REVIEW: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is for Kids of All Ages

Everyone’s favorite hedgehog is back for another fun adventure in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the movie is exactly what you want out of a family friendly movie. In his new adventure, we find Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) attempting to be a hero. In the opening scenes, we watch as he attempts to stop a robbery and, though he stops the robbery, he also destroys a lot of things in the process. Our little hedgehog does not quite understand that there is more to being a hero then saving the day. Instead, Sonic is convinced he should be using his powers for good, but Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) believe he should slow down and wait for the right moment to be the hero. However, that moment comes sooner rather than later when Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey) returns to Earth with a new partner, Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) in search of the Master Emerald. Now, Sonic and his new partner, Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) must stop Robotnik and Knuckles before it is too late.

Based on the SEGA video game, director Jeff Fowler and writers Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington return for the follow-up to the hit 2020 movie, Sonic the Hedgehog. Like the first movie, this group has done a nice job tying the movie to the beloved video game franchise. There are several Easter eggs featured throughout the movie that will have fans of the video games jumping in their seat. Personally though, we felt as though they missed a major tie-in with the introduction of Tails. At no point in the movie does Sonic have to stop and wait for Tails to catch up before he can move on like he does in the video game. That would have really made the movie for me if it had been included.

The overall story features a number of funny moments, namely one liners from Schwartz’s Sonic, but it does drag a little in the beginning. The first 20 minutes were a little too slow for my liking, but after that the movie moved at a good pace. I was also extremely nervous about the introduction of both Knuckles and Tails into the series. I was unsure if the creative team would be able to dedicate enough time to introducing and developing each character, but they had no issues. Both characters fit nicely into the storyline and got better as the movie progressed.

Schwartz’s take on Sonic is just as good this time around as it was in the first movie. He and Marsden’s partnership continues to be one of my favorite parts of the movies. O’Shaughnessey joins the cast as Tails and was perfect casting. She has voiced Tails since 2014 so it only made sense for her to voice the character in the movies. Elba took on the role of Knuckles and it took me a little while to warm up to the character. However, by the end of the movie I ended up loving the character and his take on him.

Carrey returns as Doctor Robotnik and is just as overtop in this movie as he was in the first. Natasha Rothwell (Rachel), Adam Pally (Wade), Shemar Moore (Randall), and Lee Majdoub (Stone) round out the live-action cast and help contribute to the fun.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is great for the whole family. No matter if you were a fan of the game or the original movie, kids of all ages will really enjoy this movie. If you do plan to see the movie, make sure to stay through the credits for a post credit scene.

Grade: B+

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