The internet has become obsessed with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ever since the first trailer for the sequel arrived online, with fans combing through the footage, picking up on all sorts of Easter Eggs and references to some deep cuts of the video game lore.
Then there’s the sexy Knuckles scenario, which has seen director Jeff Fowler voice his surprise at how many people have found themselves worryingly attracted to an anthropomorphized echidna, even one that boasts the syrupy smooth tones of the endlessly charismatic Idris Elba.
One of the highlights of the first movie was Jim Carrey’s Robotnik, a manic turn that saw the actor channeling his 1990s heyday to deliver a performance that came close to blowing everyone and everything else clean off the screen. The villain is back in much more game-accurate form in the second installment, with Fowler teasing to Collider that the scenery-chewing star is dialing things way past the point of absurdity.
“As incredible as Jim was in the first movie, I feel like this version of Robotnik has allowed him to just go even further and tap into all the stuff that everyone loves about Jim Carrey. He just loves playing this character, has so much fun doing it, brings so many ideas every day to the set. It’s just completely his creation, and I think audiences are just going to have such an amazing time with it. How can you not? The mustache is amazing. He has literally transformed himself into the Eggman that the fans know from the games, and it’s awesome.”
Even those that weren’t exactly champing at the bit for a Sonic the Hedgehog movie were left impressed with Carrey’s tour-de-force of hamminess, and his involvement in an even more outlandish role second time around is one of the key selling points of a fast-paced adventure that looks well-placed to put a sizeable dent in the box office when it comes to theaters in April 2022.