Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Even if it sounds like faint praise, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is probably the best video game adaptation to come out of Hollywood.  As is to be expected from a sequel starring a CG alien hedgehog who fancies himself a hero, it's bigger, louder, and longer than the original film from 2020.  But, it also understands what made the first movie work, and builds upon it as well.  It has more than enough charm to please long time fans of the character, as well as someone like me, who hasn't played a Sonic game since the 90s. 

Save for Jim Carrey (who is back as Sonic's arch nemesis, Dr. Robotnik), the human stars take more of a back seat this time around, allowing Sonic (voice by Ben Schwartz) to take center stage for a majority of the film.  He's joined by two other CG stars this time, notably a two-tailed fox named Tails (voice by Colleen O'Shaughnessey), who is clever with gadgets and vehicles, and a red echidna warrior named Knuckles (voice by Idris Elba), who is battle-hardened and tough, but seemingly not very bright on matters that don't involve punching things.  Returning director, Jeff Fowler, along with screenwriters Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington, use these characters and the effects in a smart way.  While the movie is probably 75% special effects, they are not overwhelming, and the characters and voice actors are able to bring some humanity to these cartoon-like aliens. (It's hard to resist lonely little Tails when he curls up to sleep after talking about how many of his kind reject him because of his twin tails.)

The movie is a well-made mix of big action scenes, references to the games for fans to pick up on, and a couple heartfelt messages about family for the family movie crowd.  Some reviews I have read have complained that the movie is too violent and scary for younger children, but I really think there's nothing here that any kid couldn't handle.  They've seen plenty of superhero movies where cities are laid to waste by giant robots by now, and the destruction is kept to a minimum.  Besides, Carrey in the villain role is clearly more interested in being silly than truly threatening, and manages to get a few laughs here.  It's his Robotnik who kicks off the plot when he escapes from the planet he was banished to at the end of the previous film, and returns to Earth with the help of the previously mentioned Knuckles.  They're both after the powerful Master Emerald for their own purposes.  Knuckles wants to avenge his people, and he thinks Sonic holds the key, while Robotnik wants to use the Emerald to achieve god-like powers and conquer the world that shunned him.

There's a subplot here where Sonic's human friends Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) go to Hawaii to attend the wedding of Maddie's sister, Rachel (a scene-stealing Natasha Rothwell), but it's kind of forgotten about halfway through so that the special effects can take over.  Unlike last weekend's Morbius, the effects do not feel like overkill.  It helps that the characters involved are already cartoon (or video game) characters to begin with, so it makes sense to see them as digital creations.  Another plus is that the action, while frantic, is cleanly edited and easy to follow. The movie clearly doesn't take itself as seriously as the one about vampires, and it helps that some of the dialogue is genuinely clever. (I like how Robotnik describes the planet he was banished to, which was covered with mushrooms, as a "Portobello Purgatory".) There's a life here that shows that the actors are having fun with this material, and it carries through 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2, like its predecessor, will never be mistaken for a great movie, but it's probably the best possible movie we could wish for from the games.  It should be more than enough to appease kids, and adults will find themselves laughing at some of the lines that have been slipped in for them.  Sometimes when your movie stars a blue alien hedgehog with a thing for chili dogs and running fast, that's the best you can hope for.

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