Review of the movie "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" - a sequel to the film adaptation of the popular series of games about the superfast hedgehog
That rare case where the second part greatly succeeds compared to the first picture.
After defeating Dr. Robotnik, Sonic's life has changed dramatically: the hedgehog has new friends Tom and Maddie (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter), as well as his own room in their house. Sonic tries to become a folk hero: almost every night he goes out to fight criminals, which is not always crowned with success (his attempt to stop bank robbers almost ends in the destruction of an entire town). Sonic's idyll is interrupted by the return of Dr. Robotnik, who has found an entirely unexpected way to escape captivity on the mushroom planet: using improvised materials, the scientist has constructed an antenna capable of transmitting signals over long distances. In the series, a madman is aided by the echidna Knuckles, a vicious bully with a long-standing grudge against Sonic. The hero will not only have to confront dangerous opponents, but also make friends with the fox Tales - another vivid character of the video game world.
"Sonic 2 " is a clear example of the fact that, with proper work on mistakes, the second part can be many times better than the first. The main fault of the beginning of the adventures of the space hedgehog was the weak script, which many fans of the game series found extremely childish and abstracted from the events of the universe. When working on the picture, experienced cinematographer John Whittington, known for a number of feature-length cartoons in the Lego series, was added to the duo of creators. John's view of the new "Sonic" is clearly visible: the biggest changes have affected the genre of the picture - instead of a road movie, we now face a blockbuster about the rescue of the world with some elements of superhero movies.
Sonic's quest to become a folk hero will be opposed by various circumstances. At the same time, the unexpected appearance of new characters and an old adversary will only be a prerequisite for the great hunt for the master emerald - a magical artifact capable of fulfilling any desires of the owner. There are also a number of visual clues: Sonic standing in front of the moon is a clear reference to Batman (by the way, Lego Batman is one of John's most successful projects), and the hedgehog running slow motion could have been taken from the new version of X-Men.
The creators did not leave without attention and the other characters of the new film. Especially the image of James Marsden has changed on a large scale - Tom has turned from a friend of Hedgehog into a mentor. There is a funny parallel with Uncle Ben - a key figure in the life of Spider-Man: the creators quote the phrase about great power and no less responsibility several times verbatim. Such a significant plot circumstance is primarily justified by the thematic content of the tape: the new part of "Sonic" explores the importance of the presence of the parental figure in the life of every child. This theme is the basis of the conflict between Sonic and Knuckles, who, as it turns out, have a lot in common: during one battle between their tribes, each suffered a series of losses, which subsequently influenced the rest of their lives. However, while Sonic was able to find shelter and good friends, Knuckles did not accept the loss and decided to take revenge on Hedgehog for his past.
We can also see the change in the film's target audience: if the first film was rather addressed to young viewers, then the second one will obviously be appreciated by the fans of the game series. And it is not only in the appearance of iconic characters and a key artifact for the entire franchise, but also in the structure of the project. Sonic and Tales' chase for the master emerald could well become a video game: a vivid adventure in several locations with lots of action scenes will clearly be remembered by fans who demanded the first film to repeat a number of mechanics. It is worth noting and Jim Carrey, who finally adapted to the image of the mad doctor Robotnik. If in the first part this character hardly posed a significant threat to Sonic, the sequel presents the canonical image of the antagonist - a man capable of betraying allies to achieve his own goals.
The comedic component of the picture has also improved. The first part was, to put it mildly, cringe-worthy and mediocre in terms of humor. Nevertheless, "Sonic 2" takes a big step forward. One of the highlights of the picture is the wedding of Tom's wife's sister, which turns out quite sadly for the bride. The situational comedy also works brilliantly in the moment when Sonic and Tales find themselves in a pub, where they try to save their skins by dancing.
Despite a number of successes that make the film stand out strongly from the first part, the picture does not do anything significantly new for the genre. It is a one-off movie, capable of satisfying fans of the series, but no more than that. However, the future in the after credits scene, as well as the successful grosses hint at another sequel, which again tries to improve elements of the previous pictures.
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