Knuckles

We were actually looking forward to this series. Me, my husband, and the kids really enjoyed both recent Sonic movies. We saw both in the theater. So when we saw this was coming out, we were looking forward to the release.

Okay, let's be fair, the good stuff first. It's clean and appropriate for children, other than no one dying violence. I always appreciate family entertainment because I like it too. CGI is fabulous. The episodes look visually well made. Love the soundtrack.

Now the bad. It's boring. We made it through the first 3 episodes before we unanimously decided to stop watching. The story just wasn't interesting. The acting is not real good either, that was bothering me. We are not planning to finish watching the series.

This show is stuck in this awkward spot where it looks great, but the show's reluctance to have any mature moments drag it down. Adults aren't allowed to be adults, and every line has me waiting to groan at a punchline. The villains are used for gags that ruin any sense of intimidation they could otherwise have had. The show has its great moments - the expressiveness of the characters is very fun to watch - but it's overshadowed by a reluctance to take itself seriously or respect its characters. The show focuses far more on Wade than the titular character, action scenes are inconsistent with how they use their powers and technology. While there are high points, overall it's generally disappointing.

A better title would have been "Wade Whipple with occasional appearances by his friend Knuckles".

Not to say that it is a bad show. I actually liked a lot of of it and when Knuckles does appear he is pretty great. But, that has everything to do with Idris Elba because that dude is awesome. The guest stars are mostly good. My personal favorite was Julian Barratt of "The Mighty Boosh". However, Adam Pally, who is really the star of the show, kind of wears on you. I am all for the loveable lover, I am one myself, but after awhile his antics wear thin. There is a family subplot that was resolved in a pretty obvious way, but I still had fun with the show.

Knuckles is a type of series that is more of a promotion for Sonic The Hedgehog 3. I'll say that there are some redeemable things it got right such as great visuals, enjoyable action scenes and good acting. But I feel that the story for this miniseries relies more on Wade than giving Knuckles a story arc, which can sometimes make it sound like a generic bowling story and that Knuckles himself can often be treated more of a side character. I think this series will be a lot more suitable for those that are huge fans of the Sonic films. However I know that not everyone has Paramount Plus, so you probably won't miss much from it. Considering we are getting another Sonic movie right at the end of this year, maybe I can look at this series as a side project and would just save the real fun for it. Maybe Paramount Plus will do more of this in the future with other characters having their own series perhaps after the events of the third film seeing the direction how the franchise will probably go. As this series has given Knuckles his own arc after the events of the second film, at least it tried.

Before beginning watching the series I checked out this imdb page and read the comments. Many were complaining that the show focused on the Wade Whipple character too much. I mean Knuckles and Wade team up in this movie, so Wade is the human focal point of the series, but Knuckles is always there and part of the storyline. After watching I can't say that I agree with those complaining about this aspect of the show, if you haven't watched it yet then I wouldn't let that stop you.

My 5 -year old daughter loves this show, even requesting watching it unprompted. It's probably one of those shows I would never watch by myself, but watching it with my kids is great! I hope they make more, even if they focus on other supporting Sonic characters ...