It’s crazy to think that there was a possibility for this franchise to crash and burn had it not been for a massive backlash that led to a last minute redesign of Sonic. The change made him look closer to his video game appearance, instead of the nightmare fuel the trailers originally showed. It totally saved the movie, and if it weren’t for it, the 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog would’ve been another addition to the “Hollywood video game movies are a mistake” file cabinet. Now in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the blue-furred speedster is back with more friends to join in on the fun in a bigger, enjoyable sequel.

No recaps needed, the movie starts where the first one ended: on Mushroom Planet, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) has finally found a way to go back to Earth with the help of Knuckles (Idris Elba), a red echidna warrior with super strength and the last surviving member of the echidna tribe. Together, they forge an alliance to defeat Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and find the Master Emerald. Meanwhile on Earth, Sonic becomes somewhat of an adopted child to Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter). After unsuccessfully attempting to be night vigilante, Tom tells Sonic that there will be a proper a time when his powers will truly be needed.

That time conveniently comes when Tom and Maddie leave for Hawaii to attend her sister’s wedding, leaving Sonic alone in their home for Dr. Robotnik and Knuckles exact their revenge. They prove to be too much for Sonic, especially the newcomer Knuckles who simply outmatches him in strength. Tails (the only one to be played by his original video game voice actor Colleen O’Shaughnessey), a tech-savvy fox that can fly using his two-tails as a helicopter, arrives and saves Sonic from peril. As they learn about the Master Emerald, Sonic and Tails go on a quest to find it first before Dr. Robotnik and Knuckles.

The story is pretty clear cut, straightforward and easy to follow. It is unabashedly a kids movie, after all (the majority of the viewers in my screening were children, to my pleasant surprise). And director Jeff Fowler and his writers are aware of this very well. They know certain tropes of the genre are going to be unavoidable, so they just happily run with it without being painfully dull. The jokes are plentiful and come fast, but the important thing is they land most of the time, both for adults and children. Fowler and Co. are probably tuned to the fact that the original fans from the Sega Genesis era of Sonic video games have families of their own by now.

James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and especially Natasha Rothwell, all thrive in a bridezilla subplot that looks like it came out of a rom-com from the 2000’s which kind of feels out of place, and appears as though it was only put there for the adult characters to have something to do. Idris Elba’s low register voice gives Knuckles a serious aura while effectively adding some dry humor to the character. Jim Carrey’s return as the over-the-top and cartoonishly evil Dr. Robotnik is the highlight out of all the cast. If he really is retiring after this, then I’m glad he got to play a role that allows him to ham it all up as we know and love.

Despite its cliches, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 definitely hits the mark of all-ages entertainment. And the movie respects its sources material to take several references that fans will love. Everyone involved in the film seemingly enjoyed themselves enough to make something as wonderful as it can possibly be, and it shows.

Rating: ★★★☆☆