Plot: What’s it about?
Back when I played video games (as a kid, I still play my Angry Birds game every day) I was always a Nintendo guy. Something about Mario, Donkey Kong, Peach just spoke to me. With the success of the NES platform, there were competitors drooling to get into that market. And, it so happened, that a few years later Sega entered the fray. They needed a character that was cute, loveable and different from anything that Nintendo did/was doing. Enter Sonic the Hedgehog. The little blue guy collected gold rings, could run really fast (and everywhere) and it was a success. Flashing forward nearly three decades, Sonic is more popular than ever and with the success of Sonic the Hedgehog and its sequel, it was only a matter of time before the universe started to expand. Enter…Knuckles. This 6 episode series takes place after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but prior to those of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Think of it as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Or don’t. It’s ultimately inconsequential.
Knuckles comes to disc with al six episodes. Here are some brief synopsis of each.
Episode 1 – “The Warrior” – Bored with his life on Earth, Knuckles seres as master to Wade Whipple (Adam Pally). He’s a sheriff who’s been kicked off his bowling league just before the big tournament in Reno, Nevada. Knuckles is captured by Mason (Scott Mescudi) and Willoughby (Ellie Taylor) and put up for ransom.
Episode 2 – “Don’t Ever Say I Wasn’t There for You” – Mason and Willoughby continue to try and sell Knuckles for top dollar though when Wade comes across a giant-sized fish that has the strength of Knuckles, it puts a kink in the plans.
Episode 3 – “The Shabbat Dinner” – Knuckles and Wade arrive at his house to celebrate, you guessed it, Shabbat. They meet Wendy (Stockyard Channing) as well as his sister, Wanda (Edi Patterson). Wade explains the importance of the bowling tournament to Knuckles.
Episode 4 – “The Flames of Disaster” – We meet Jack (Julian Barratt), Wade’s former bowling partner who kidnaps Wade for the reward. Knuckles believes that his “suffering” will help him.
Episode 5 – “Reno, Baby” – Taking a cue from Swingers, it’s not Vegas, but it’s…”the biggest little city in the world.” Yes, they’ve arrived and Wade must now compete in the tournament versus his own father.
Episode 6 – “What Happens in Reno, Stays in Reno” – Knuckles has a scuffle with a mech-suited Buyer (Rory McCann) and Wade must come to terms with his family.
Video: How’s it look?
Being recently released, you needn’t worry about the results here. Obviously the main character is CGI, but it doesn’t feel like it. The 2.39:1 AVC HD encode is bursting with color, detail is off the charts and the result is nothing short of perfection. Being a Blu-ray, we lose out on the HDR that graces the 4K edition, but I don’t think anyone will be dissatisfied with how this looks. It delivers.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Thankfully the same Dolby Atmos track found on the 4K disc is present on the Blu-ray. And, as one might imagine, there is no shortage of all your speakers being used. I kept looking behind me to see what was there, forgetting how good and involving surround sound can be. Vocals are crisp and natural sounding and the action scenes keep us involved. Like the transfer, this track satisfies.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Gag Reel – I don’t believe an explanation is necessary.
- Meet the Cast – Essentially that, we get to chit chat with the live action and vocal performers in the series.
- Working with Knuckles – A tongue-in-cheek feature praising Knuckles and his utmost professionalism.
- This or That? – If you’ve ever played “this or that” you’ll feel right at home.
- Cast Impressions – Again, pretty much that. We get some cast members as they try to replicate Idris Elba’s vocal performance.
The Bottom Line
The ever-growing Sonic the Hedgehog universe (is that a thing?) finds its latest installment and makes a nice segue into (as of this writing) Sonic the Hedgehog 3. If you needed some filler (or context) – look no further. The A/V specs are top notch and should keep fans of the genre quite happy.
