Our furry blue CGI Hedgehog returns for another lap as Paramount released a sequel to the original Sonic the Hedgehog movie. I never got that much into the first movie, Seeing that it was an “Every CGI/Live Action Hybrid Movie ever made” kind of film, but on the plus side, it was a better-made motion picture compared to the corporate Garfield or Smurfs movies. Sonic was honestly okay. It’s not unique like the Paddington films, but there are worse films you could put on for an hour and a half. The trailers for the second sonic movie seemed to promise more, with new CGI characters and less time spent on bland, generic human characters, but can those advantages save the film from being like the first installment?
For the last eight months, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) has settled into his new life in the small town of Green Hills. Though he enjoys his life, he also can’t help but unintentionally get into trouble, especially when trying to be a hero and help the innocent. However, when Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) leave for vacation, Sonic is left alone and has the house to himself. That is until Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) returns from the mushroom planet with a new ally named Knuckles (Idris Elba). Sonic tries to fight but almost ends up losing to Knuckles until a yellow-tailed fox called Tails (Colleen O’Shaughness) rescues Sonic and tries to explain what is going on. Tails tells Sonic that Robotnik is looking for a Master Emrald, which, if found, will give him powers beyond comprehension. It’s up to both of them to stop Robotnik and Knuckles before it’s too late.
The story has some highs and lows but thankfully, unlike the last film, this story at least attempts to try something riskier and not safe like before. The good stuff involves Sonic and Tails going on an epic quest to stop Robotnik and Knuckles from getting the Master Emerald. At the same time, the more mediocre side of things entails the bland human characters from before and their interactions with our CGI heroes and other bland live-action characters. Two different styles of storytelling are clashing together, and sometimes the movie can’t choose if it wants to be a legit Sonic movie or a bland family flick. However, I will say that the fun stuff is entertaining, such as Sonic and Tails traveling to places around the earth in their quest or confronting Knuckles or Dr. Robotnik when they get in the way of their mission. The final battle is also very enthralling, with so many action-packed momments that call back to the Sonic the Hedgehog games while acting as an incredible battle moment that any great action and adventure film needs. The audience will have to sit through some boring and confusing bits involving the bland human characters. Still, the good stuff involving the quest does just enough of a good enough job to make the movie feel decent compared to the uninteresting first movie.
The Characters have more of an edge than before, but some are much more engaging than others. Ben Schwartz returns as Sonic, and like before, Schwartz brings as much passion and care into voicing the famous video game hedgehog as he can. Even when he’s saying and doing cliched things. He’s still likable because the voice acting is just too irresistible. Newcomer Tails is played by Colleen O’Shaughness, who has voiced Tails in other Sonic properties. Now I know a little about Tails from the few Sonic games I’ve played, but here in this movie, I instantly fell in love with this character as he’s cute but also intelligent, and his relationship with Sonic managed to put a big dumb grin on my face. Knuckles is played by famous actor Idris Elba who, at first glance, felt like a way to capitalize on an A-list celebrity in a family movie. Yet after the first few minutes, I believed I saw Knuckles being portrayed on screen without hearing the celebrity voice behind him. However, the movie is sadly not just about the CGI characters as the film also has to focus on the bland human characters and their side of the adventure. James Marsden and Tika Sumpter return as Tom and Maddie, respectively, and the material they have to work with is much to be afraid of. Their subplot about being on vacation goes completely nowhere, and if anything, it takes away from the more exciting subplot involving Sonic and Tail's quest. The only live-action character that manages to break the mold of blandness is Dr. Robotnik, played again by Jim Carrey. He still carries the manic energy presented in the first film. While it may be a little over-the-top at points, his live-action character is much more fascinating than how mediocre all the other Live-action characters are.
The cinematography could be considered a step up from the last movie. The film takes some more advantages with traveling to different locations that feel more interesting to take part in. While some of the movie does take place the small town of Green Hills, the film also gets more experimental by traveling to places like the snowy mountain tops or the island that houses The Master Emerald. Along the way, there will be many visual callbacks to the Sonic Video games, which is a nice touch for longtime fans. The CGI on the characters is also pretty good as they are expressive and easy to connect with. Sonic Tails and Knuckles are faithfully recreated for this movie, and while it would have been preferable that they didn’t have so much detail, they are still well crafted enough for this motion picture. The rest of the cinemotogrpy is not as unique as the other things listed, but it is a nice refresher that we don’t have to spend too long in one place like last time.
The music is composed by Tom Holkenborg once again and is better and more epic and engaging than before. Sometimes though, it can’t help itself to be just like many other CGI/Live Action movies of its kind as it does resort to using dated pop songs and typical family movie tunes. Still, when this movie decides not to do that and be more daring with its score, I believe it becomes more engaging for your ears as a viewer. It's better than before, but i think Holkenborg can do just a little more.
I’ll admit, this movie is really what the first Sonic movie should have been. It fixes some of the problems I had with the last installment and made a decent movie with less bland generic kiddy fare, and more exciting character development, and action-packed moments that feel more in tune with what a Sonic The Hedgehog movie should be like. Now that doesn’t mean it gets everything right. This sequel does have to relate to the last movie’s characters and plot points, but it’s when it doesn’t focus on those aspects that I feel it becomes a more entertaining movie than its predecessor. It’s far from being in the same ranks as the Paddington films, but it's a much better CGI/Live Action movie that succeeds in more areas where others seem to fail.
(Final Grade: B-)