Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (September 15, 2024)
Back in 2020, legendary videogame character Sonic the Hedgehog leapt to the movie screens via a successful self-titled flick. Inevitably, a sequel hit in 2022, one that also did fairly well.
That movie introduced a new character named Knuckles, and he got his own limited self-titled Paramount+ series in April 2024. This acts as a lead-in to Sonic 3, a new feature due in December 2024.
Knuckles offers six episodes. This 4K UHD brings all six shows on one disc, with plot synopses borrowed from the show’s official website.
The Warrior: “Powerful red echidna Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) struggles to adapt to his new life in Green Hills.”
Although I thought the first Sonic brought breezy fun, Sonic 2 became a plodding dud. Even the presence of the talented Elba couldn’t save it.
As such, I went into Knuckles without great expectations. Still, given that I kind of liked the 2020 film, I hoped this series might recapture some of that charm.
And perhaps it will. “Warrior” doesn’t dazzle, but it offers a decent launch to the series.
We find appearances from a few film actors who we won’t see again, as they only show up in “Warrior”. I don’t mind this, as their presence offers Knuckles the ability to connect to the movies without owing too much to their lineage.
Anyway, “Warrior” opens the series in a moderately enjoyable manner. Hopefully it’ll continue to give us reasonable amusement.
Don’t Ever Say I Wasn’t There For You: “Deputy Wade Whipple (Adam Pally) plans an awesome rescue mission, while Knuckles confronts his captors.”
Feels like we get a gap between the synopses for the first and second episodes, doesn’t it? It becomes a leap to go from Knuckles’ attempts to fit in and his abduction.
“Warrior” makes this semi-logical and “Say” picks up where that show concluded. Unfortunately, the episode detours toward a sillier tone than the prior program.
Yes, I get that Knuckles exists for a younger audience. No, I don’t expect great sophistication from it.
Nonetheless, the best “family entertainment” can work for adults and kids, and that became the case for the 2022 Sonic. At least as seen in “Say”, we get a shift toward goofier material that seems less effective.
Will this turn for the worse stay the trend the rest of the season? Wait and see, but hopefully Knuckles will rebound with the next show.
The Shabbat Dinner: “Fugitives from the law, Knuckles and Wade hide out with Wade's family.”
Despite the series’ title, Knuckles doesn’t really make the little red dude the focal point. Instead, Wade comes to the fore, a choice that becomes more obvious when we meet his family.
“Dinner” manages a bit of a rebound after the iffy “Say”, mainly because Stockard Channing delights as Wade’s mother. On the other hand, Wade himself grows more tedious with every new episode, as Pally plays him as too much of a goofball.
All this leaves “Dinner” as a mixed bag. Channing fares well enough to give matters a shot in the arm but other elements get tiresome.
The Flames of Disaster: “In order to learn where Knuckles' true strength lies, Wade must see the world through his eyes.”
As a supporting character in the movies, Wade offered decent entertainment. As essentially the lead here, Wade becomes annoying.
And make no mistake: despite the series’ title, Knuckles revolves around Wade and his journey. Knuckles exists more to facilitate Wade’s evolution than anything else.
Which wouldn’t be as much of an issue if Wade didn’t turn into such an irritating character. Pally plays the role as so broad and silly that he makes the series less and less interesting with every new episode.
That’s because we just get more and more tired of Wade’s antics the more we see of him. Even an initially amusing “rock opera” sequence eventually sputters because it runs too long.
Reno, Baby: “Knuckles and Wade arrive in Reno, Nevada for the National Bowling Championship.”
This episode formally brings Wade’s dad Pete, and Cary Elwes take on the senior Whipple gives the series a good jolt of energy. However, Elwes can’t overcome the problems abundant in prior shows.
Knuckles loves its 80s montages and songs. Both became tiresome a while back, and they don’t show renewed energy here. Toss in very little of Knuckles himself and this delivers another erratic program.
What Happens in Reno, Stays in Reno: “The friendship between Knuckles and Wade is tested - as enemies, new and old, converge in Reno.”
The show reaches its inevitable climax here, as Wade battles his dad and Knuckles deals with the foes who stalked him the whole series. Of course, we find ourselves stuck with an emphasis on Wade’s dreary narrative and don’t get a lot of our furry title character.
Some entertainment does result, particularly because Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer amuse as bowling commentators. Yeah, they follow the mold established in movies like Best in Show and Dodgeball, but they still amuse.
Otherwise, “Stays” becomes a lackluster conclusion to a spotty series. If Knuckles concentrated on its ostensible lead the whole day, it might’ve been pretty good.
However, with so much of the annoying and tiresome Wade on display, Knuckles fails to connect on a consistent basis. While it hits on occasion, it never clicks as well as it should.
