Awesome / Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)

Per wiki policy, Spoilers Off applies here and all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.

Chaos is power... power enriched by the heart.

The sequel to the first film promised an even bigger spectacle than before. It certainly delivers.

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Trailers

• The first trailer alone gave us an amazing first impression!
  • Robotnik wasn't kidding when he said he'd be back.
    • Stone yelling "HE'S BAAAACK!" only adds to the awesomeness.
    • Just look at his new Badniks. Those are Buzz Bombers. It's great to see that more elements from the video games are being introduced to the Sonic Cinematic Universe.
  • Sonic is shown to have even more control over his powers than he had in the first movie.
    • Despite his inability to swim, Sonic's learned to run on water!
    • Sonic catching a missile and hurling it back.
    • When confronting Knuckles, Sonic summons his power on command.
    • He also displays some combat skills when attacking masked robbers in a stolen truck.
  • Knuckles makes an incredible first impression. Just the fact alone that he's able to catch Sonic's electrical Spin Dash – which destroyed highly-advanced government attack vehicles, by the way – with just one hand. This is the exact same move Sonic beat Robotnik with back in the original film, and Knuckles doesn't just shrug it off – he takes it head-on before overwhelming Sonic with his sheer brute strength. Based on the fact he seems to have some kind of red counterpart to Sonic's own energy, it's implied that Knuckles is powerful enough that trying to out-fight him in a battle of force is a losing option.
    • For bonus points, he's using his non-dominant hand. Just how powerful is he?
    • Not only that, he holds the spinballing Sonic in place before pushing him back while casually asking if he looks like he needs Sonic's power, not purely as a Badass Boast but also as him stating a fact. He then slams Sonic into the ground with an overhead smash. Idris Elba's delivery helps him practically steal the scene!
      Knuckles: Do I look like I need your power?
    • Bonus points for Knuckles' design, a fusion between his original self and his Boom design's beefier look that helps emphasize his sheer raw power without looking too weak for his massive strength or like he'd been over-working out at the gym.
    • Robotnik's added line makes it all the cooler!
      Robotnik: Where... are my manners? Sonic, meet... Knuckles.
  • Tails effortlessly dodging a barrage of Macross Missile Massacre with his biplane, while Sonic is riding on top of the plane.
  • The first trailer's epic orchestral/choral rendition of the Emerald Hill Zone theme, the perfect song to help celebrate Sonic and Tails' first live action outing together.
• The "Big Game Spot" reveals what Sonic and Tails were flying towards in the first trailer: the Death Egg Robot, which in this continuity is big enough to make the pair looks like ants in comparison.
  • We once again see Sonic and Knuckles fighting each other. This time, Sonic seems to have gotten stronger, as one of his attacks ends up canceling out Knuckles' attack. Remember, the first trailer showed that Sonic was unable to scratch Knuckles with a Spin Dash.
• One trailer has Robotnik cut a doorknob out of the door by lighting his finger on fire and tracing around the doorknob. Not surprising, considering the man managed to escape an uninhabited alien planet with extremely limited resources.
  • It gets even more impressive if you remember he wasn't wearing those gloves the last time we saw him on the Mushroom Planet, meaning he must have built them using only the scraps from the destroyed Eggpod.
    Dr. Robotnik: Hello, hedgehog.
• The final trailer gives us one more extensive Wham Shot: Robotnik is directly utilizing Chaos energy rather than just using it as fancy fuel for his machines. He even appears to boast some variation of Chaos Control!
  • Robotnik displays his power by using it to tear apart G.U.N.'s weapons and vehicles alongside a freight train to build the Death Egg Robot.
    Robotnik: Welcome... to the new norm!
  • Also from the final trailer:
    Knuckles: You're unskilled! Untrained! Unworthy!
    Sonic: You forgot one: unstoppable.
  • Sonic has begun to display signs of using combat abilities not unlike Knuckles.
• TONS of series references (mostly for Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2):
  • The first trailer starts off with a Call-Back to Sonic Adventure, with Sonic stretching his legs and having a quick chili dog before moonlighting as a vigilante.
    • A pipe bomb knocked away by Sonic accidentally makes its way into the sewers of Seattle, blowing all the manhole covers sky high with geysers, much like the intro to Sonic Adventure.
  • Sonic snowboards in one scene, like he does in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic Adventure.
  • The location of the Master Emerald is not unlike the Mystic Ruins from Sonic Adventure, or Labyrinth Zone from the original Sonic the Hedgehog.
• One TV spot shows Sonic and Tails taking out multiple robots by having Tails quickly swing Sonic around while flying.

Film

• With some impressive foresight, Robotnik built a series of traps ahead of time on the mushroom planet, and each of them are utilized against the three warriors that enter through the ring portal. He is a genius scientist, after all.
• If what Knuckles says is true, then Longclaw did not go down easy, as it's implied she killed the entire echidna tribe before she fell herself.
• The first time Tails shows Sonic he can fly is mere minutes after introducing himself, which he does by hitting Knuckles head-on with a police car and driving Sonic away. When Knuckles catches up, Tails steers them off the side of a cliff, pulls Sonic out through the car door, and flies him out of Knuckles' reach as the car falls. Even Robotnik is a little impressed.
  Robotnik: (impressed chuckle) Foxy move!
  • Sonic has a moment during the escape himself when he grabs the wheel to successfully prevent them from getting into a major car accident.
• On the villain's side, Stone manages some really impressive feats in his own right. When we first see him, he's a barista running a popular cafe in Green Hills, but that's just a cover. In truth, he was maintaining Robotnik's equipment, and secretly built a new HQ. All it takes is a single text from the not-so-good doctor for him to get right back into the swing of things. Never let it be said that Robotnik doesn't have a competent lackey!
  Robotnik: Now let's renovate this dump!
  Stone: Latte with steamed Austrian goat milk!
  (Stone's coffee shop transforms into a super-powered laboratory with the Robotnik insignia, much to Robotnik's delight)
  • Stone somehow escapes from the Death Egg Robot's destruction and successfully disguises himself as one of the G.U.N troopers!
• At the beginning of the dance battle in Siberia, Sonic and Tails are doing terribly. Then, the guy they are competing against challenges them to come get the map if they want it so badly, and Sonic notices an amp behind the crowd. He then realizes that rather than copying the dancer, he and Tails need to do what they are actually good at. They then proceed to turn the dance battle around by dancing to "Uptown Funk", with Tails ensuring their victory as he brings in some hologram tech to make their dance even more spectacular. Even the people they initially insulted (by accident, mind you) are genuinely impressed.
• After GUN captures Sonic, Tails, and Tom, Maddie and Rachel team up both to free them and so Rachel can get even with Randall.
  • Also a CMOA for Tails, as all the equipment they use were Tails' inventions, and he made them easy enough to use that Maddie and Rachel need zero knowledge to work them properly. That's right, Tails got a crowning moment of awesome while unconscious!
    Tom: How did you get past the guards?
    Maddie: That little fox is into some crazy stuff.
  • Rachel's Big Entrance when confronting Randall and the GUN commander: hijack the wedding golf cart and attempt to run both over, while "Barracuda" plays in the background too. Once she misses, she keeps going and casually steps out of the cart as it slams into the DJ booth. As it explodes, she walks away from it towards the two GUN members, drinking a champagne bottle as she does so and never glancing back. All Randall can utter is an smitten "What... a... woman..."
    Rachel: RANDALL! WIFEY'S HOME! (Evil Laugh)
  • Following that is her brief staredown with the Commander after Randall takes a taser for her, both having weapons aimed before Rachel manages to scare the former into surrendering by demonstrating Tails' weapon is much more dangerous than his on a nearby cake.
    Walters: Haven't you caused enough trouble for one day?!
    Rachel: Oh, I haven't even begun causing trouble. Hell hath no fury like a bride scorned!
• Sonic running on water, although already seen in the trailer, is an even better moment in the movie. From the earlier fishing-boat scene, we're already aware that Sonic can't swim, but since he's the only one who can get to the island in time he has to try it anyway. So he hunkers down into a sprinter pose, blue energy crackling over him, and psychs himself up:
  Sonic: Gotta go fast.
  • The full scene reveals that he's not merely sprinting across a calm surface. As Sonic gets further out into the ocean and closer to the temple, he has to navigate enormous waves, some of which send him hurtling into the air. He manages to keep himself bouncing on the surface, avoiding a wipeout until he hits a wave close enough to wash him to shore.
• Robotnik is able to dodge the traps in the temple simply by measuring the timing between each one going off... at least, at first. Apparently whoever designed the temple anticipated someone might try this, because the traps eventually start varying their timing. At that point, Robotnik decides "screw it" and sends out a drone to scan for traps and give him exact directions on how to avoid them, GPS-style.
  Robotnik: Work smarter, not harder.
• Just about the entirety of Sonic and Knuckles' rematch in the Master Emerald temple, as the two are totally evenly matched. Just as it seems Knuckles has knocked out Sonic, the Blue Blur immediately retaliates by going full Bullet Time speed and repeatedly Spin Dashing Knuckles into the ground. After that, Knuckles quickly gets back up and starts going full Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs, and despite Sonic dodging his punches successfully, the echidna still manages to floor him with a good hit before the fight ends as Sonic realizes that Robotnik is about to steal the Master Emerald.
  Knuckles: Why must you constantly interfere with my destiny?
  Sonic: Because my destiny is to protect my friends and family.
  Robotnik: I think I just threw up in my mouth.
  Sonic: And if you want that Emerald, you're gonna have to go. Through. Me. (eyes crackle with energy)
  • Knuckles gets a very quick moment where he (very briefly) manages to out-speed Sonic, catching up to him at the altar despite the fact that Sonic was initially closer to it.
• After Robotnik gains the power of the Master Emerald for himself, he glows an eerie green colour and his voice takes on an otherworldly echo. Freaky, but a cool testament to his newfound power.
  Robotnik: Chaos! Is! POWER!
• Shortly after that, there's Sonic braving his fear of water, as well as his inability to swim, as he dives back into the flooded temple to save an abandoned Knuckles from drowning, as well as Knuckles going back to save him as well in return.
• To give G.U.N. credit, upon realizing Robotnik's treachery and return, they immediately freeze all of his assets and have his base surrounded with a few days. Robotnik was only able to build all of his robots thanks to connections and funding from the military, so with all those taken away, Robotnik would not have stood a chance had he not obtained the power of the Master Emerald.
  Walters: You're finished, Robotnik! We've taken everything; your lab, your drones, your funding! Let's see how big of a man you are without your silly little robots!
  • And Robotnik delivers right back by seizing all of the assets G.U.N. brought to the town to build his Humongous Mecha. Humvees and helicopters, Abrams tanks and trains are ripped apart by his powers, all consumed and used to construct Robotnik's robot.
• Robotnik activates his Humongous Mecha by using his leg as a guitar and playing an Epic Riff... namely, the famous opening riff to "Walk" by Pantera. Cue head-banging.
• Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles working together to defeat Robotnik is one of the moments Sonic fans have been waiting to see on the big screen. It brings back nostalgic feels from Sonic Heroes, with all three doing their fair share to defeat their archenemy, and Tails even brings along a blaster and assists the two with team attacks. Them facing Robotnik before the fight can be seen here◊.
  Knuckles: So we make our stand here... on the field of battle!
  Tails: As a team!
  Sonic: This is it. (All three get into battle position to face Eggman) This is our moment!
  • Now with ''Sonic Heroes''.
  • Team Sonic using specific methods of taking down the Death Egg Robot in their own ways with Tails in his Tornado biplane swerving around and shooting it, Sonic rides on of the Mecha's missiles and launches against it (which also knocks Agent Stone unconscious in the process) but the most greatest moment of their team up is Knuckles who charges at the robot head-on Leeroy Jenkins-style. Super Robotnik notices him and tries to crush him with the robot's fingers but then Knuckles leaps into the air, charges his energy, and punches the Death Egg Robot's hand so hard that he manages to actually stagger it!
    Super Robotnik: Oooh! (flexing his wrist) I felt that!
  • Tails distracting Robotnik by using his Miles multiplier so that Knuckles can get an opening to punch the Master Emerald out of Robotnik!
    Robotnik: You can't outsmart me! I'm the outsmarterer!
    Tails: I didn't outsmart you. I'm just a distraction.
    Knuckles: Robotnik! I am also a hologram!
    Robotnik: Dis-loyal.
    Knuckles: Dis is how I roll.
    • To reiterate, Knuckles literally punched the “super” out of Super Robotnik.
• After having spent the majority of his time in the movies without making any direct opposition to the heroes, Agent Stone has one notable role in the fight. Namely, downing Tails' plane by activating the Stache Smasher to crush its wings; a feature in the robot that even Robotnik didn't know about.
• This is one for Tails: something to note is that his plane in this scene is NOT the Tornado, it was there for Rachael's wedding. And yet Tails figured out how to fly it and managed to install weapons into it before flying off to fight Robotnik.
• The fact that Robotnik was Crazy-Prepared enough to add a secondary control system and backup power for the Death Egg Robot in spite of having the all-powerful Master Emerald empowering him as he created it. He even resumes his march of death on Sonic without a hitch, as if losing the Master Emerald was just a minor inconvenience to him.
• It's the Darkest Hour for the heroes. Sonic's already badly battered and bruised, and Robotnik is hot on his tail along with Tom and Maddie, the mad doctor ready to finish them off as the Master Emerald ends up shattering into pieces... with the Chaos Emeralds that were used to make it falling out of the shards. As Sonic, along with Tom and Maddie, declare their familial love for each other when all seems lost, the Chaos Emeralds react and fly into Sonic, letting fans know exactly what's about to happen, right before the Humongous Mecha attempts to stomp out our heroes. After a brief moment of horror from Tails and Knuckles and apparent victory for Robotnik... the ground and Eggman's robot begin to shake, as a shining yellow glow emerges from under the giant robot's foot. It's Super Sonic, making his grand cinematic debut as he pushes the Death Egg Robot away from Tom and Maddie before the hedgehog flies off to confront Robotnik one last time. The Golden Blur then swiftly decapitates the robot to make sure Robotnik can personally see what fresh hell the doctor unleashed the moment he threatened his family.
  Super Sonic: It's over, Eggman.
  • On that note, the sheer power Super Sonic displays. He effortlessly tanks not one, but two rocket-powered haymakers from the mech without moving an inch, obliterating both of its arms with a single counter strike for each one, and proceeds to annihilate it by flying through it repeatedly at full speed before finishing it off with a slight tap of his foot; similar to his introductory cutscene in Sonic '06. There's also a lack of quips, sarcasm, or any words in general from the usually-talkative Sonic to Robotnik in the entire sequence — apart from the quote above — as he tears the Death Egg Robot apart; all he does is angrily or unamusedly glare at him, underlining the fact that he's absolutely done with him; and Robotnik throwing the aforementioned mech punches as he mock-surrendered only sealed it. Sonic had already gotten furious to the point of violence toward Robotnik when the latter had threatened to dispose of him and everyone associated with him earlier in the movie, but now that Robotnik had very nearly accomplished that, in addition to all the other times he'd tried? Even for someone as good-natured as Sonic, enough is enough. No banishing Robotnik to somewhere else this time; Super Sonic's not allowing him the smallest possibility of coming back to harm him, his loved ones, or anyone else ever again, as shown by the golden hedgehog standing back as his nemesis falls off the top of his tilting, destroyed mech. And considering Robotnik's history of callous, selfish actions? He'd earned it.
  • How does Robotnik take his (apparent) Disney Villain Death? No fearful screaming or useless pinwheeling, no begging to or cursing the damn hedgehog who basically just killed him. Nope. He just smirks, holds his arms out, and casually gives his foe a mocking farewell. Respect.
    Robotnik: Oh, it's like that? Okay, we're not friends! (falls over with his Death Egg Robot) LATER, HATEEEER...!
• After Robotnik's defeat, judging from Knuckles' warning to Tom and Maddie, it seems that the power of the Emeralds comes with some sort of corrupting change, with it seeming that Super Sonic intends to use his new power for evil... only for it to completely turn out the other way, with Sonic having full, casual control over its power without letting it control him, simply summoning a few deluxe chili dogs (and dropping one on Knuckles' face) before relinquishing the Chaos Emerald's power. It takes a great hero with a humble heart to give up great power like that.
  • On the side note, Knuckles directly gets in Tom and Maddie's way before they could go to Super Sonic and he's seemingly raising his both of his arms in a fighting stance while guarding the two of them. From the look of things, it almost looked like as if Knuckles, at that point, was actually going to put his life on the line to confront Super Sonic himself to protect two people he only just met, which doubles as heartwarming.
  • On an extra level, UK Sonic fans (and those who have read the UK's Sonic comic book) will be very aware that in at least one continuity, Super Sonic is a corrupting change!
  • The awesomeness is compounded when you realize that, assuming the Owls never used the Master Emerald, Sonic is the only known being in the universe who used the power of the Emeralds and didn't get corrupted.
• This movie's post-credits scene manages to top the now-iconic Stinger to the first movie. As the government attempts to delete the last remaining records from Dr. Robotnik, Commander Walters is then informed by his agent that as they were removing Robotnik from their databases, they found a file dating back to over 50 years ago. This file contains coordinates to a well-hidden black site. As the dialogue between Commander Walters and the G.U.N. agent continues, we see one final cutscene: a pod rising from the ground containing... an all too familiar black and red hedgehog. Sonic is not the only hedgehog roaming this earth. Ladies and gentlemen, the Ultimate Life Form, SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG IS HERE.
  Walters: My God... Project Shadow.
  (cue Shadow's eyes opening)

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