• Home
  • popular
  • Events
  • Submit New Event
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • News
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Home + Design
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • Innovation
  • Sports
  • Charity Guide
  • children
  • education
  • health
  • veterans
  • SOCIAL SERVICES
  • ARTS + CULTURE
  • animals
  • lgbtq
  • New Charity
  • Series
  • Delivery Limited
  • DTX Giveaway 2012
  • DTX Ski Magic
  • dtx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Your Home in the Sky
  • DTX Best of 2013
  • DTX Trailblazers
  • Tastemakers Dallas 2017
  • Healthy Perspectives
  • Neighborhood Eats 2015
  • The Art of Making Whiskey
  • DTX International Film Festival
  • DTX Tatum Brown
  • Tastemaker Awards 2016 Dallas
  • DTX McCurley 2014
  • DTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • DTX Beyond presents Party Perfect
  • DTX Texas Health Resources
  • DART 2018
  • Alexan Central
  • State Fair 2018
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Zatar
  • CityLine
  • Vision Veritas
  • Okay to Say
  • Hearts on the Trinity
  • DFW Auto Show 2015
  • Northpark 50
  • Anteks Curated
  • Red Bull Cliff Diving
  • Maggie Louise Confections Dallas
  • Gaia
  • Red Bull Global Rally Cross
  • NorthPark Holiday 2015
  • Ethan's View Dallas
  • DTX City Centre 2013
  • Galleria Dallas
  • Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty Luxury Homes in Dallas Texas
  • DTX Island Time
  • Simpson Property Group SkyHouse
  • DIFFA
  • Lotus Shop
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Dallas
  • Clothes Circuit
  • DTX Tastemakers 2014
  • Elite Dental
  • Elan City Lights
  • Dallas Charity Guide
  • DTX Music Scene 2013
  • One Arts Party at the Plaza
  • J.R. Ewing
  • AMLI Design District Vibrant Living
  • Crest at Oak Park
  • Braun Enterprises Dallas
  • NorthPark
  • Victory Park
  • DTX Common Desk
  • DTX Osborne Advisors
  • DTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • DFW Showcase Tour of Homes
  • DTX Neighborhood Eats
  • DTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • DTX Auto Awards
  • Cottonwood Art Festival 2017
  • Nasher Store
  • Guardian of The Glenlivet
  • Zyn22
  • Dallas Rx
  • Yellow Rose Gala
  • Opendoor
  • DTX Sun and Ski
  • Crow Collection
  • DTX Tastes of the Season
  • Skye of Turtle Creek Dallas
  • Cottonwood Art Festival
  • DTX Charity Challenge
  • DTX Culture Motive
  • DTX Good Eats 2012
  • DTX_15Winks
  • St. Bernard Sports
  • Jose
  • DTX SMU 2014
  • DTX Up to Speed
  • st bernard
  • Ardan West Village
  • DTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Taste the Difference
  • Parktoberfest 2016
  • Bob's Steak and Chop House
  • DTX Smart Luxury
  • DTX Earth Day
  • DTX_Gaylord_Promoted_Series
  • IIDA Lavish
  • Huffhines Art Trails 2017
  • Red Bull Flying Bach Dallas
  • Y+A Real Estate
  • Beauty Basics
  • DTX Pet of the Week
  • Long Cove
  • Charity Challenge 2014
  • Legacy West
  • Wildflower
  • Stillwater Capital
  • Tulum
  • DTX Texas Traveler
  • Dallas DART
  • Soldiers' Angels
  • Alexan Riveredge
  • Ebby Halliday Realtors
  • Zephyr Gin
  • Sixty Five Hundred Scene
  • Christy Berry
  • Entertainment Destination
  • Dallas Art Fair 2015
  • St. Bernard Sports Duck Head
  • Jameson DTX
  • Alara Uptown Dallas
  • Cottonwood Art Festival fall 2017
  • DTX Tastemakers 2015
  • Cottonwood Arts Festival
  • The Taylor
  • Decks in the Park
  • Alexan Henderson
  • Gallery at Turtle Creek
  • Omni Hotel DTX
  • Red on the Runway
  • Whole Foods Dallas 2018
  • Artizone Essential Eats
  • Galleria Dallas Runway Revue
  • State Fair 2016 Promoted
  • Trigger's Toys Ultimate Cocktail Experience
  • Dean's Texas Cuisine
  • Real Weddings Dallas
  • Real Housewives of Dallas
  • Jan Barboglio
  • Wildflower Arts and Music Festival
  • Hearts for Hounds
  • Okay to Say Dallas
  • Indochino Dallas
  • Old Forester Dallas
  • Dallas Apartment Locators
  • Dallas Summer Musicals
  • PSW Real Estate Dallas
  • Paintzen
  • DTX Dave Perry-Miller
  • DTX Reliant
  • Get in the Spirit
  • Bachendorf's
  • Holiday Wonder
  • Village on the Parkway
  • City Lifestyle
  • opportunity knox villa-o restaurant
  • Nasher Summer Sale
  • Simpson Property Group
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2017 Dallas
  • Carlisle & Vine
  • DTX New Beginnings
  • Get in the Game
  • Red Bull Air Race
  • Dallas DanceFest
  • 2015 Dallas Stylemaker
  • Youth With Faces
  • Energy Ogre
  • DTX Renewable You
  • Galleria Dallas Decadence
  • Bella MD
  • Tractorbeam
  • Young Texans Against Cancer
  • Fresh Start Dallas
  • Dallas Farmers Market
  • Soldier's Angels Dallas
  • Shipt
  • Elite Dental
  • Texas Restaurant Association 2017
  • State Fair 2017
  • Scottish Rite
  • Brooklyn Brewery
  • DTX_Stylemakers
  • Alexan Crossings
  • Ascent Victory Park
  • Top Texans Under 30 Dallas
  • Discover Downtown Dallas
  • San Luis Resort Dallas
  • Greystar The Collection
  • FIG Finale
  • Greystar M Line Tower
  • Lincoln Motor Company
  • The Shelby
  • Jonathan Goldwater Events
  • Windrose Tower
  • Gift Guide 2016
  • State Fair of Texas 2016
  • Choctaw Dallas
  • TodayTix Dallas promoted
  • Whole Foods
  • Unbranded 2014
  • Frisco Square
  • Unbranded 2016
  • Circuit of the Americas 2018
  • The Katy
  • Snap Kitchen
  • Partners Card
  • Omni Hotels Dallas
  • Landmark on Lovers
  • Harwood Herd
  • Galveston.com Dallas
  • Holiday Happenings Dallas 2018
  • TenantBase
  • Cottonwood Art Festival 2018
  • Hawkins-Welwood Homes
  • The Inner Circle Dallas
  • Eating in Season Dallas
  • ATTPAC Behind the Curtain
  • TodayTix Dallas
  • The Alexan
  • Toyota Music Factory
  • Nosh Box Eatery
  • Wildflower 2018
  • Society Style Dallas 2018
  • Texas Scottish Rite Hospital 2018
  • 5 Mockingbird
  • 4110 Fairmount
  • Visit Taos
  • Allegro Addison
  • Dallas Tastemakers 2018
  • The Village apartments
  • City of Burleson Dallas

    Movie Review

    Speed and brawn collide in fun but uninspired Sonic the Hedgehog 2

    Alex Bentley
    Apr 6, 2022 | 10:37 am
    Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.play icon
    Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
    Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

    There are some properties where a rabid fandom can be expected, including any Marvel or DC movie, Star Wars, and the like. But you wouldn’t necessarily expect the same level of enthusiasm for a character from a videogame franchise, even one that has existed across multiple consoles for almost the past 30 years.

    And yet the response from the crowd at this critic’s screening to Sonic and other characters from the game in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 prove that Sega Sammy Studios and Paramount Pictures were right to bring the franchise to the big screen in 2020. The first film wound up making over $350 million worldwide, and it might have been more if the pandemic hadn’t hit a month later.

    Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) is back to his usual antics after banishing the evil Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to a mushroom planet at the end of the last movie. Still living with Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) in Montana, Sonic has taken to thwarting criminals in far-off places like Seattle, quickly returning home after a night’s work. His crime-fighting ways are put on pause, however, when Dr. Robotnik figures out a way to return to Earth with the help of an echidna named Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba).

    They’re on the hunt for the Master Emerald, a legendary jewel that brings great power to whomever possesses it. Naturally, Sonic must try to stop them, and this time he has help from Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessy), a fox from Sonic’s planet who can fly using her dual tail. Their adventures take them around the world, from Montana to Siberia to Hawaii, with a few surprises thrown in along the way.

    Made once again by director Jeff Fowler and writers Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and newcomer John Whittington, the film is a nice mix between stuff aimed at kids, parts that adults will appreciate, and elements to get the fans cheering. The inclusion of two more animated characters – and Carrey, who’s essentially an animated character – brings a lot more silliness into play, although they still keep the eye-rolling jokes to a minimum.

    Tom and Maddie travel to Hawaii – via one of Sonic’s rings, natch – for the wedding of Maddie’s sister, Rachel (Natasha Rothwell), and even though the subplot is in service to Sonic’s story, they still throw in a couple more mature aspects to keep things interesting for parents. But the film’s final act is really for the superfans who know all about the Master Emerald and what it can do; the residual excitement from certain moments is infectious, even if you’re not exactly sure why they’re so thrilled.

    The filmmakers don’t try to reinvent the wheel for the second film, something that both helps and hurts them. They utilize a couple more slo-mo scenes where Sonic is moving at regular speed while everything else essentially stands still. There are only two ways in which you can only depict how fast he is, so it’s hard to fault them for going back to the well with that joke. But the lack of any new innovation for this film is a bad sign for the continued success of the series.

    All of the actors returning from the first film repeat their fun performances, indicating that they were cast well. Elba is a nice choice for the brawny Knuckles, although it’s even better that they cast O’Shaughnessy as Tails, since she’s voiced the character in video games and on TV since 2014.

    It’s rare that a movie based on a video game gets more than one bite at the apple, and even rarer that they turn out as well as the Sonic films have. Here’s hoping that as the series continues – and the end credits confirm that it will – the filmmakers keep all factions of the audience in mind to keep things equally entertaining.

    ---

    Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opens in theaters on April 8.

    Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessy in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

    Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessy in Sonic the Hedgehog 2
      
    Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures
    Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessy in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
    movies
    news/entertainment

    This Week's Hot Headlines

    Exotic ice cream shop sweetens this week's most popular Dallas stories

    CultureMap Staff
    Jun 21, 2025 | 10:00 am
    Kwality Ice Cream
    Kwality
    Kwality Ice Cream

    Editor's note: The top Dallas news of the week is all about food, from innovative Indian concepts to a high-profile steakhouse. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then visit our event planner for the best things to do in Dallas this weekend.

    1. Kwality Ice Cream shop to bring creamy exotic desserts to Frisco. An ice cream chain with an Indian flair is dipping into Dallas-Fort Worth. Called Kwality Ice Cream, it's a concept founded in New Jersey that specializes in traditional Indian ice cream and cold drinks, and it's opening a location in Frisco.

    2. High-profile Palladino's Steak & Seafood heads to Preston-Royal Dallas. A high-profile new steakhouse is coming to North Dallas. Palladino’s Steak & Seafood, an eponymous concept from Dallas restaurateur Joseph Palladino, will open at 5959 Royal Ln., in the former Spec's space.

    3. Veteran Dallas restaurant team to open innovative Indian to-go spot. A Dallas restaurant team versed in Indian food is opening an innovative new to-go spot. Called Elephant Indian Grill, it’s a to-go-only restaurant opening in the Park Cities, in the former Granny’s Cajun Cooking, where it’s set to launch in late June.

    4. Dallas chef nominated for James Beard award parts ways with restaurant. Dallas chef RJ Yoakum, who has earned scads of acclaim in Dallas in his role as executive chef at Georgie, the high-profile restaurant in the Knox Street district, is no longer its executive chef.

    5. Savvy team to open expansive Indian restaurant Silk Road in Coppell. An Indian restaurant from a team of hospitality veterans is coming to Coppell. Called Silk Road Indian Cuisine and Bar, it will open soon at 160 W Sandy Lake Rd. in the former JC’s Burger Bar space, where it will feature flavors from northern and southern India.

    openingssteakhousechefsindian foodfriscocoppelltop stories
    news/entertainment

    most read posts

    Dallas chef nominated for James Beard award parts ways with restaurant

    Dallas restaurants heat up new summer menus in this roundup of news

    Sweet Paris crepe chain folds in another Dallas location in Addison

    Loading...