especially since this was released in 2022.
There are a few product placements such as Oreos, Apple, and Tom calling the officer who gave Tom an Olive Garden card from the previous movie the "Olive Garden guy".
Despite its faithfulness to the games with a handful of really good references as mentioned above, this movie is still a little too different from the video game franchise.
- For example, Sonic's fur still becomes electrified whenever his emotions are at their strongest (a flaw he shares with Knuckles) and Dr. Eggman wears a slim suit, which doesn't even fit him at all, though he's certainly better here than in the previous film thanks to his signature bushy mustache and bald head.
- It was later confirmed by the director that they want to make the movie series different a little than the games and are even going to make the movies not by the order of the games.
There was one infamous scene where a fish's severed head tells both Sonic and Tails to run, which is pretty messed up for a Sonic movie.
For some reason, Crazy Carl, Major Bennington, and the United States Army are the only human characters from the first movie to not reappear here.
Compared to the first film, this movie is way too cartoonish, almost resembling a lot like Batman and Robin's main source of humor, which is excusable, since John Whittington, the writer for films such as The Lego Batman Movie and Doolittle, was the writer for this film.
Some scenes can drag on for too long, such as the Hawaiian wedding scene.
In the digital version, there are some edits to the CGI in some scenes, although they are mostly there to fix some issues (such as Sonic not completely turning his head to face Knuckles in the final scene)

Reception

Trailer reaction

The trailer for this movie received universal acclaim from fans, with Elba as Knuckles attracting additional praise. Reviewers noted the difference in reaction compared to the first film's initial trailer that was released on April 30, 2019.

Critical response

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics but very positive response from audiences and fans of the franchise, who considered it a slight improvement over the first movie. According to ComicBook.com, the first impressions for Sonic 2 were overwhelmingly positive. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 69% based on 167 reviews, with an average rating of 5.90/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It isn't as much fun as the little blue guy's greatest games, but if you enjoyed the first film, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 serves as a generally acceptable sequel.". Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 47 out of 100 based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."

Trivia

There were not only rumours on YouTube that Katy Perry, Chloe Grace Moretz, Anna Faris, and even Tom Holland would voice Tails, but also rumours that Knuckles would be voiced by either Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, John Cena, Jason Momoa, LeBron James, or George Lopez.
On the main poster, Colleen O'Shaughnessey wasn't credited and it received so much backlash by fans they edited it to have her name on the poster, along with Tika Sumpter (who also wasn't credit in the main poster), similarly to Sonic's design in the previous film.
Several toys have leaked a major plot point in the movie involving Super Sonic.
As said in BQ#10, Crazy Carl and Major Bennington don't reappear in this sequel.
Some may argue that the music video for the song made for the French version of the movie "Speed Life", leaked the same entrance where Shadow would made his cameo.
On May 5th, clean webrips of this movie have been leaked weeks ahead of the scheduled Paramount+ release in the United States.
It gave us the "Do I look like I need your power?" meme and memes involving mocking Morbius due to both films being released on April of 2022 complete with Morbius getting a negative response compared to Sonic including the Sonic Sweep meme.
- There's also an additional meme involving McDonald's due to a McDonald's cross-promotion with the movie. That meme is of course Tails as a McDonald's employee.
- Speaking of Morbius, there's also a few memes of Sonic mocking Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore due to the latter film getting mixed reviews.
Agent Stone's Mean Bean Cafe appears to be named after the game Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine