Paramount has finally dropped the final trailer for the Sonic sequel, showing the return of Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey), a downhill race through the alps, and the newest anthropomorphic villain, Knuckles (Idris Elba). James Marsden and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) make an appearance as well.
Filled with the same goofy kid-friendly antics of the first film, Sonic has moved past his origin story and is ready to take on Robotnik, his robots, and whatever evil punches Knuckles is going to throw his way. The trailer shows Sonic struggling to be a hero, constantly getting in over his head while delivering one-liners that feel primed for the adults who will surely be dragged to this film by their children.
Much has been made of Idris Elba’s commitment to Knuckles, and the trailer shows a mean, no-nonsense character that feels totally opposite Sonic’s fun-loving, happy-go-lucky personality. Tails as well looks to be a perfect sidekick, the kind of yes-man who will make the film hilarious and, at times, emotionally endearing when she ultimately sacrifices herself for the hero.
There’s not a lot that Sonic 2 can do to make this film less campy, and it appears that this time they’re going all in. Now that they finally have the character designs set up in a way that won’t cause instant backlash, it seems inevitable that these films will keep going until James Marsden decides he deserves to be nominated for an Oscar.
In addition to Robotnik and Knuckles, Sonic and his two-tailed fox-friend, Tails, team up as they attempt to find the emerald of power, which, of course, everyone else is after too. It looks like a cute, charming film, one with a laugh-a-minute formula and CGI just off from looking like a video game (although the race down the mountain is admittedly very SSX — but what do I know?).
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 releases March 31.