Knuckles

Knuckles is an absolute riot. Wade Whipple’s over-the-top antics give the stoic echidna a much-needed foil, and the result is a laugh-a-minute road movie that just happens to be a six-part miniseries. It’s bold, creative, and takes some big swings. And there’s some heartwarming payoff, too, as Knuckles and his hapless human sidekick grow ever closer with each passing episode.

The fact the series never takes itself too seriously gives writers and directors the breathing space they need to include every wild idea that crosses their minds, from musical numbers to training montages inspired by sports films. Because of that, Knuckles is a testament to how a talented and passionate team can turn the most basic story beat into something unique and incredibly entertaining.

While it functions largely as a streaming-only a clone of the first film, it displays a personality missing from the mainline movies by veering into welcoming absurdism and whimsy.

If you can tolerate some product placement-related humor (namely Doritos and T.J. Maxx punchlines) and some eye-roll-inducing jokes with some genuinely hilarious moments mixed in, then dive in. And if you live for nineties nostalgia, there are plenty of Easter eggs to be found here. It’s got some heart, too, which is always good, and unlike its prickly protagonist, it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

This is more ‘Wade’s World’ than ‘Sonic 2.5’. Still, Knuckles’ solo side-quest proves fun filler fluff as fans await the arrival of Shadow in the threequel.

If you’re a genuine fan of the movies and this world, this can be an entertaining side story to fill the gap until the next movie. It takes the time to grow Knuckles and Wade as characters, and there are some fun set pieces and story elements here if you love this franchise. If you’re generally just looking for a good show? That’s where your mileage may vary, because the story itself is threadbare and a bit forced.

Results will vary on “Knuckles”: hardcore fans of the franchise could be easily put off by how much Knuckles isn’t in the show. Others, maybe more casual viewers with little investment, might enjoy it for the harmless, low-stakes series it is.

Knuckles is very much a mixed bag. Sometimes, it feels like the Sonic films, with its use of larger-than-life characters in a real-world setting, but it loses focus to the point where Knuckles feels like a guest star in his own series.

I have an odd fondness for the show, even if there are only a couple of episodes in the middle where it doesn't feel like a compromised project. It's not exactly good, but it is exactly what a spin-off should be: a side adventure that never once threatens to tie in with the ongoing story in the movie franchise it's nominally a part of.