Sonic the Hedgehog might have been the last movie people saw in theaters before the pandemic started in 2020. That’s a wild thing to imagine. It was a fun video game movie though, so at least fans of theaters potentially left their love on a relatively high note. Now, almost two years to the day later, a sequel has emerged.
There are some aspects of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that clearly blow the first movie out of the water. Outdoing a predecessor is seemingly the goal for any production whether it be a movie or a video game. Of the two Sonic the Hedgehog movies, which is better? This comparison won't contain any major spoilers, so there's no need for readers who haven't seen the second movie yet to worry.
8 A More Concise Plot: Sonic The Hedgehog
The plot of the first movie is relatively simple. Sonic has to escape an invading army of echidna and loses his best friend/mother figure in the process. Once on Earth, he hides away until meeting up with Tom.
Sonic accidentally loses his rings and then the two of them go on a road trip to get the rings back. Chaos ensues via Dr. Robotnik. The second movie tries to do too much at times, involving weddings, a special forces alien team, hunting for lost treasure, and so on.
7 More Action: Sonic The Hedgehog 2
The plot of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 may be less sensitive, but it has a lot more action set pieces in it. The motto of this movie was seemingly "go big or go home" and it lives up to it for the most part. Sonic fights Knuckles multiple times, there is an epic snowboarding scene, and they fight a giant robot.
Those are just some of the highlights of the second movie. There is only a handful in the first movie, and, in all honesty, they are nothing to write home about. The car chase scene involving the robots on the highway is pretty cool though.
6 Heart: Sonic The Hedgehog
The first movie has a lot of heart in it. There is the opening scene with baby Sonic and Longclaw. Who didn’t gush over that? Moreover, the blooming relationship between Tom and Sonic was full of heart.
That’s what is missing in the second movie. Tom and Sonic are off doing their own thing. A movie like this kind of needs a surrogate like Tom to ground everything. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 certainly has some sweet moments, like when Tails finds himself, but the first movie still wins in the emotional department.
5 Humor: Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Both movies fall into the same territory in terms of humor. They are aimed at kids with a lot of lowbrow jokes including plenty of farting. Sonic’s constant references may or may not be vexing as they can come across as very cheesy. Then there are jokes for the adults in the audience which might fly over the heads of most kids.
Knuckles is a great example of this with his awkward nature. It might not exactly gel with young minds. He is the true highlight of the second movie since he is a giant brute in a society that has no place for him. Knuckles has the best quotes.
4 Controversy And Marketing: Sonic The Hedgehog
This might be a weird point to bring up, but it is important not to forget the past. It is a miracle that the first Sonic movie was as good as it was. Let’s not forget about the disaster that was the original CG model. Memes upon memes were created over that thing.
The fan outcry was so loud that the movie was delayed and the model was fixed for the better. This whirlwind of a marketing campaign may have been the best thing that happened to the movie, as it created more interest. Granted, Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s box office numbers are bigger, but that too can arguably be attributed to the success of the original.
3 References To The Games: Sonic The Hedgehog 2
The first movie set things up nicely with Sonic being in another world. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ups the ante by including a lot more things that fans of the long-running gaming series will appreciate.
The inclusion of Knuckles and Tails is one thing. Then there is the Master Emerald, plenty of Easter eggs like Stone’s Mean Bean coffee house, and the mid-credits stinger scene. If that doesn’t get fans excited for a third movie then it’s hard to tell what will.
2 Runtime: Sonic The Hedgehog
There is no reason Sonic the Hedgehog 2 needed to be 122 minutes long. Again, this is a movie aimed at kids. Brevity is not something that should be ignored. More does not always mean better.
Without the credits, the movie does just about clock in below the two-hour mark, but it's still far longer than it needs to be. The first movie’s technical runtime is 99 minutes, making it a blissful hour and a half for the real production. The plot is simple, it knows that, and doesn’t waste any time.
1 Verdict: Sonic The Hedgehog
As far as movies go, Sonic the Hedgehog is the better production. The runtime and easily accessible plot make it a joy for all. The second movie has better jokes, but it does start to feel a little long in the tooth towards the end. That said, it is probably the better Sonic movie for fans due to all of the new characters and Easter eggs.
When all's said and done, there’s really no right or wrong answer to this argument. It comes down to taste and fandom. One thing that most should be able to agree on though is that these two movies are some of the best video game adaptations to date. Granted, the bar isn’t set that high.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is in theaters now.