I’m perhaps expecting too much. I was really hoping for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to beyond a save-the-day-with-new-friends story.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Synopsis
It’s a fiery battle of the allies showdown when the diabolical Robotnik returns to Earth with a powerful echidna warrior! With his own newfound buddy, would Sonic be able to thwart Robotnik’s attempts to get his hands on the all-powerful Master Emerald, an artifact capable of transforming thought into reality? Would Sonic also be able to grasp the true meaning of heroism, something which has by far, completely eluded him?
Snappy Review
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
There are several reasons for this. Cheeky, sassy Sonic no longer having any fresh appeal is one. The look and feel for Knuckles and Tails long being public knowledge is another.
There’s also Jim Carrey’s Robotnik. The man was wildly fun in the first movie, in an indulgent, retro kind of way. But such silliness, no matter how refined, only goes that far before it gets repetitive and wearisome. Towards the end, I even longed for the mad scientist to stop prancing and just (bloody) get down to serious business.
Yup, I didn’t much enjoy this sequel. I wasn’t bored or sorely disappointed, to be clear, but I did check my watch several times throughout the show.
To further elaborate, I think Sonic the Hedgehog 2 made the mistake of entirely banking on the formula of its predecessor. This might seem the commercially sensible thing to do but for any sequel, particularly one standing on an expansion of mythos, there need to be several steps more.
In games, these steps usually come in the form of new mechanics or play-style. For cinematic sequels, well, I feel returning characters should at least be thoroughly explored. Better yet, with unexpected characteristics showcased.
Sure, Sonic ends this story with an important what-I-learned-today message. But was this something totally unexpected? Surprising? Didn’t he more or less embraced the same lesson at the end of the previous adventure?
But, oh well, maybe I’m expecting too much. This is a video game movie, after all. I should just focus on the action, the colours, and the energy. And of course, researching all those Easter Eggs.
Check out my other snappy movie reviews.
