Paint Drying
Benjamin Copelin

Review by Benjamin Copelin

Paint Drying 2016

I don't mean to keep making so many of these posts, but did you see the Knuckles trailers?!? Hype!!! Well, okay, I have some concerns, but this still looks like a fun show!

Let's start with the positives: I love Idris Elba as Knuckles! I already loved him in Sonic Movie 2, but I still stand by that this is one of my absolute favorite versions of the character! Lore wise, I may prefer some of the games and comics, but character wise, I love how Knuckles is written. I love his warrior mindset and how that can lead some really funny moments as well as legitimately cool and epic moments. I'm also pleased that the CG here looks just about as good as the movies. They really did spend some good money on this, and it shows! The action looks great, I love seeing the house being redecorated as a gladiator arena, and the last moment where Knuckles lets Wade be dragged away was pretty funny. Also, while I'm not really a fan of the OVA movie personally, I do love that they brought back the hat. Knuckles wearing the hat and riding a motorcycle is so ridiculous and I love it! We got Knuckles riding a motorcycle before Shadow!

As for my concerns, I'm not totally sold on the new villains. The main baddie just looks like some random tough dude who just so happens to have worked for Robotnik before and is now using his leftover tech. The action scenes involving him and his two sidekicks do look really cool, but I'm not sure how to feel about them as characters. Definitely would've preferred some actual Sonic characters to be the antagonists. Though we do have a character from a certain game showing up, and it's the elder echidna from Adventure 1 whose name I can't pronounce...in a bowling alley? OK, I'm cool with them changing up the lore and making it to where Knuckles isn't actually the very last of his kind. The comics really expanded on that, so I don't mind seeing other echidnas. With that said...WHY IS HE IN A BOWLING ALLEY?!? He looks like he works there too? What?!? I'm not upset about this, I'm just...confused. Not only was he supposed to be dead, but having this eldery echidna, leader of the tribe, become an employee at a bowling alley? I don't know what they're doing, but I hope that they make it work because this is the most random out of character thing that they could've possibly done. They've done a great job with the other Sonic characters, and I have faith that Shadow will be treated to with a level of seriousness that's needed for his story to work, so I'm just confused with this decision.

Don't get me wrong though, this looks like a fun show and I'm definitely looking forward to it. I just hope that the things I'm concerned about don't hinder the show too much, or that maybe those concerns will be laid to rest once I watch the show and be like, "Oh, now I see what you're doing! You had me worried there for a second, but I'm glad you made it work!" So yeah, I'm still excited. I just wished that either Rouge or the Chaotix would be a part of the show. I don't hate Wade, I just never found him to be that funny or interesting. But his dynamic with Knuckles seems cute enough. Still waiting for more Sonic Movie 3 announcements, though!

Edit: Christopher Lloyd is voicing the elder echidna! Regardless of how I feel about the way he's implemented, that casting choice will probably make it worth it.

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