“Sonic the Hedgehog 2” is a direct sequel to the first Sonic film. In the first part, Dr. Robotnik, AKA Eggman, was sent to the mushroom planet alive but angrier. And we also saw the arrival of Tails, AKA Miles Prowler, who, being Sonic’s huge fan, arrives to assist Sonic in his endeavors. Overall, the film is better than the first part. Sonic undergoes great character development that highlights emotions. The characters of Tails and Knuckles also have distinct character arcs. Even Robotnik serves as a better villain than in the first part. And every time these characters come on screen, it is objectively fun. Friendship is something that has time and again been stressed in movies with kids as the target audience, but “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” is able to establish the moral in a simple and warm way. The conclusion, too, adds to the warmth. And while the length of the movie, clocking in at approximately 2 hours, does appear unnecessary, the overall heart of the movie’s message makes up for it. Overall, there is work to be done, especially with the characters of Tom and Maddie, who don’t fare well while being juggled from the first installment, but the franchise is moving in the right direction.
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Plot Summary
Dr. Robotnik builds a machine that will bring him to Earth. However, the portal that opens brings in Knuckles, the space echidna who is also looking for Sonic. And Robotnik is more than happy to show him the way. Knuckles helps Robotnik return to Earth. Back at Green Hill, Sonic has become a self-proclaimed superhero, catching thieves and helping the cops. However, to Tom, this is dangerous, as by doing this, Sonic is risking not just his life but that of others too. Tom also drops a piece of advice that the moment to be a hero does arrive, but it’s not Sonic who gets to choose the moment, but the moment that chooses him. Next, we see Sonic give a send-off to Tom and Maddie as they leave for the wedding of Maddie’s sister Rachel and Randall in Hawaii.
Meanwhile, thanks to Knuckles, he and Robotnik arrive on Earth and attack Sonic right away, who is all by himself at home. Tails comes to his rescue, and together they manage to escape. This is when Knuckles tells Robotnik about the Master Emerald, a source of “ultimate power” that can give shape to anything its beholder wants. Seizing the opportunity, Robotnik’s wicked self shakes hands with Knuckles with the false promise of helping him acquire the emerald. On the other hand, Sonic and Tails discover a map given to Sonic by Longclaw that leads them to a compass among the mountains that shows the way to the Master Emerald. But before they can begin their quest for the emerald, they are attacked by Robotnik and Knuckles. Sonic and Tails lose the compass to Robotnik but manage to escape yet again, this time landing up in Hawaii by contacting Tom at Rachel’s wedding, thanks to a portal ring Sonic had given to Tom earlier. That’s when it is revealed that the whole wedding was basically a setup for the authorities to catch Sonic (and Tails as a plus). They also arrest Tom for interfering in the capture. But Maddie and a pissed off Rachel (who is very angry at her fiancé Randall for lying to her) use Tails’ gadgets to free Sonic, Tails, and Tom.
On the other hand, Robotnik and Knuckles manage to discover the undersea fort that holds the master Emerald, thanks to the compass. However, Sonic and his friends are able to see the beam from the fort that the emerald is shooting up to the sky. With not much time left before Robotnik gets his hands on the emerald, Sonic crosses the sea and finally reaches the fort. A massive fight follows between Sonic and Knuckles while Robotnik, taking advantage of the time at hand, sneaks up to the emerald. Knuckles is taken aback as he considers Robotnik his friend. The emerald is absorbed into Robotnik, who then forges a huge robot using his powers. Ultimately, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles team up to fight Robotnik. Knuckles is able to power-punch the emerald out of Robotnik, which gets destroyed. However, even without the emerald’s power, Robotnik still has an upper hand and is about to kill Sonic (and Tom and Maddie) when their power of love brings the emerald alive for Sonic to absorb its power. He ultimately defeats Robotnik by destroying the robot. The movie ends with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles playing baseball with Tom and Maddie. The post-credits scene, however, introduces us to yet another Sonic character, i.e., Shadow the Hedgehog. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” will have him as the antagonist.
The Message of Loss and Gain
Both Sonic and Knuckles have lost their loved ones. But while Knuckles carries revenge inside him, Sonic has moved on in his life. There is one scene in particular that is of significance in this matter, i.e., after Sonic saves Knuckles from drowning and Knuckles saves him from the same. While they sit on the beach, Sonic asks Knuckles why he saved him. In reply, Knuckles tells him that the reason he saved Sonic is that Sonic saved Knuckles “first,” which apparently gave him “a tactical advantage I do not understand.” It is a brilliant use of words that shows how Knuckles is trying to both defend and escape the feeling of guilt, as well as not be indebted. We do this too. Returning a favor is a way to not be indebted to a person. During other times, favor becomes a means to hide from the guilt that stems from the fact that a person whom we hate (be it for a long time or just started recently) has helped us in some way or the other. Sonic replies that one becomes a hero only when he or she takes responsibility for others. “I couldn’t let you die,” he tells Knuckles. If only we started viewing our ability to help objectively rather than being subjective about it, we could become a lot better. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to save someone who is dying in order to become a hero. That is not even the point. The point is to help for the sake of helping. And Sonic is a great example of this.
There is also another message, i.e., of letting go. Knuckles held on to his past, and that is what gave way to his feeling of revenge. When Knuckles asks him about how he is so “hopeful and free” even after losing everything, Sonic replies that he found a new family and new friends and hence doesn’t need to be alone anymore. This act of letting go is what we all need to learn. It will only hurt us more if we hold on to the past. And one of the ways we do hold on to the past is by not accepting the present and all it has to offer. Making new friends by helping and doing good deeds go a long way, something that, in turn, helps us realize that what we are going through in the present is more important than what we went through in the past.
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Ending Explained: Is Robotnik Dead? What is Project Shadow?
At the end of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” Sonic manages to destroy Robotnik’s robot and not even the federal agents of the Guardian Units of Nations can recover his body. But this doesn’t mean he is dead unless Jim Carrey retires from acting, of course. He might have escaped with some help from his gadgets.
An agent reveals that their database had a more-than-50-year-old file containing coordinates of a secret research facility. And then we get a glimpse of Project Shadow, i.e., Shadow the hedgehog. In the gaming franchise, Shadow was created by Gerald Robotnik, Eggman’s (Robotnik in the film) grandfather. So “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” will have Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles fight against this new villain, who is more of an anti-hero (in the game), pretty much like Knuckles.
