Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: April 8, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
47
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
24
Negative:
3
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
CNETSean KeaneMar 28, 2022
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is the confident sequel the original left me hoping for, with a sharper script and jokes that'll leave you giggling. It maintains the original's family friendly tone and dives into the classic games to create a cinematic universe for Sega's beloved icon. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleZaki HasanApr 6, 2022
The big-screen series has smartly keyed into the character’s long-running (and fast-running) appeal. Like its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 knows when to go big, but more important, it knows when to stay small. Go ahead, put a ring on it. Read full review
75
Paste MagazineMatt DonatoApr 5, 2022
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 might momentarily lose itself to for-the-kids wackiness, which certainly leaves some plotlines frayed, but the reasons we’re here—Knuckles, Tails, Sonic, more Eggman—are all enthusiastically respected. I’m a happy Sonic fan after Fowler’s high-speed sequel. Read full review
70
The New York TimesAmy NicholsonApr 7, 2022
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a fast-paced romp that’s silly, filled with quips and unabashedly for children — which is refreshing, coming at a time when so many other children’s franchises have succumbed to Sturm und Drang. Read full review
65
The AtlanticDavid SimsApr 8, 2022
The inclusion of other CGI characters actually helps balance out Sonic’s manic energy a little bit; watching them bounce off of one another is somehow easier than watching human actors try their best to interact with imaginary creatures that couldn’t show up to set. Read full review
61
TheWrapCarlos AguilarMar 28, 2022
The screenplay reflects actual effort, and Jim Carrey gets to be unfettered in his performance, leading a surprisingly satisfying follow-up. Read full review
60
Screen RantRachel LaBonteApr 8, 2022
Though it lacks the same zippy energy as the first film, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is bolstered by fun new characters and a perfectly wacky Jim Carrey. Read full review
60
NMEClaire LimApr 1, 2022
Sonic 2 is certainly a fan-pleaser and comes pre-loaded with a post-credits scene that hints at more action (and more game throwbacks) to come. Who remembers that dodgy first design now? Read full review
60
The GuardianLeslie FelperinMar 28, 2022
It all sort of comes together in the end, but there’s no earthly reason that it should all have taken two hours. Maybe the spoiler is the unfeasible length of the running time. Read full review
60
Total FilmBradley RussellMar 28, 2022
Despite some missteps, SEGA’s videogame mascot proves his previous movie was no flash in the pan. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweMar 28, 2022
Overstuffed with frantic action and framed by Sonic’s wisecracking commentary, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will appeal to family audiences seeking holiday distractions even if it doesn’t break new ground elaborating the franchise’s sprawling universe of intersecting characters and plotlines. Read full review
58
ColliderRoss BonaimeApr 8, 2022
It’s truly impressive that Fowler has found a way to integrate the wild world and characters of the Sonic the Hedgehog games into the real world in a way that actually works, but it’s a shame that it comes at the expense of the story of friendship that made the first Sonic the Hedgehog film so charming. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Aparita BhandariApr 12, 2022
Unlike the first movie, where aspects of the video game were more seamlessly integrated into the plot, Sonic 2 relies more on generic themes such as friendship and loyalty, as well as what makes a hero. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comNell MinowApr 7, 2022
It is over-plotted, with three different storylines mixing comedy and adventure. Read full review
50
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiApr 7, 2022
The first “Sonic” worked unexpectedly well because it thrust the wisecracking alien into a small town filled with humans — a hog out of water — and gave Carrey the opportunity to once again do the physical comedy he’s best known for. Now the novelty has worn off, the charms of the original have evaporated and there’s nowhere for the series to go. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleTrace SauveurApr 6, 2022
It’s all proper nonsense that in some ways lends itself to a more inspired, manic experience than the initial outing but in others is still held back by generic kids’ movie fluff. Read full review
50
PolygonJesse HassengerApr 6, 2022
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has just enough laughs to make its shopworn lessons about the value of friendship and (brace yourself) teamwork feel like part of a harmlessly amusing kids’ movie, rather than an insidious way of training kids to expect and even demand franchise bloat. Read full review
50
Washington PostThomas FloydApr 5, 2022
There’s no denying that kids will delight in “Sonic 2’s” zany antics, explosive set pieces and commendable lessons. Older viewers should get a kick out of the punning dialogue and meta-humor, which wryly calls out homages to Batman, Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones. Read full review
50
The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenApr 5, 2022
So it goes, with Sonic, fleet of foot and quick of tongue, racing from one dire situation to another. It’s exhausting, but the makers knew exactly how to tailor it to its game-mad audience. Read full review
50
The PlaylistMarshall ShafferApr 5, 2022
A need for speed works for Sonic the character, not “Sonic The Hedgehog” the franchise itself. The film never feels like it’s thinking beyond the next laugh line. It’s so caught up in the adrenaline rush of the present moment that Sonic The Hedgehog 2 completely loses sight of the endgame. Read full review
50
VarietyPeter DebrugeMar 28, 2022
An hour and a half would’ve been a perfectly fine run-time, whereas at two hours and change, “Sonic 2” wears out its welcome well before it turns into yet another phone-it-in franchise entry. Read full review
50
Screen DailyTim GriersonMar 28, 2022
From a technical standpoint, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is fairly impressive in its merging of live-action and animation, a reminder of the technological advancements since the days of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Too bad it is in service to one more story of a scrappy young male hero on a search for powerful talismans in order to defeat increasingly more formidable villains. For a film about a character who is incredibly speedy, this sequel feels behind the curve, chasing after blockbuster trends but only falling farther behind. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubTodd GilchristApr 5, 2022
Working with what feels like a larger budget and fewer origin-story obligations, returning screenwriters Pat Casey, Josh Miller, along with franchise newcomer John Whittington, create a globe-trotting adventure that touches on fun ideas for viewers of all ages, even if the film is too long and jarring to stick the landing. Read full review
42
IndieWireSiddhant AdlakhaApr 4, 2022
It’s visual soup where nothing pops or stands out. Almost nothing anyone does or says feels rooted in recognizable character traits, and despite Marsden’s most sincere efforts, he finds himself once again unable to meet Sonic’s eye-line (a production kerfuffle that would be funny, were it not also another reminder of VFX crunch). Read full review
40
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriApr 8, 2022
It’s a lot more like the movie we were worried the first one was going to be: baggy, bloated, and only sporadically engaging. Read full review
40
The Irish TimesTara BradyApr 1, 2022
Both actors are ill-served by a script that carps on about finding your moment or some such. Can’t a hedgehog go on a quest to find a magic master emerald without this constant haranguing? Read full review
40
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyMar 31, 2022
At no point here – or during the last film – does it feel like anyone actually figured out how Sonic works as the centre of a live-action movie. Read full review
40
The TelegraphRobbie CollinMar 31, 2022
High-speed antics have never felt this slow. Read full review
40
Time OutOlly RichardsMar 30, 2022
There’s plenty of on-screen talent involved here, but they’re all far better than the material. Hopefully, the all-but-certain Sonic 3 will level-up the script. Read full review
40
EmpireJohn NugentMar 28, 2022
This is simply more fairly generic and forgettable family fodder. Read full review
38
Movie NationRoger MooreApr 9, 2022
As Sonic the Hedgehog 2 blows up the box office on its opening weekend, it’s worth reminding one and that while this may be cheesy, inane and only suitable for the ten-and-unders, you’re saving the cinema, the movie-going experience, and getting kids back in a habit that could easily disappear. Read full review
38
The Associated PressLindsey BahrApr 7, 2022
Though it starts off promisingly enough with Carrey’s character marooned on a “piece of shitake” mushroom planet, it soon becomes evident that this outing is a soulless attempt to up the stakes and cash in. Read full review
20
Little White LiesDavid JenkinsMar 28, 2022
There’s a joke where people say, “This film’s plot could’ve been written on the back of a napkin!” Yet for Sonic 2, a napkin seems like the equivalent of multi-volumed antiquarian tome, as there is so little of substance to this depressingly rote endeavour. Read full review
More From This Movie

47 Critic Reviews

7.9 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 84 Are You There God? It's Me,...
2 78 John Wick: Chapter 4
3 75 Polite Society
4 73 Air
5 72 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among...
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL