Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ★★★
Jeff Fowler
Starring Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, Idris Elba, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, James Marsden
Sonic Returns (arguably a better title) in a bigger, faster and more fun adventure than his previous entry in nearly every way; outrunning the dreaded video game-movie curse once again in: Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
Escaping from his fate on the distant Mushroom Planet, the Evil Doctor Eggman (Jim Carrey) returns to earth with a new powerful ally in the form of Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba) and seeks to both take revenge on our blue hero and harness the untapped power of the chaos emeralds. Sonic (Ben Schwartz) must team up with Tails the Fox - a new companion of his own, to stop Eggman once and for all before he can wreck havoc on the earth in good old fashioned villainy.
Whoever made the decision to hire Jim Carrey for the role of Eggman in the original is a certified genius. Carrey couldn’t steal the show anymore if he tried, adding his charismatic whimsy to every single second he spends on screen. Where most actors inhabiting a cartoonish role can sometimes go over the top, Jim proves there is no top and takes an otherwise generic feature to the next level (video game pun intended) making him both a compelling villain and an energetic presence that rivals the Hedgehog himself. I don’t know what they’re paying him but the man deserves a raise.
Whilst the plot is certainly uninspired and by the numbers, it is nice to see certain nods to existing levels and lore within the games themselves showing the heart and passion of the team involved in production. Certain set pieces and CGI filled battle scenes satisfy the level of entertainment expected of Video game movies and animated pictures without noticeably dipping in quality. This might also be a result of the suspended disbelief once you get used to a giant blue cartoon hedgehog running around Seattle.
It is of course worth pointing out that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a kids movie and certain lines of dialogue really hit that home in cringe-filled Fast and Furious level fashion.
However there are moments that do not rely on the saving grace of Carrey’s performance, which are genuinely funny. For every bad joke, there is a good one that will tickle your core and prove that the film is the fun family flick as advertised.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is not a game changer, but an entertaining sequel with enough heart to make a younger audience keep hitting that replay button and another standout performance by a celebrated comedy legend.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 available in cinemas now