For about as long as I can remember, Sonic the Hedgehog has been not only one of my favorite video game characters but also one of my most beloved franchises. It’s been that way since my parents bought me a Sega Genesis/Sonic the Hedgehog set back in 1991. I now have a few kids of my own, and just like their dad 30 years ago, they’re obsessed.
Like a ton of video game fans and parents of a certain age, I took my kids to see Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opening weekend, and a good time was had by all. After the next-level sequel, I did what my dad used to do as our eyes adjusted to the light of the midday sun: we talked about our favorite scenes and why we loved them so much. Because there are probably a ton of other parents wanting to take their kids, I thought I’d share a few of the moments that came up.
My Kids Liked: Tails Shows Up
My daughter is obsessed with Miles “Tails” Prower. I mean OBSESSED! So much so she initially didn’t want the commemorative Sonic the Hedgehog 2 cup at the theater because there were other characters in addition to Tails on it. The first few minutes of the movie she kept saying things like, “Where’s Tails? Is Tails coming?”
It’s easy to imagine how excited she was when Tails arrives in Green Hills, Montana, via a ring portal, and immediately starts looking for Sonic. My daughter couldn’t sit still and kept pushing her finger into my arm to tell me that Tails had arrived. My son, who was halfway through a bag of popcorn at this point, also perked up and started getting excited for what was in store.
I Loved: Dr. Robotnik Coming Up With A Plan To Escape The Mushroom Planet
When we last saw Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik during the Sonic the Hedgehog ending, he was marooned on a planet that resembled Mushroom Hill Zone from Sonic & Knuckles, where he was beginning to formulate a plan to exact his revenge against the blue speedster. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 picked up months later with the mad scientist putting his plan into action, but only after he tried and tried again to make a cup of coffee using nothing but mushrooms and one hell of a Rube Goldberg machine.
Everything about this scene is perfect. Carrey is in a mode we haven’t seen since 1994, the plan was a success despite things looking close from time to time, and it kicks off the uneasy partnership shared by Robotnik and Idris Elba's Knuckles the Echidna, a.k.a. one of my favorite video game characters of all time.
My Kids Liked: Sonic And Tails Are Forced Into A Dance-Off
The moment in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that came up the most when I was talking to my kids after the movie was the incredible dance-off about halfway through the runtime. Sonic and Tails, when searching for the compass that will lead them to the Master Emerald, stumble upon a remote Siberian village and quickly make a mess of things. Just when they think they are going to have to win a fight to not be thrown into the fire, though, they discover they’re in the middle of a dance-off.
My kids were howling throughout this entire scene, but completely lost it partway through “Uptown Funk,” when Tails begins to replicate himself into a dancing army of foxes with two tails. While I enjoyed the choreography of the sequence, my son and daughter just kept yelling about all those foxes and those hilarious dances.
I Loved: Dr. Robotnik Absorbs The Master Emerald
I cannot get enough of Jim Carrey’s portrayal of Dr. Robotnik, and I hope he’s not actually retiring from the acting game. He’s great throughout the movie, but he is on a completely different level when he absorbs the Master Emerald and turns into a god-like creature near the end of the movie. The incredible voice modulation caused by the increase in power, the ability to turn his leg into a guitar, and the creation of his giant robot (like the final boss in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 game), are all perfect.
All of this took me back to being a seven-year-old watching Jim Carrey’s Riddler become omnipotent in Batman Forever all those years ago. It was like he was in his zone and having the time of his life. Then you add in Pantera’s “Walk” when the giant robot starts marching towards Sonic and I just can’t contain myself. And, I wasn't alone, as a friend texted me after the movie and said, "You like that Pantera part in Sonic?"
My Kids Liked: Sonic, Tails And Knuckles Teaming Up To Fight Dr. Robotnik
No surprise here, but my kids loved watching Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles finally team up to take on Dr. Robotnik at the end of the movie, and it’s hard to blame them. There were hints throughout the film that lead you to believe the iconic trio would come together at some point, but that still didn’t take anything away from my kids’ joy when it went down.
In all honesty, I’m sure it had something to do with the baseball scene in the final moments of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where Sonic teaches the fundamentals to a strong yet confused Knuckles before they go off for ice cream. On the way home from the movie, my son kept going on and on about how funny it was when Knuckles, not understanding the rules of the game, punches the ball instead of hitting it with a bat.
I Loved: Sonic Turns Into Super Sonic
As a kid, there were few video game feats more fulfilling than obtaining all of the chaos emeralds, collecting 50 coins, and then jumping into the air to become Super Sonic. And though the transformation was teased in Sonic the Hedgehog, Ben Schwartz’s character never fully became the golden supercharged character during his first outing. That all changed when Sonic got his hands on the chaos emeralds in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and I was stoked.
The moment couldn’t have been pulled off any better than when Dr. Robotnik thinks he’s finally dealt with Sonic, only for the golden hedgehog to fly up, destroy his massive robot, and send the big baddy packing. What makes it even better is the fact that Sonic uses his powers to generate a chili dog, his all-time favorite snack. Can you say perfect?
These are just some of the moments that stick out from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. If you want even more of the legendary video game character, there are a ton of great Sonic shows and movies worth checking out.
