After a troubled but definitely appreciated first chapter, Sonic returns to the cinema with Sonic 2, a film directed once again by Jeff Fowler and again starring Jim Carrey in the role of the evil Dr. Eggman. 

As mentioned, the first film was a great success – in some ways surprising – able to give new life to the genre of cinema based on video games, exactly as Detective Pikachu had done a few years earlier. This time, however, the Blue Hedgehog is not alone and is accompanied by two other iconic characters of the franchise: Tails and Knuckles.

Sonic wants to be a hero and wants to use his powers to do good. Waiting for his moment to him, he continues to live a carefree life in Green Hills. Meanwhile, Doctor Robotnik on the Planet of Mushrooms finds a way to return to Earth thanks to the meeting with Knuckles the Echidna, one of the strongest warriors in the whole universe. 

Their goal is to find the Great Emerald and thus conquer the ultimate power. Sonic will try to stop this new pairing, also counting on a new alliance: Tails. All that part of the public who liked the first chapter will surely find this Sonic: The Hedgehog 2 definitely enjoyable because, de facto, we are talking about an enhanced version of the previous film. 

The plot is simple but engaging because the audience cares about the protagonists. During the writing, then, elements from the game Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic & Knuckles were mixed and the result is convincing and even exciting in some moments.

The directorial stamp used is once again addressed to a decidedly very young audience, both in the gags and in the dialogues. If for the first adventure in the cinema of the Blue Hedgehog this might have seemed an experiment, now the structure is consolidated and the film is also smart enough to wink at a certain target audience.

This is because, for example, among the various tracks used for the soundtrack there are many that on the internet, specifically on TikTok, are/have been trends among the youngest, and therefore immediately steal the attention while you are in the room. 

The other moments more marked by the comedy starring Sonic also work very well, because the film exploits in the best way the character of the protagonist and his powers to create funny situations, combined with dialogues and lines that are very well connected to the images. 

A little less functional, however, the lighter moments entrusted to the live-action cast: James Marsden in this chapter is very little used and has a central role in the plot if not for some line of dialogue with Sonic and the comedy that is entrusted to her character is very banal and uninteresting, especially if Sonic 2. 

As mentioned, refers to a very young audience, made up mostly of children; halfway is okay with how Jim Carrey was exploited, who continues to be a good Doctor Robotnik in general, but this time – in all likelihood to strongly emphasize the character’s madness – the actor was asked to go excessively over the top. 

Let’s be clear, those moments also work, and certainly, viewers will laugh, but these are small sequences that are completely disconnected and out-of-context from what the film is about. The action moments of the film are again beautiful and engaging because the clashes already seen between Sonic and Robotnik’s technology are also joined by those with Knuckles, also in the company of Tails. 

Precisely the interaction between these three characters is truly the beating heart of the film and fans of the franchise created by SEGA will not fail to appreciate the various Easter eggs present during the film, as well as moments that relate heavily to those of video games.

Speaking again of the characters – made with a generally excellent CGI, again this time – there is very little to say: if Sonic continues to be the joyful and always positive character of the first chapter, in this second film he steals the show when he is present. on-screen is always and only Knuckles. 

This is not really a surprise, because Echidna is already extremely popular in video games and the fans were delighted when he was revealed in the film. The expectations of him were high and were absolutely respected by the film, which gives the audience a character absolutely well written, coherent, and a character that really goes to complements Sonic. 

Excellent confirmation, as you could already guess from the trailers, the voice of Maurizio Merluzzo, the former voice actor of the Echidna in video games. The work done with Tails, a real supporting character towards the Hedgehog, is also good: the friendship staged between the two characters works and is very important for the development and deepening of Sonic himself. In short, both the two new entries work great and in the end, leave the viewer the desire to see more.

As for the future of the franchise in the cinema, something more will certainly make us understand the scene, the only one, present after the credits.

Sonic 2 is a good confirmation, which raises the bar of the first chapter, if not in terms of quality, certainly in terms of entertainment. If the previous film, in fact, was probably a little more square in terms of balance, this second film totally embraces it as being a children’s title and does so with great cunning and intelligence. 

The action is there and it is fun – even if perhaps for a Sonic movie it runs a little short – and the additions of Tails and, above all, Knuckles work perfectly, giving the title an edge. Sonic: The Hedgehog 2 is a film that cannot be missed by fans of the Blue Hedgehog.