Sonic the Hedgehog 2

The world's fastest hedgehog races to the big screen again in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It's got more action, more funny animal characters and more runtime. Let's talk about now.

Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and his adoptive humans, Sheriff Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter), live a good life in Green Hills, Montana. Sonic tries being a superhero but he's not that good at it. The Wachowskis leave Sonic home alone as they attend Maddie's sister, Rachel's (Natasha Rothwell), wedding in Hawaii. But then Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), whom Sonic exiled to a mushroom planet at the end of the first film, returns with his new Echidna best friend, Knuckles (Idris Elba). 

Knuckles thinks that Sonic can lead him to a MacGuffin called the Master Emerald. He decides to pound the information out of Sonic. Sonic gets bailed out by Tails (Coleen O'Shaughnessy), a super smart two-tailed fox. Sonic decides to race Robotnik and Knuckles for the Emerald. It's an easy race with Sonic's warp rings and Tails' gadgets. But they've got a few traps to deal with. Once again, they gotta go fast.

It's a simple plot stretched out to 122 minutes. You'll notice the length after Sonic crashes Rachel's wedding. That's when the entire wedding is revealed as a Sonic trap by the nebulous GUN organization. I've got mixed feelings on that portion. It gives Rachel greater depths than the first film did. That's good. Her and Maddie outsmart GUN agents with Tails' gadgets. That's awesomely funny. But it distracts considerably from the Emerald race. GUN's presence is not tied to Robotnik, but another franchise favorite character the mid-credits tease for the sequel. Perhaps that sequel can finally explain what makes Sonic special after this film didn't.

It's mostly a fun ride. Sonic's still a good character. He's careless but is always willing to fix his mistakes. He thwarts an armored car heist, inadvertently causing property damage, but he dismantles the car before it can crash into a kid. He further proves his heroism by saving Tails and Knuckles from danger. Tails proves himself a delightfully crafty fox with his gadgets (even if his translator isn't perfect). His gadgets aid in a surprisingly fun dance off at a Siberian inn. Knuckles is tough but his density is hilarious. Their human adversary, Robotnik, is a delightfully goofy and sometimes creepy mad scientist. He's especially the latter when he gets ahold of the Emerald.

The visual effects are mostly good, too. The CGI for Sonic and his friends is seamless, though a few shots of the live-action Robotnik are anything but seamless. The opening armored car heist is an exciting and funny action scene. The final battle is an astounding action scene. Overall, Sonic's speed effects are the best. The sound designers show their best work with Robotnik's eerie voice when he merges with the Emerald. The accompanying green costume and imposing theme (by Tom Holkenborg) help set up the dire mood of the moment.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 isn't perfect, but it's a harmless matinee for a slow afternoon. Anyone looking for a silly action movie for kids will find it here. Anyone looking for a super dramatic action movie can look elsewhere. You've got a lot of choices. Carrey said he was done with movies after this, but this franchise isn't done, and I'm interested in the next film. Whenever that is.