4k Movie, Streaming, Blu-Ray Disc, and Home Theater Product Reviews & News | High Def Digest
Film & TV All News Blu-Ray Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders 4K Ultra HD Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders Gear Reviews News Home Theater 101 Best Gear Film & TV
Ultra HD : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
Sale Price: $18.79 Last Price: $ Buy now! 3rd Party 45.99 In Stock
Release Date: August 9th, 2022 Movie Release Year: 2022

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Overview -

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 goes big in action and stays grounded in its emotional department to further along this amazing new franchise full of iconic characters and lovable furry animals from outer space. Jim Carrey is outstanding yet again in his role as the diabolical Dr. Robotnik. The Dolby Atmos audio mix is wonderful and the 4K image with Dolby Vision is fantastic. There are some extras worth an extra hour of devoted time too. Highly Recommended!

 

The world’s favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray + Digital
Video Resolution/Codec:
Dolby Vision HDR / HDR10
Length:
122
Aspect Ratio(s):
2.39:1
Audio Formats:
English: Dolby Atmos
Subtitles/Captions:
English SDH, French, Spanish
Release Date:
August 9th, 2022

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

It's no surprise that Hollywood ordered a sequel to the Sonic The Hedgehog movie in 2020 since it made more than $300 million at the box office, received rave reviews, and set up a franchise that is unarguably the best video-game movie adaptation yet. Bringing back the same filmmakers and actors aboard this second installment titled Sonic The Hedgehog Into Darkness, (just kidding), was the correct decision in keeping with the franchise's lovable animated characters, high-octane action sequences, and Jim Carrey's amazing performance as the villainous Dr. Robotnik once again. 2Sonic the 2Hedgehog is a fun thrill ride for the whole family as it brings new, beloved characters to the franchise.

The first film was busy setting up where Sonic (voice by the amazing Ben Schwartz) came from and his transition to living on Earth with his human friends and new family Tom and Maddie (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter). There were adventures and life lessons that Sonic learned the hard way about family in that film. With Sonic 2: Judgement Day, the underlying tone and theme are not so different than an origin superhero story from the MCU. It's one of patience and acceptance, which is told wonderfully throughout this sequel as Sonic meets some new friends and tries to survive on his own from the destruction and madness of Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey).

Director Jeff Fowler is behind the camera again this time and it's clear he's in love with this Sonic universe. The way he frames the action and allows Sonic to express a multitude of emotions is outstanding and goes parallel with young kids going through adolescence and learning to grow up. In Sonic 2: Electric Boogaloo, Sonic moonlights as a superhero vigilante of sorts, trying to stop and prevent petty crimes. This proves faulty as his inspired and genuine willingness to stop criminal activity is usually thwarted by a misadventure or mishap. This throws Sonic into a time out with his new family as Sonic needs to learn to slow down and take a breath, allow for these feelings and actions to come naturally, rather than jump in and look for something to do.

Meanwhile, Tom and Maddie are headed to tropical Hawaii for a wedding, leaving Sonic alone at home for a few days. This sets up Dr. Robotnik to escape his banishment, and pursue Sonic again on Earth as he seeks out a gemstone that will allow his evil, maniacal mind to take over the planet. It's up to Sonic to save the day, but of course, being Sonic 2: The Squeakel, he will have help in the form of some iconic Hedgehog characters, voiced by Idris Elba and Colleen O'Shaughnessey. With this plot set in motion, it leaves plenty of time for Sonic and his pals to jump into action-packed hijinks and even a funny dance-off. Nobody knew the world needed a dance-off with Sonic, did they?

For all of its action, thrills, and visual effects, the soul of the film is grounded in Sonic learning to control his fast-paced urges to jump into hero mode but to sometimes just sit back and relax and be a part of his new family who loves him. It's all part of growing up and the film does a great job of conveying this message. Schwartz, Elba, and O'Shaughnessey do a great job with their voice work, making each character stand out with energy and charisma. Jim Carrey has dialed it up a notch even more from the last film in honing in on one of the most fascinating and fun villains in recent memory. Carrey has not lost a comedic beat and it shines here with his physical comedy and dialogue delivery. Sonic The Hedgehog 2: Cruise Control is a super-fun time, action-packed, funny, full of great performances, and manages a sweet message in there as well.

 

Vital Disc Stats: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 runs its way to 4K + Digital Copy via Paramount. The sole disc is housed inside a hard, black plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. There is no Blu-ray Disc available here.  The artwork consists of that stereotypical superhero pose of all characters looking out into the open. At least it's a colorful-looking image. There is an insert for a digital code.

 

Video Review

Ranking:

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 comes with a fantastic looking 2160p 4K UHD transfer with Dolby Vision.

The color palette in this sequel is exquisite and covers a wide gamut of colors that are dynamic and bold. Sonic's blue fur is rich and has different shades of blue depending on where the fur is and the lighting condition. The red lights of the drones are a deep bright red that always contrasts nicely with the natural tones of Earth, being green, brown, and light blue. Orange and reddish fur on other hedgehogs look amazing and the green shades of color with Robotnik look excellent. The Dolby Vision enhances the darker sequences that allow for those primary colors to stand out more as well, including the fur and colors in costumes. The darker green shades in Robotnik's costume also shine more here as well. Black levels are deep and inky and show zero murky shadows or bleeding. Skin tones are very natural as well.

The detail is extremely sharp and vivid throughout this great-looking video presentation. Individual hairs in Sonic's fur can be easily seen flowing in the wind or moving in the direction in which he is moving. The textures in his pointed nose and beak look incredible as well. Other practical makeup effects on Dr. Robitnik's face and the other actor's body look wonderful with facial pores, wrinkles, freckles, and other details popping up. Bigger action sequences always showcase debris, droplets of ocean water, and textures in metal and wardrobe products very well. The CGI effects are never pixelated or soft either, even when smoke or mist is present. Lastly, there are no instances of banding, aliasing, or video noise to speak of.

 

Audio Review

Ranking:

This release comes with a demo-worthy Dolby Atmos track that just knocks it out of the audio park. Sound effects are well-balanced, loud, and perfectly nuanced with amazing directionality. The noises of Sonic moving quickly from place to place transition smoothly from speaker to speaker. The golden ring chiming sounds excellent and the drones that fly around are all fantastic. Bigger action noises come with a hefty supply of bass that has a great rumble to it, whether it be technological explosions, chase sequences, engines roaring, or ocean waves breaking. That bass rumble is excellent.

The height speakers bring on objects flying overhead, weather, and other pieces of debris falling down from above. The quieter scenes allow for the necessary spacious audio activity of large rooms and the reverb that comes with it. Song and music cues always add to the energetic pace of the film and bring in the bass once again. The dialogue is always clean, clear, and easy to follow along with zero audio problems to speak of.

Special Features

Ranking:

In addition to a fun audio commentary, there's about an hour of bonus features for fans of the film. Behind-the-scenes, cast and crew interviews, deleted scenes, and bloopers are included here, making for a nice little collection of extras.

  • Audio Commentary - Director Jeff Fowler and actor Ben Schwartz come back once again and have a fun and informative discussion on making the film, their love of the video game and characters, and some on-set stories.
  • Animated Short (UHD, 6 Mins.) - The short is titled Sonic Drone Home and is a fun little short that follows the hedgehogs in a junkyard and has a 2001: A Space Odyssey vibe.
  • Deleted Scenes (UHD, 18 Mins.) - There are 7 deleted sequences that were left on the cutting room floor, none of which added anything to the overall story arc or conflict. It's a mix of finished animation and a work-in-progress cut.
  • Bloopers (UHD, 4 Mins.) - A fun montage of missed cues, flubbed lines, laughter, dancing, and Jim Carrey making everyone crack up on set.
  • Music Video (UHD, 3 Mins.)  - Kid Cudi sings his song Stars in the Sky from the movie.
  • Finding Your Team (UHD, 7 Mins.) - The cast and crew talk about coming back for the sequel, working with each other, and understanding Sonic as a character.
  • The Powerful Puncher: Knuckles (UHD, 6 Mins.) - The new character of Knuckles is discussed with Idris Elba and co. talking about the new addition.
  • Rapid Fire Responses with Ben Schwartz (UHD, 4 Mins.) - An extra where Ben chooses words related to Sonic and the movie that he enjoys.
  • Robotnik Reimagined (UHD, 6 Mins.) - Jim Carrey and co. explore the villainous character and how Jim Carrey brings him to life in a variety of ways.
  • A Sibling For Sonic: Tails (UHD, 5 Mins.) - The character of Tails is examined by the cast and crew here.

 

Final Thoughts

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a worthy and fun sequel to its original. The film has loads of laughs, great action beats, new characters, another fantastic performance from Jim Carrey, and a great message. The 4K image with Dolby Vision is excellent and the Dolby Atmos track is demo-worthy. The hour's worth of bonus features is all worth the time as well. Highly Recommended!