Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) Review

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 follows Sonic, who, after Eggman returns with a powerful Echidna named Knuckles, must team up with his new sidekick, Tails, in order to beat them to the Master Emerald. 

I’ll be honest, out of all the video game adaptations out there, Sonic 2 might not only be the best, but could very well be one of the most accurate as well. Where the first was an avenue to ease us into the world of Sonic, featuring more of an emphasis on human characters, it’s sequel outright opens the flood gates in terms of characters, lore, and the overall potential of this series, showing just how great it can be when really utilizing all of the tools in its video game arsenal. Excitingly, the sequel introduces Tails and Knuckles, who follow their game origins almost to the letter, while sporting some dope designs that just look so great in action (a statement I likely wouldn’t have uttered with the old Sonic design back in 2019).

Friendship was a really important aspect of the first and I love that that theme is continued here, perhaps playing an even more important role this time around. Between Tails and Tom, Sonic has a strong foundation of love friendship, which is key in turning Knuckles, who lacks that with Eggman, especially after he gains control of the Master Emerald. Their new friendship is therefore essential to beating Robotnik, giving us one hell of a sequence full of giant robots (with Eggman’s classic look) and ending with the long awaited appearance of Super Sonic (which was obviously cool as fuck). 

We get real enjoyable cast as well, starring Shemar Moore, Adam Pally, Natasha Rothwell, Lee Majdoub, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, James Marsden, Idris Elba, Jim Carrey, and Ben Schwartz. Schwartz, once again, is wonderful in the role of Sonic, bringing such a fun, youthful energy and intensity that works rather well opposite Carrey and Elba, who find that great balance between villainous and cartoony. 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2, directed by Jeff Fowler, is an incredibly fun step in the right direction for the Sonic series, going all in on the lore and zaniness of the games while setting us up for even more exciting adventures with the introduction of Shadow and the chaos emeralds. 

8.6/10