When a blue hedgehog from another planet arrives on Earth, he quickly learns to use his super speed to save the day. He escapes his dangerous enemies, only to be taken prisoner by an evil scientist who tries to make him rule the world.
Eight months later, Sonic and his new best friend Tails find themselves on the run from Dr. Robotnik. They join forces with a new ally, Knuckles the anthropomorphic echidna, to track down the Master Emerald.
Overview
Despite a few hiccups, 123 movies sonic 2 is a genuinely fun movie for family audiences. Director Jeff Fowler and writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller have found a nifty way to weave the game-based lore of the Sonic franchise into the film’s emotional heart, while still making it accessible for kids.
When Sonic’s dutiful parents Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter) jet set to Hawaii for Rachel’s wedding, the speedy hedgehog finds himself on his own. But he soon faces a formidable enemy: Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and his new ally Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba), who wish to locate the powerful Master Emerald.
Sonic’s brief stint as a vigilante hero (as opposed to a superhero) is a pop-culture riff that doesn’t really work, but it does serve to bring the Sonic world alive in an entertaining way. As a result, this movie is a lot more fun than the last one was. And, as a bonus, it features the return of smart-alecky “Parks and Recreation” comic Ben Schwartz, who is the voice of Sonic.
Characters
The world’s favorite blue hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog, returns for a new adventure in the Sonic 2 movie. He’s joined by a pair of video game characters: Tails and Knuckles, as well as a new villain named Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) who’s after the Chaos Emerald, an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations.
In addition to a variety of recognizable critters from the games, the movie also introduces two new human characters: Tom Wachowski and Maddie Wachowski. Thomas helped Sonic defeat Robotnik in the first film and, despite not being present for Sonic’s second adventure, he’ll likely join him again when Sonic finds himself facing his latest challenge.
While Sonic the Hedgehog 2 does a decent job peppering its plot and characterizations with a bit more substance than the first movie, it struggles to keep everything together and work in some of the classic Eggman elements. As a result, it’s a little difficult to fully appreciate the movie’s surprisingly flashiest fight sequence or its best moments of referential humor.
Levels
Compared to Sonic 1, the levels in Sonic 2 are relatively simple. Despite this, some of the zones have a lot of traps and enemies to avoid, and they can become quite challenging.
Spike traps are an important aspect of these levels, with Mystic Cave Zone Act 2 and Metropolis Zone containing a large number of them. The latter also has many Badniks, which are designed to snipe you from all angles.
In fact, the Mystic Cave Zone’s inescapable spike pit could kill even Super Sonic by making him wait until all rings had been lost, and then revert to normal Sonic and die.
Similarly, the Wing Fortress Zone has many different traps and enemies, with the biggest threat being falling off of the screen. This stage also features a laser cannon that strafes to and fro, trying to periodically fry the player.
Soundtrack
Music has been an important part of the Sonic franchise since the first games. It helps to elevate the action and create a sense of thrill, something that Sonic 2 does much better than the previous two films did.
Composer Tom Holkenborg (Junkee XL) brings an interesting approach to the soundtrack, one which utilises both established and brand new themes in order to add some extra depth to the score as a whole. His score is not only fun and entertaining but it also enhances the tension of many of the film’s edge-of-your-seat setpieces, too.
The orchestral sound that Holkenborg utilises throughout the soundtrack is not a new one for him, with the composer having previously composed for video game-based movies such as Mad Max: Fury Road and Deadpool. However, this score utilises it to the fullest, and his use of Sonic’s motif throughout the album really works well, especially in track Gotta Go Fast.