The Sonic franchise continues to expand with the release of Knuckles, the new television series spin-off created by John Whittington and Toby Ascher, which follows the fearless warrior voiced by Idris Elba. Just like the theatrical movies, the new television story is enjoyable for parents to watch alongside their kids, with the show constantly trying to deliver something capable of entertaining both children and adults simultaneously.
We follow Knuckles after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where it was revealed that Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey) had tricked Knuckles into thinking that Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) were his enemies. Thankfully, Knuckles joined forces with the heroes in time, which caused the defeat of the eccentric villain. But now that his quest is over, Knuckles doesn’t know what to do next, which leads him to join Wade Whipple (Adam Pally) on an unpredictable journey. It’s time for the Echidna warrior to prove there’s more to him than punching bad guys in the face.
The chemistry between Knuckles and Wade keeps the series story alive, with the pair constantly fighting over their very different attitudes. At the same time, they attempt to escape from the people who want to capture the titular character. As Wade Whipple, Adam Pally isn’t worried about how his character might be perceived, with the actor clearly having fun with the role. Wade is a man who is content living his little life, bowling against Girl Scouts and eating chicken wings when he feels like celebrating an achievement. But the fact that Knuckles is always ready to pick up a fight makes his friendship with the human amusing.
What makes Knuckles work as something the entire family might enjoy is how the series quickly establishes the tone of the adventure to come. As a seamless transition from the Sonic the Hedgehog theatrical releases, the show doesn’t rush to find the next big villain from this universe. Instead, it’s refreshing to see the story merely focusing on how Knuckles adapts to a quiet life. The protagonist, voiced by Idris Elba, gets to shine in an adventure that allows him to learn a valuable lesson.
When a theatrical franchise tries to move towards television with a smaller adventure, it mostly doesn’t translate well, with a decrease in quality noticeable since the first episode. But that isn’t the case for Knuckles, who takes pride in knowing that the most explosive adventures will happen once the character returns to theaters in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The intimate journey Knuckles goes through in this series is entertaining while allowing the hero to keep the aspects of his personality that made him funny in the first place. The Echidna warrior learns how to take a break, while Idris Elba delivers a much more engaging performance than the one heard in the theatrical sequel.
The villains of this story are fun additions to the franchise. Agent Willoughby (Ellie Taylor) and Agent Mason (Kid Cudi) are a great dynamic duo that complements the comedic performances of both Elba and Pally. The antagonists aren’t taken more seriously than they are supposed to be, and the story is actually amusing because none of the human characters are ready to take on the challenge of following Knuckles around. Both heroes and antagonists figure out their plan as they go, with Knuckles lending itself to funny physical action bits.
With charismatic performances from a cast that clearly has fun on set and an actual character arc for its kid-friendly protagonist, Knuckles was a fantastic way of expanding the Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic universe. Idris Elba shines in the spotlight of this spinoff, with his presence as Knuckles becoming even more entertaining than before. Knuckles is an adventure that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, with scripts that never underestimate the younger members of the audience’s ability to follow what happens on the screen.
Rating: 7/10