In 2020, Paramount Pictures released a film adaption of Sonic the Hedgehog earning praise from critics/fans and became a commercial hit. A sequel titled, “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” was officially released in 2022. (same year Moon Knight streamed on Disney Plus) Like its predecessor, received positive reviews from critics, fans and movie goers alike. Plus, it made enough revenue at the box office. A third installment is currently in development with Ben Schwartz reprising his role as the titular character.The most recent game, “Sonic Frontiers” is available on PS4/PS5 Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. Idris Elba will appear in the upcoming free DLC story expansion of “Cyberpunk 2077” under “Phantom Liberty.” One more thing, Idris will reprise his role as Knuckles in an upcoming spin-off on Paramount Plus.
Today’s review contains no SPOILERS whatsoever.
Fast & Slow Qualities
Fast: Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey & James Marsden reprise their roles. They all did an excellent job for their respective performances.
Idris Elba did an excellent job for his performance as Knuckles. Idris mentioned he’s a real-life gamer. So as his kids.
Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Jazz Fenton from Danny Phantom) reprises her role as Tails from the video games since 2014. She did a decent job for her performance.
Action Sequences showcase Sonic, Tails & Knuckles unique abilities.
If you’re a fan of the Sonic series, there’s a ton of Easter Eggs. Can you spot ’em?
Visual Effects retain Sonic, Tails & Knuckles’ appearances from the games.
Junkie XL (Mad Max: Fury Road, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Deadpool) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Humor retains the first film’s use of visual gags and pop culture references. Sonic did a jab at one of the worst live action Disney films. I’ll give you a hint. It has dogs in Alaska.
Sonic’s chemistry with Tails serves as the main highlight.
Tom’s surname is Wachowski. A reference to filmmaking duo, The Wachowskis. Known for “The Matrix” series & “V for Vendetta.”
A green artifact plays a pivotal role.
Tom describes Sonic’s vigilante duties as pretending to be Batman. Coincidently, Robert Pattinson’s “The Batman” came out a month before Sonic’s sequel. Also counts as an in-joke when Jim played The Riddler in “Batman Forever.” Unlike Jim, Paul Dano delivered a serious portrayal of the villain based on The Zodiac Killer.
We learn more about Sonic’s past as well as Tails & Knuckles lives.
Robotnik’s appearance retains his old look as depicted at the end of the first movie. His goal is to obtain Sonic’s power, retrieve an artifact and get revenge on Sonic forming an alliance with Knuckles.
Primary Themes are Family, Friendship, Destiny & Teamwork. Each one is handled carefully.
A Mid-Credits Scene sets up Sonic’s next adventure.
Slow: I couldn’t find nothing wrong. I’m giving the cast and crew an Extra Point for making a flawless sequel as possible.
The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a great sequel on the same level as other sequels better than the first like “Toy Story 2,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” “Spider-Man 2,” “Shrek 2 & “The Dark Knight.” If you’re a huge Sonic fan, I strongly recommend the first and second movie. Don’t forget to buy Sonic Frontiers. I hereby declare Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as one of my favorite movies of 2022.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 
Great review! It’s interesting to learn about references from other movies that this one has, this being as good as other movie sequels, like “Shrek 2,” and that the actress who voiced Jazz in “Danny Phantom” is in this movie.
I’ve been wanting to see this movie. Hopefully, I’ll see it soon.
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