In every warrior beats the heart of an Echidna named Knuckles! The Sonic spin-off on Paramount Plus is wild entertainment for the whole family with moments fans and general audiences can appreciate.
Following the events of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Knuckles(Idris Elba) joins Sonic and Tales’ adoptive family on Earth. He becomes a fish out of water, not knowing what to do with his life, a warrior with no enemy to battle or mission to accomplish so he tries to make himself feel at home by turning the living room into a gladiator arena as any normal talking echidna would. Needless to say that does not work out but fortunately for him, he finds the quest his soul has desperately been yearning for though it’s not quite what he expects.
The New Dynamic Duo
Destiny leads Knuckles to mentor Deputy Wade Whipple(Adam Pally) in the ways of a warrior. Their fates become intertwined as wacky as you can imagine them. The chemistry between the pair carried the series far with the electric performances of Idris Elba and Adam Pally behind them.
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You can tell those two were having the time of their lives bringing their characters to life. Elba had no issues selling the performance of a noble extraterrestrial still becoming acclimated to civilization on Earth while facing an existential crisis. Pally’s Whipple is a miserable clumsy soul who could use all the help in the world. The natural dry humor, comedic timing, and everyman persona Pally has under his belt are exactly what’s needed to depict Deputy Wade Whipple.
Things Get A Little Messy
As entertaining as the dynamic duo are, the series is not without flaws. Before I address them I must say the writers were respectful in allowing Knuckles’ story to be independent of Sonic’s presence. The Hedgehog only appears in the first episode along with Tails strictly in a supporting capacity. Sonic had his time to shine in two movies with a third on the way, it’s Knuckles’ turn now.
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As for the aforementioned flaws, the writing leaves an impression of the creators not knowing whether Knuckles should be serialized, episodic, or even a movie. The way the parallel arcs between Knuckles and Whipple are executed gives way to a narrative inconsistency, especially when the whole Whipple family gets involved.
The Villain Problem
The villains of the series have a weak presence. Most of the time Knuckles has to contend with two of the dumbest G.U.N. agents played by Kid Cudi and Ellie Taylor from Ted Lasso, before going up against the big boss played by Rory McCann.
The only thing I like about the villains is the action scenes they’re involved in. Cudi and Taylor’s characters are not intimidating at all and when they try to inject some comedy the humor misses the landing by miles. McCann’s mysterious villain barely has screen time for someone who is supposedly the primary antagonist. I’ll admit he is intimidating, however, little motive is established for his character to go after Knuckles.
Final Verdict
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Visual effects and CGI remain on par with the Sonic movies, I have no complaints in that department. The action sequences stand out, most notably in episodes 1,3, 5 & 6. Watching Knuckles use his knuckles always guarantees a good time here.
Knuckles is a simple story that boasts great chemistry between the leads audiences can resonate with, excellent GGI, good action sequences, and stunning visual effects. Though the series struggles with narrative structure and weak antagonists, it remains enjoyable for audiences of all ages.
6.5/10
About Knuckles
RELEASE DATE: April 26, 2024
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jeff Fowler, Whittington, Toru Nakahara, Toby Ascher, Neal H. Moritz, Haruki Satomi
PRODUCERS: Victoria Burkhart, Samantha Waite, Sammy Warshaw, Ben Rosenblatt, Jeffrey Pinto-Lobo, Tyson Hesse,
DIRECTORS: Carol Banker, Brandon Trost, Ged Wright, Jeff Fowler, Jorma Taccone
WRITERS: John Whittington, Brian Schacter, James Madejski
CAST: Idris Elba, Adam Pally, Cary Elwes, Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, Ellie Taylor
Synopsis
Knuckles the Echidna teaches deputy Wade Whipple the techniques of the Echidna warrior.
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