Knuckles TV Series Review: A Middling Buddy Flick with Heart
Knuckles and Wade’s bonding feels genuine amidst the madness
The world of video game adaptations has come a long way since the 90s. With stellar shows like Arcane (League of Legends) and Fallout, every production requires a significant budget and care in placating its respective fanbase while recruiting new ones. Paramount’s Knuckles TV series, a spin-off of the Sonic The Hedgehog films, is at least a high-budgeted on-stream affair.
The show features Sega’s animal mascots interacting with humans in the real world, fighting bad guys, and learning life lessons. While it’s not the most insightful show I’ve seen based on a video game series, it delivers the zaniness and goes overboard, even if it may not be for everyone.
Idris Elba’s voiceover portrayal of the stoic warrior is hilariously deadpan, while Adam Pally’s comic relief character gets more screentime and character growth that feels good to follow amidst the cringe humor. And there’s a good amount of it.
Knuckles’ debut gliding is a highlight of the show
Despite some of it not jiving with me, the other half got a chuckle out of me. These include a Jewish shavat fight scene in a kitchen, a katana duel on bikes, and a musical dream sequence sung by Michael Bolton of all people.
The villains, however, are only there to give Knuckles reason to tear up shop and punch things hard. The trio of Kid Cudi, Ellie Taylor, and Rory “The Hound” McCann do not really shine, but aren’t completely pointless in moving the plot along even with their most basic of villainous reasoning (they want riches and/or Knuckles’ quill powers).
Knuckles and Wade’s bonding feels genuine amidst the madness
The Knuckles TV show is a middling yet inoffensive romp that does entertain and isn’t shy from hamming it up from start to finish. Idris Elba does a great job at portraying the stoic warrior stuck on Earth, while Adam Pally shines as the hapless deputy who rises to the occasion. Is it a breakthrough like other video game TV show adaptations? Of course not, but it does what it needed to do: be a sideshow before Sonic The Hedgehog 3, filled with the occasional action scenes and 80s/90s pop song inserts to remind people that the show loves its retro nods.
If you loved the previous Sonic films, you’ll enjoy this 3-hour buddy adventure. It’s not going to change your mind about the series’ comedic tones, but it is impressive to see the budget being put to work here.
The show’s budget is impressive, and it shows
Final Score: 60/100
