Video game movies get a bad rap for good reason. Most, sadly, are terrible.
That started to change.
Previous years “Free boy“Bringing a good laugh while tapping into our love of gaming. In the past, “Sonic the Hedgehog” has been over-delivered thanks to a quick story and a brilliant Jim Carrey.
The “Dumb and Dumber” star is back with “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” and does the boy need the movie to be his comic director. The sequel is sadder and longer than the original, and Carrey’s consistent limp has held this beast together.
It helps that for every exhausting gag another one will hit the target and the production value is just as good as it gets.
Our hero Sonic (voiced by grumpy Ben Schwartz) takes his human “parents” Tom and Maddie (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter) on vacation to Hawaii while he lives in the huge house. their.
Life is good for the green-haired creature, but not for long.
Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Carrey) finds his way back to earth, eager to get revenge on Sonic. To do so, he recruits Knuckles (voiced humorously by Idris Elba), a red-haired alien who has a mighty wall.
Together they search for Master Emerald, another “Sonic” element scanned from the source material. Visualize the stones that Thanos hunts in the two “Avengers” movies and you’ll understand.
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This time, Sonic has a little help in the form of Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), a fluffy guy who idolizes speed heroes.
Can Sonic and Tails save the world? Can Carrey make every half-hearted line funnier than anyone else on the planet? We all know the answer to that and it’s the actor’s excellence that keeps us coming back for more.
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Yes, the story is too long, but the CGI wonders assembled here are breathtaking. It’s essentially a children’s movie, but director Jeff Fowler lobbied the world to treat it like an adventure in the MCU.
This is the Hollywood company with the most expensive price tag, and will die if the F/X wonders aren’t as dazzling as expected.
The same cannot be said about some of the support players. Adam Pally and Lee Majdoub get plenty of screen time but can’t replicate the euphoric energy Carrey invests here.
Who can?
They are still underwhelmed in every shot, abandoned by an inconsistent script.
And a powerhouse subplot involving Maddie’s sister (Natasha Rothwell, for everything she’s got) feels unnecessary.
It’s a pity that Schwartz got his first Sonic quest. He’s a charming actor with legitimate comic book gifts, but his line reading is consistently terrible…again.
Voice is important. Consider the way Elba plays his character oh, so candid and produces a lot of smiles as a result.
“Sonic the Hedgehog” tricked everything into making us grin, from an absurd wedding in Siberia to a wedding disaster that made the Bridezillas roar. Throw it on the screen and see if it sticks.
The sequel entertains adults while kids revel in its colorful characters and sweet looks. For example, Lil’ Tails felt differently before hearing about Sonic, given the background of their budding relationship.
This has been The Jim Carrey Show for a long time, though, and he brought physical shtickets and giddy sidepads. His energy here could power a small city, and the “Sonic” brand needs every bit of that creative juice this time around.
Hit or miss: “Sonic the Hedgehog” is more of a sequel, but Jim Carrey’s antics mean we can’t help but smile.
