Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Jeff Fowler and Paramount Pictures is the next adventure with SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2.

Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) is living his best life with Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter). Happy to be getting a chance to run the house for a bit, Tom and Maddie are off to Hawaii for Rachel’s (Natasha Rothwell) and Randall’s (Shemar Moore) wedding. What no one knew is what was happening off the planet.

Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) is making his own plans to get off the planet Sonic sent him to. Sending out a signal, it is answered almost right away, and he meets Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) who is looking for the most powerful gem in the universe. This intrigues Dr. Robotnik, and he convinces Knuckles to get him back to earth to find what he is looking for.

Sonic’s mini vacation does not last long when he realizes that Robotnik is back and has brought a powerful friend. Getting to Hawaii through a ring, it takes seconds before it becomes clear that the wedding was not as it should have been. When Sonic, his new friend Tails (voiced by Coleen O’Shaughnessey) and Tom are taken by agents of GUN, it is Maddie and Rachel who are going to get them free.

That is what has to be done if they are to stop Dr. Robotnik and Knuckles from finding the green gem. It is a race against time and an understanding that sometimes someone who calls you friend really isn’t.

Schwartz voicing as Sonic is hilarious with jokes, one-liners, recognizable references and a heart as big as any world in the universe. He knows the meaning of friendship, loyalty, fun and doing what is right for the planet he has come to love. My granddaughter loved Sonic before from the game and the cartoons but having him larger than life on the big screen filled her with so much joy, thanks for that Mr. Schwartz.

Elba as Knuckles voiced his character with the right amount of no sense of humor, trying to understand a very different world and change his attitude about a tribe of people he truly did not know. He learns the hard way that the word ‘friendship’ means different things to evil-different people. O’Shaughnessey as Tails is endearing from start to finish and adds to the trio with smarts and a very fast tail.

Marsden as Tom continues to enjoy having Sonic around, even if he feels a bit like a parent. He keeps his eye out for the blue ward living in his home and wants what is best for him, even if it means having to stand back and trust that Sonic knows what he is doing. Sumpter as Maddie is of the same mindset as husband Tom, that Sonic may need watching over from time to time but trusting he knows how to handle Robotnik is important.

Rothwell as Rachel takes her character to another very funny level. She wants to like Tom and she sees Sonic as a pest but when the opportunity arises, she realizes that they need Sonic. Moore as Randall chose to mess with the wrong woman, except perhaps she might not be the wrong woman.

Now, lets talk about Carrey as Dr. Robotnik – absolutely fantastic! He is fun in an evil way, witty, sly, and does not care one wit what anyone thinks about him. I love when Carrey gets the opportunity to be creative and let his facial expressions crack me up, his line delivery is sheer hilarity and mixing the two together with body language is everything. I would love to see him be the chunky Dr. Robotnik before he hangs up his moustache permanently.

Other cast include Adam Pally as Wade, Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone, and Antwan Eilish as Nick.

Paramount Pictures is the longest operating and remaining major studio in Hollywood that has been on the ground floor of every major development in film. From the advent of motion pictures to the emergence of television, through the digital revolution, Paramount Pictures has been there. During our 100-year history, we have served as the production site for thousands of notable movies and television shows. For more please visit www.paramountstudios.com.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 is the perfect family film in every way. It is two hours of fun packed for kids and kids at heart. I loved the action (so did my six-year-old granddaughter who is a huge Sonic fan), the storyline, adventure, humor, references to so many different things from films to other universes and still wrapped around the relationship with Tom, Maddie and Sonic.

Who could have thought that a video game from Sega in 1991 with the storyline of a little blue hedgehog would turn into the success in theatres in 2022. Even through its evolution, the character of Sonic has reached more than three generations in thirty-one years. Now, fans can get together once again to see what the new adventure has to share with them.

In the end – welcome to the next level!

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