Sonic 2: Rehashed Nostalgia for a New Generation of Children
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a sequel to the first movie which was released back in 2020. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog, voiced by Ben Schwartz, as he tries to prove himself as a bonafide hero. Sonic gets his chance to prove he indeed is a hero when Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey) comes back to Earth alongside Knuckles (Idris Elba). Sonic, alongside his new ally Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), has to stop Doctor Robotnik and Knuckles from finding the Master Emerald.
With that said, I watched it, and here’s what I think about it.
WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!
Nostalgic Humor and References
For starters, films like the Sonic film franchise capitalize on nostalgic factors. They will milk every single possible ounce of nostalgia from the franchise. As such, you can expect a lot of references in this movie. With the video games originally released in the 1990s, Sonic 2 also had 90s humor, gags, and references.
Some Good Casting Choices
Even back during the first movie, Jim Carrey’s casting as the ever eccentric Doctor Robotnik was a match made in heaven. With him reprising his role for this film, Carrey fleshed out the quirkiness of the character.
Another surprising good casting decision was with Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna. His voice acting was reflective of what I’ve envisioned the video game character into life — a self-righteous warrior who’s keen on serving his supposed purpose but is actually oblivious of the world around him.
As for Colleen O’Shaughnessey’s Tails, I guess a better script would’ve given the character justice. For me, it was passable but I could not really bring myself to care for the character. Sorry Tails fans.
Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
Do you know what really grinds my gears? Blatant reuse of shots and/or clips from the first movie and simply pasting it on the sequel. Sure, it saves you time, money, and resources when producing the film but it’s lazy. Take this for an example:, post-credit scenes are usually there to provide hype for the possible sequel. However, it loses its pizzazz when the next sequel simply reused it just because they can. In Sonic 2’s case, they reused a lot of clips including the first movie’s post-credit scene.
Besides that, they’ve also reused tropes from the first movie. Seriously, the floss? Even Fortnite players moved on from that.
Awkward Writing and Timing
Unfortunately, just like most adaptations, Sonic 2 suffers from terrible writing. Plot twists were executed badly, and honestly, the film would’ve been fine even if you removed them. Some of the character antics simply felt forced and unneeded. Fortunately, some of the actors saved some of these scenes from being whack with sheer applaudable acting.
As for the overall plot, I still can’t help question why Doctor Robotnik became an outright villain. Sure, he’s eccentric, anti-social, and has all the makings of an evil scientist but he was working for the government to investigate the accident Sonic himself caused in the first movie. Now he’s just hell-bent on getting revenge at Sonic while the US government turned its back at one of their former top assets? To be honest, it’s a weird change of heart.
With all of that said, I liked how they incorporated the infamous Sonic doodle in a scene. Certified gold if you ask me.
A Burgeoning Franchise
Whether you like it or not, the Sonic films are set to be a burgeoning franchise. The ending and post-credits definitely set up for more sequels. With the producers already confirming that this is part of a multiverse, we just can’t help asking why. Oh well. At least another Sonic fan-favorite character made an appearance.
Verdict
To summarize, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was a movie made for kids but confusingly targeted the generation that grew up playing the video game franchise. This is evident during the time I watched the movie itself — only some kids were interested but all the adults (who were obvious gamers) gasped at the references. It had its pros and cons, all of which you can most certainly judge. As for my judgment, it was cool the Sonic movie had a sequel but I sure am not excited to see the next one if ever.
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