Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has hit cinemas. Our resident film buffs Tom Parry and Stefan Bradley went to check it out.
TP: So Stefan, as a big fan of this franchise, what did you think of Sonic the Hedgehog 2?
SB: The original Sonic the Hedgehog titles were one of the first video games I ever played back in the 90s. The franchise is massive with comics, TV shows, merchandise and countless video games. As a fan, I thought the cast and crew did a good job on this movie. I am surprised that a family movie like this goes for two hours. The movie starts off a bit slow and some of the scenes with the human characters in the middle went on a bit too long; however, I thought the third act and the associated action scenes were perfect.
TP: I have to echo those sentiments, I think that the third act was absolutely amazing – you can’t top that finale. The first and second acts did drag a little bit, there was a lot of filler; but once the ending arrived, I was on-board all the way. Overall, it means the sequel is just as enjoyable as the first movie.
SB: I agree, but I might prefer the sequel because it felt more like a Sonic movie. If you like that first movie, which is currently on Netflix, I think you’ll like this one – they’re both great films to watch with the family. All of the action scenes, not just the final one, were executed well and didn’t feel derivative of the Marvel movies which have become samey to me.
TP: For sure. What do you make of the special effects? I know that bringing Sonic to life is a feat in and of itself, but there are certain scenes that I felt the VFX team were cutting corners.
SB: Honestly, I didn’t notice, I was just having too much of a good time! I thought the special effects on the action sequences were fine – they’re not like Iron Man or similar movies. Maybe it’s easier for me to suspend my disbelief because you’ve got all these weird alien creatures from other universes. What did you think about the introductions to Tails and Knuckles?
TP: I liked them both. For Tails, they’ve employed the same voice-actor as they do for the games, which is an unusual decision for this kind of movie, but I appreciated it. Idris Elba was a very interesting choice to cast as Knuckles, which I had reservations about; but having seen the movie, I now think his voice suits the character perfectly.
SB: The more recent Sonic games and the Sonic Boom TV show have turned Knuckles into a bit of a bumbling idiot, so to see him as a threatening antagonist in this was a breath of fresh air. This may be my favourite version of Knuckles ever.
TP: He still gets laughs here and there with his heightened nobility and his ignorance of world culture, which I enjoyed. He’s a bit of a goof, but he’s not like a comic relief character.
SB: Jim Carrey as Dr Robotnik/Eggman is that comic relief character, and the villain of course. He was a standout in the first movie, and his presence is once again welcome and hilarious. The movie is surprisingly funny, and as a fan I enjoyed more references from the Sonic games. Despite a middling middle, I thought this movie was quite good and would recommend it.
TP: I think kids will definitely like it, as will Sonic fans; and there’s one or two scenes which I think older, non-Sonic fans can enjoy too. It’s definitely one to see these school holidays.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is rated PG for mild crude humour, action violence and coarse language. The film is now showing at Sale Cinemas. This article was originally published on Tuesday, April 12.
