Sonic the Hedgehog 3might be the most highly-anticipated video game movie in modern memory. The first two films escaped negative predictions by becoming perfectly solid and enjoyable action comedies. As the world prepares to properly meet Keanu Reeves' Shadow, one entry in the franchise hangs awkwardly off of the other two. This year’sKnucklesseems to have come and gone without much commentary, even as the third film attracts attention. It may seem like a failure, but the joy ofKnucklesis partially tied to the fact that the proud echidna warrior stands on his own.
Paramount has staked a weird amount of its streaming success on video game adaptations. They own theSonicmovies, which may be the only successful arm of this strategy. Like any other service, Paramount depends heavily on its exclusive content. They have theHaloshow and an animated adaptationofArk: Survival Evolved. Individual qualities aside, Paramount’s video game movies rarely reach the level of prestige ofFalloutorThe Last of Us. Every potentialSonicshow or movie is a chance for them to make this gimmick work.
Jon Whittington and Tobey Ascher
Idris Elba and Adam Pally
6
Streaming On
Paramount+
All six episodes ofKnucklesdropped onto Paramount+ this April. Itdidn’t make a huge splashwhen it hit the streaming service. This August, Paramount took a second crack at it by airing the series weekly on Nickelodeon. Neither really drove the conversation with so many other streaming options available to audiences. The show follows the eponymous echidna after he finds his new home with Sonic and Tails. Knuckles' bizarre lifestyle and warlike upbringing clashes with his new family, forcing him to seek a new outlet. He finds it in Adam Pally’s Wade Whipple, a comic relief side character from the first two films. Knuckles takes Wade under his wing, training him to be a warrior while evading the grasp of a pair of corrupt G.U.N. agents and their illicit contact. It’s a charming series with a lot of the ups and downs of the originalSonic the Hedgehogfilm. It’s ultimately harmless, with a lot of unique moments and fun callbacks. Fans will love getting a bit more of Idris Elba’s Knuckles, and kids will love alot of the surprisingly nuanced jokes. Perhaps most notably, the show is a sequel that follows its own path. Less dedicated fans are free to skip it if they’re just in it to see Shadow.
People are used to cinematic universes
For over a decade now, Hollywood has obsessivelyfollowed the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While almost every other example has flopped hard and suffered an embarrassing death, the MCU boasts a box-office take that studios would kill to taste. Warner Bros., Sony, Universal, and the rest of the major brands have one or two comparable franchises. Marvel mastered the idea of continuity in major motion picture franchises. There are tons of TV shows that spin off from movies, but they aren’t usually required viewing. Marvel changed all of that, and they’re still the biggest culprit. The easiest way to call out how bloated Marvel has become is to pick a modern entry and lay out how many TV shows fans would need to consume before they’re prepared to fully understand the material. There’s some fun to be had with that arrangement, but the sinister truth is that it traps fans into watching shows they aren’t interested in. It provides a built-in audience of devotees who can’t afford to miss the details.Sonic the Hedgehogcould have done the same, but they resisted the temptation.
Sonichandles the franchise right
With a bit of restraint, Paramount has maintained excitement foreach newSonicouting. They could easily continue this franchise for several more years, introducing one or two new characters at a time and gradually raising the stakes until Sonic and his army of friends fight for the fate of the world.Knucklesis a TV spinoff in the old-fashioned style. It offers more of a character that people love without any strings attached. There will be more Knuckles to come, but fans only have to watch it if they want to. Paramount doesn’t need to tie its works together. Thefans will lock inwithout any prompting, and newcomers are free to join in.
It’s a dark day when fans have to applaud a show for not using irritating writing tactics to ensure better day-one viewership numbers.Knucklesis not a perfect show, but it sells itself entirely on its own merits. WhenSonic the Hedgehog 3hits the screen, it will likely include a wink or nod toKnuckles, but it’s an entirely new story. Sonic moves too fast to tie himself back to a dozen previous plot threads. Just let the franchise keep building and see where the Blue Blur leads.
