Before we kick off this review we just wanna wish a Happy Birthday to one of the founders of D&A Anime Blog; Aaron M. Goldman! Now…its time for the reason we’re all here. Check this out…

We just saw Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in theaters – and LOVED IT!!!

It seems just like yesterday Hollywood was gonna give us that nightmare-fueled car dealership mascot-lookin’ rat with human teeth. However, Sonic fans were NOT having it, and we’re so glad they spoke up loud and clear about what they wanted from the live-action movie. These days live-action movies have been getting a bad rap ever since that abomination known as ‘DB Evolution’ found a way to exist. (I feel for you guys.) However if there is one exception to the ‘live-action curse’, it lies with Sonic. If the first movie tested the waters, then the second movie is goin’ swimmin’!

Sonic the Hedgehog (Movie) 2 picks up where the first one left off; with Dr. Eggman (Jim Carrey) stuck on the mushroom planet trying to find a way back to Earth after Sonic sent him there. Using one of the hedgehog’s supercharged quills the doctor manages to open a portal, however as he makes a mad dash towards it a shadowy figure steps out that looks quite familiar. It turns out to be…Knuckles T. Echidna (or just Knuckles) as he asks Eggman where he got the blue quill he has in his hand. The doctor tells him that he’ll be happy to tell him – if he helps him get off the mushroom planet (which looks a lot like Mushroom Hill from Sonic 3 & Knuckles).

Back in Seattle, Sonic tries to be a hero but being a first-time crime fighter didn’t come without problems. Tom tells him during a fishing trip that he still has a lot to learn about being a hero; and that its about being responsible for other people, but Sonic tells him that he hates being treated like a kid and that he can take care of himself. His moment for being a true hero was going to come; little did he know that it was going to come in the form of a certain two-tailed fox, and the return of his old nemesis.

As nightfall hit Sonic was at Tom and Maddie’s house while livin’ his best life with the family dog. Then there’s a sudden knock on the door as the doorknob was cut open with lasers, and on the other side was none other than Dr. Robotnik. (Tom and Maddie were in Hawaii at the time.) Sonic charges up his power to fight him, but gets intercepted by Eggman’s new friend; Knuckles. After a fight breaks out Knuckles gets the upper hand and pins him to a tree; telling him that Long Claw’s clan took the Master Emerald from his tribe, and decided to avenge it by killing Sonic. Suddenly the red echidna gets hit by Tom’s police car driven by Tails, as he asks Sonic to come with him. The two speed off with a pissed-off Knuckles in pursuit as they drove the car off a cliff with Tails carrying Sonic while flying in the air. Talk about great attention to detail in terms of the source material; with Tails carrying Sonic like he did in Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 (the video games), and Knuckles gliding and climbing walls like he did in Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

Now you’re already introduced (or for older Sonic fans, reintroduced) to Team Sonic in the first 30-45 minutes of the film, then Sonic discovers that he has a new mission; to find and protect the Master Emerald from Dr. Eggman and Knuckles. It was then that Sonic and Tails would forge their bond and begin their quest to hunt down the whereabouts of the emerald before Knuckles and Eggman get to it. Like the first movie this one was chalk-full of video game references; such as the Dr. Eggman logo hidden inside the Mean Bean Cafe’ (which is another reference to Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine), the Mushroom Hill and Labyrinth Zone, the opening scene with Sonic on top of a building just like in Sonic Adventure, and FREAKIN’ SUPER SONIC!!

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 takes everything you loved from the first movie, and dials it up to an eleven. Movie Tails and Movie Knuckles are faithful to their video game appearances, and based their personalities to when they were first introduced; with Knuckles NOT being a doofus, but following a warrior’s code yet not very knowledgeable about cultural and social customs. Its quite amazing to see the trio we’ve grown up with since the 90’s now come to life on the big screen, and since it appears that the director and producers are on the path to making the Sonic Movie franchise into a Cinematic Universe, there’s no telling what new surprises they’ll have in store. In fact if you watch the post-credits scene, you’ll see what we mean. (No, we’re not gonna tell you what happens! Just watch and see.)

It’s one of those movies that’s so nice, you gotta see it twice! With a third movie in development as well as a spinoff origin story featuring Knuckles coming to Paramount+, the SCU (Sonic Cinematic Universe) is only gonna get bigger. Marvel got theirs, and now Sonic has his!

We give this movie a score of 9.8 / 10 (A D&A Movie score of 98.3%), so you better go fast and go see it!

Until next time, stay nerdy! 😉