by Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) tries to become a superhero, but it doesn’t work out. So when he is left alone for a few days, he is tasked with learning to take responsibility. The only problem is that the crazy Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) manages to find a way to get away from the mushroom planet, which he was stranded on in the first film, and is now out to destroy Sonic – at any cost. For his help, he has the brutal Knuckles (Idris Elba) who is a porcupine and sworn enemy of the hedgehogs. The twin-tailed fox Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) appears to warn Sonic of the impending and inevitable battle.
The movie Sonic the Hedgehog became one of the first victims of the pandemic in cinemas in 2020, but the audience still did not let down and the predecessor became a formidable success (after a major adjustment of Sonic’s digital appearance). So a sequel was inevitable and just under two years later it is here in the form of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 .
Ben Schwartz (as Sonic) gets a little more to work with this time and shows that he has a dramatic streak, the interaction between him and the eternally young James Marsden is well directed and well executed. The new characters Knuckles and Tails , like Sonic, are fully animated, but the filmmakers have still given them fairly three-dimensional characters. The always talented Idris Elba does a nice version of Knuckles and Colleen O’Shaughnessey is among the few who also played her character in other media. Among other things, she has played Tails in a TV series from 2014.
Although everyone really pales next to the inimitable Jim Carrey , who this time gets to go full bananas in the role of Dr. Robotics . That almost thirty years have passed since he broke through as Ace Ventura is not visible. He is as physical, verbal and brilliant as in his prime. Carrey has really had quite a long period of trying other kinds of genres, with very mixed results. In Sonic the Hedgehog 2 , he really gets to show that he’s still the king of slapstick and one-liners. Carrey has threatened that this film would be his last film and in a clip after the end credits, the filmmakers are really building up to the fact that the third film about the hedgehog can goa bit either way about who will be the villain.
The pace is fast and the action scenes are fun and entertaining. The humor is top notch, but there are also some emotional sequences that are presented in a good and well thought out way. However, there are two things that bother me about the film: one is a side plot with a wedding that goes completely out of control and characters make very improbable and strange choices. Plus, if you think about it for a second, the whole build is stendum. The second is two sequences with senselessbad effects. For the most part, the effects are very well done otherwise. Characters and environments are detailed and nicely animated. Then there’s a sequence in the middle of the movie where snow rushes out of one of Sonic’s portals, which looks completely catastrophically bad. The snow sort of floats on top of the ground and it’s really clear that it’s an effect that isn’t quite finished. The second sequence is a short clip of a sausage roll landing on a character. The sausage bread has no textures whatsoever and clearly looks like it’s a temporary version that seems to have been brought in by mistake.
The picture is presented in 2160p with Dolby Vision and I really recommend watching the movie on a TV that supports that format . Apart from the sequences above, the effects are generally very well done and look more or less three-dimensional. Plus – unlike, for example, Death on the Nile , where you can clearly see that they are standing in front of a green screen – the filmmakers in Sonic havemade it look more realistic. Much thanks to them building so many and large, practical environments. The sound in Dolby Atmos is enveloping and super awesome. Especially in a sequence where Sonic and Tails escape from an avalanche. The other sounds, such as dialogue and the swish of robots, are heard perfectly through the rumble of the approaching avalanche. It is quite well done with extra material, but as usual it is unfortunately mostly promotion and not so much that goes in depth. A big plus, however, is that there is an informative and funny commentary track with the director and the lead actor.
In summary, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a fast-paced and fun sequel, which is now available in an insanely beautiful UHD edition. If only the filmmakers had gone through the script a couple more times and fixed the lousy effects I mentioned, this would have become a clear must !
