Saga, well known for the infamous Sonic The Hedgehog, released their second Sonic movie April 8, 2022, a project that came out 2 years after the first movie, with the help of a supportive fan base. While the first movie in 2020 had a run time of one hour and 39 minutes, the new movie is an impressive two hours and two minutes.

Going into this movie I already knew from previous games, novels, shows, and movies that Knuckles and Sonic would end up as friends. So when the producers first released the preview, introducing (other popular Sonic/Sega characters) Knuckles as an antagonist, and Tails as a new friend, I already suspected the outcome of the movie, but still enjoyed the lighthearted mood and storytelling. Overall Sonic 2 was a silly and fun movie that shows a lovable Sega icon going on an adventure with his newly acquired friends. The movie set up room for a third movie due to the big reveal of Shadow the hedgehog at the end. Some people in the theater even screamed in excitement.

I went to Evo Cinemas in Belterra Village, located between Austin and Dripping Springs. The theater was comfortable and had a decent amount of people. Earlier that day I rewatched Sonic The Hedgehog to make sure connections between both movies would be fresh enough in my mind. After watching the first movie I was left feeling curious about what they could do for a follow up movie. Sonic entering the human world was already a fun concept for fans, but what more could they do after banishing Eggman to the realm of mushrooms. I was somewhat surprised with the involvement of the chaos emerald because I had assumed the plot would be solely based around villains seeking the destruction of Sonic but it had more layers.

The movie starts off with the evil doctor, known by all fans as Eggman, who is trying to utilize the quill that was kept from the previous movie. He appears to fail in his attempt to summon a portal home but catches the attention of other worlders and defeats them using uniquely designed traps. This is where Knuckles is first introduced and a partnership is made between the two of them. Tails is also introduced early on in an attempt to warn Sonic of Knuckles and Doctor Robotnik hunting him. Honestly my favorite part of the movie was when the mother of Tom’s girlfriend goes on a rampage after being tricked into a falsified wedding. It’s the small things within the storyline that gives personality to Sonic 2.

Due to the lightheartedness of the movie I didn’t have the heart to critique harshly. Not being a massive sonic fan I felt the movie was alright, if not a bit immature. However, I loved getting the background story for Knuckles and how Sonic’s parental figure connected to the plot, more than just a simple deceased parent trope. I was also glad to see characterization for Tails but wished his meaning for being there had been more clear because he just shows up to help without much purpose, other than clarifying to Sonic why he was being hunted. I’m sure that in the next movie the friendships will build up and more will be explained, just as they did in this one.

Sonic 2 holds a special place in all Sonic fan hearts. Seeing Sonic struggle with a hero complex and his need to prove himself to others, despite being young, has built up so much of the lore around his status in the games. I, as well as many others, look forward to seeing how the next movie shall progress.