SummaryKnuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) trains Wade Whipple (voiced by Adam Pally) to become an Echidna warrior in the (mostly) live-action miniseries set between the films Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Sonic The Hedgehog 3.
SummaryKnuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) trains Wade Whipple (voiced by Adam Pally) to become an Echidna warrior in the (mostly) live-action miniseries set between the films Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Sonic The Hedgehog 3.
The fact the series never takes itself too seriously gives writers and directors the breathing space they need to include every wild idea that crosses their minds, from musical numbers to training montages inspired by sports films. Because of that, Knuckles is a testament to how a talented and passionate team can turn the most basic story beat into something unique and incredibly entertaining.
While it functions largely as a streaming-only a clone of the first film, it displays a personality missing from the mainline movies by veering into welcoming absurdism and whimsy.
This is more ‘Wade’s World’ than ‘Sonic 2.5’. Still, Knuckles’ solo side-quest proves fun filler fluff as fans await the arrival of Shadow in the threequel.
Results will vary on “Knuckles”: hardcore fans of the franchise could be easily put off by how much Knuckles isn’t in the show. Others, maybe more casual viewers with little investment, might enjoy it for the harmless, low-stakes series it is.
Knuckles is very much a mixed bag. Sometimes, it feels like the Sonic films, with its use of larger-than-life characters in a real-world setting, but it loses focus to the point where Knuckles feels like a guest star in his own series.
Charitably, the series might be seen as a sort-of bonus for “Sonic” fans to keep the motor running while waiting for future movies, but it’s hard to imagine anyone on the shaving side of puberty being wowed by this iteration, and that demographic is unlikely to grasp the psychological nuance of Wade’s unresolved daddy issues.