The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2022 - Issue 31

bitefilmreview ing in mid-air — all are put to use. However, with his im- provised heroic wind, he ends up causing a fair amount of devastation. As Tom says in a father-son-ish heart-to-heart, Sonic still has some growing up to do. It’s a “with great pow- er comes great responsibility” type thing, and Sonic needs to realise his fun antics have actual consequences. As the story moves on, we see Tom and Maddie attending the wedding of Maddie’s sister, Rachel (Natasha Rothwell), in Hawaii. Meanwhile, Sonic enjoys his Macaulay Culk- in ‘Home Alone’ moment with his dog. Simultaneously, Dr Robotnik manages to return from the interstellar exile into which Sonic and his pals threw him at the end of the last movie. Robotnik gets help from Knuckles, whose people are also pursuing Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ s action sequences and special ef- fects deliver, and Robotnik’s army of drones look authentic and entertaining to watch. Sonic’s new friend and assis- tant, Tails arrives on Earth to warn him of the impending threat from his two predators and they go on a trip around the world since Tom and Maddie are away. Eventually, the Hawaii thread becomes important to Sonic’s story, and the human characters become a more significant part of the goings-on. Still, the movie takes a long time to get there. The first Sonic movie was a buddy movie about Sonic and Tom, and the sequel gives a similar dynamic to Sonic and Tails. It even hits the same scenarios, including Sonic and Tails travelling to Siberia as they hunt for the next clue to the emerald’s location. They find themselves in a tavern full of hostile Russians, similar to the bar filled with aggressive bikers Sonic and Tom stopped at in the first movie. The scene has the same site of fun bonding between the new friends, although Tails regards Sonic as a younger brother worshipping an older one, rather than two friends. While that relationship evolves, Tails ultimately feels like a side- kick helping Sonic. Some backstory elevates the tone for the rest of the mov- ie. The Echidnas have spent years chasing and fighting a tribe of owls, the last of whom was Sonic’s adopted mother, over a magical MacGuffin called Master Emerald. Knuck- les thinks Sonic knows where the emerald is, and whoever claims it will become all-powerful. So Sonic and Tails set off on a quest to find the emerald first, with the bad guys in pursuit. Sonic’s caffeinated-yet-insecure nature lands him in a tug- of-war between two different personalities. On the one hand, the grizzled and formidable Knuckles is hyper-literal and constantly serious, in Spartan-like warrior mode. On the other hand, the sarcastic and entertaining Robotnik equipped with jokes finds opportunities to crack wise at Knuckles’ expense. The contrast between Knuckles taking things seriously and Robotnik taking everything way past 11 leads to a lot of humour, especially when sycophantic Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub) from the first Sonic movie is thrown back into the mix. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is excellent entertainment for both children and grown-ups. It continually sends out a message about family and friend connections, and its power, add- ing heartwarming lessons, which is seen when Sonic and Knuckles find excuses to talk at length by bringing the hu- manity out of each other. The sequel could easily have got- ten lost in its game references and spacey world building but avoids those pitfalls because Fowler and the cast know what’s fun about this idea. This keeps the film on pace with likeable characters, fast action, and plenty of solid humor- ous moments. It also gives Sonic numerous opportunities to use his alien super-speed powers to do good in the world and take responsibility seriously, as advised at the movie’s beginning by his dad Tom. www.sonic2movie.co.uk