Sonic's second outing on film is out today (April 1) in the UK and on April 8 in the US, but I was able to catch a premiere the day before, where the post-credits scene was shown in all its glory.
It's a sequel that improves on the first in droves - there's heart, there's good humor, and none of it feels overdrawn or out of place. It all works, and the dynamic between Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles is great.
The voice-acting helps to convince you that Knuckles has been in some dark times lately, with Idris Elba arguably giving the best performance of the film, with Jim Carrey's second time playing Robotnik coming a close second.
However, there was one more thing for us once the credits rolled. Here is your final warning before I go into all the details of why the film went to another level in its final moments.
A Chaos Control
After Sonic absorbs the Chaos Emeralds and becomes Super Sonic in order to destroy Robotnik's Death Egg Robot, the battleground where this took place in Green Hills is in ruins.
The post-credits scene starts with the army clearing the wreckage of the robot, and a scientist appears to the General.
"As we've been clearing the wreckage, our team went through Robotnik's files from his lab, and we've uncovered something from 50 years ago."
The scene transitions to an underground lab, with what looks like a prison rising from the floor in the lab. The camera pans downward so we can see who's inside, and it's Shadow the Hedgehog, in a deep sleep.
With a third Sonic film being confirmed before this sequel, its logo had the number three in a red outline.
Some fans, myself included, wondered if Metal Sonic, who first appeared in Sonic CD would be appearing. The battle of who would be faster, with a race across Stardust Speedway would have been a great scenario for Sonic to face against.
However, Shadow works better narratively. In his first gaming appearance in Sonic Adventure 2, released for the SEGA Dreamcast in June 2001, he was an experiment made by Eggman's grandfather called Gerald Robotnik, 50 years before the game took place.
Shadow is Sonic's equal in appearance, speed, and power. Instead of being blue, he's in a red and black shade, with a voice that makes him older than he looks.
There was also a bond between Shadow and Gerald's daughter, called Maria. But in a violent twist to the game, soldiers gunned down Maria, with her last words being, "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog." Shadow became a loner after this, and eventually he teamed up with Robotnik.
Sonic speaks throughout the second film of the family he now has, with Knuckles joining the team after losing his own family. To have a parallel to this with Shadow, and Robotnik to a further extent, could tell a story that's vastly different from what the first two movies brought. Having backstory to Robotnik's family, while showing what could happen if Sonic tragically lost his now-adopted family, especially as he's now content in who he has in his small circle, is a dynamic that's an interesting avenue to go down.
But the next part to ponder is who could voice Shadow.
Casting Idris Elba as Knuckles was superb casting, and as Shadow has a whispy voice compared to the others, Keanu Reeves could be ideal casting here.
Sonic 2's final scenes were fantastic - they brought about what made the games so fun, with Death Egg robot and Super Sonic flying around, with parts of Labyrinth Zone featured as the Master Emerald was being sought.
Sonic speaks throughout the second film of the family he now has, with Knuckles joining the team after losing his own family. To have a parallel to this with Shadow, and Robotnik to a further extent, could tell a story that's vastly different from what the first two movies brought.
Shadow in Sonic 3 makes me look forward to the film even more - we could see quotes from the Adventure games such as 'Faker!' and 'Chaos Control' be scattered around the film. But on the other hand, it's a perfect opportunity for SEGA to finally re-release the two Sonic Adventure games, or to remake them for when the film premieres.
Or, as the fans have been requesting since the release of Sonic Adventure, a third entry to complete the Adventure series.
Regardless, it's a great time to be a Sonic fan, and after Sonic 2 being a great watch for all ages, Shadow in Sonic 3 is going to be a film that you won't want to miss.
