Introduced by Sega in the early 1990s, the bright blue furball Sonic the Hedgehog is now officially over the hill and picking up steam on the screen. “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” is a fast-paced, silly, joke-filled, unabashed game for kids – which is refreshing, at a time when so many other kids’ franchises have succumbed to Sturm und Drang.
This comprehensive sequel from returning director Jeff Fowler and screenwriters Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington finds Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) struggling to unwind with his adoptive parents, Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter). Their small town is invaded by two animated aliens: Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), a flying fox who wants to make friends, and Knuckles (Idris Elba), a dog-like murderer who wants to make mincemeat of anyone. comes between him. and an almighty whiz-bang from a weapon called the Master Emerald.
Things go as you might expect, but the road is littered with bits of craziness that keep audiences in suspense. While gags can be a tad too reliant on pop culture references — Limp Bizkit and Pantera? – the script has a rare affection for even small characters like Maddie’s quarrelsome sister (Natasha Rothwell), who struts around with the most memorable fight scene.
Still, there’s only so far the nerve can get to you, and, like in the last film, things would come to a halt were it not for Jim Carrey’s performance as the evil Dr. Robotnik. Carrey has created perhaps the best PG movie villain in decades: a perfectly calibrated comedy machine whose slick, glow, and frustrated spray still seem improvised. Recently, Carrey suggested he might retire from acting. If those movies really turn out to be Carrey’s farewell, he leaves Hollywood with a parting gift: his designed-for-the-big-screen exuberance just might hook this generation of kids into the joy of going to the movies.
sonic the hedgehog 2
Rated PG. Duration: 2 hours 2 minutes. In theaters.
