If you didn’t see the first live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie, you still have plenty of time to rectify that before the third movie starring Keanu Reeves as the blue blur’s rival Shadow Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premieres on December 20. The 2020 film is mostly fine and pales in comparison to the substantially better second film that leans into the video game dressings the series is leaning into as it introduces more characters. Now, it’s easier than ever to watch Paramount’s first swing at the live-action Sonic universe, as the movie is now available to stream on Netflix.
Sonic the Hedgehog is now on Netflix
Sonic the Hedgehog has joined the streaming service this month. The movie has been on other streaming services like Paramount+ and Prime Video, but you now have another option if you aren’t a subscriber to either of those. The first Sonic movie Isekais the speedy hedgehog into the real world where he meets Tom Wachowski, a cop in the small town of Green Hills, Montana. The two then go on a road trip across the country with Jim Carrey’s Doctor Robotnik nipping at their heels. Sonic the Hedgehog is essentially a buddy cop film with a by-the-books police officer and a superpowered Gen Z child who sustains himself with pop culture references that no one in the movie’s target audience will understand. But while its writing is often cheesy and derivative, Sonic’s also got a lot of heart, and Carrey’s performance as Robotnik is delightfully eccentric. It’s a fun movie and doesn’t feel too referential to the video games. If you’ve got a spare 99 minutes and want to get caught up before December, it’s now on the most popular streaming service.
But what about Sonic the Hedgehog 2?
As of right now, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 isn’t available on Netflix. However, you can find the sequel on Paramount+, Hulu, or Prime Video. Sonic 2 is easily the superior film, in large part to Idris Elba’s performance as Knuckles. While the first movie is pretty removed from most of the lore and characters of the broader Sonic universe, the second steps on the gas and starts bringing in new anthropomorphic characters like Tails and Knuckles, introducing big worldbuilding concepts like the magical Master Emerald and the militaristic organization G.U.N. The movie is a lot busier than the original, but it also feels more like a Sonic movie rather than a movie Sonic just happens to be in.
Should I watch the Knuckles show, too?
I would not wish the Knuckles spin-off series on anyone. The Paramount+ show leans into the movies’ worst tendencies of relying on pop culture references and focusing on human characters over its actual stars. Plus, I would be very surprised if anything that happens in it actually matters in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. But if you want to watch it, you can find it on Paramount+ and Prime Video. It takes place after the events of the second film and despite having a good jumping-off point of Knuckles acclimating to the human world after deciding to stay in the sequel, the echidna is barely even in it.
All of this leads to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which appears to loosely adapt the events of Sonic Adventure 2. Fans are pretty stoked about a lot of what was shown in the first trailer last week, as well as the implications some scenes may have for the future of the series.