KNUCKLES (2024)
Label: Paramount
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 171 Minutes 56 Seconds
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1), Audio Descriptive Track, 5.1 Surround Dolby Digital AC3 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision (HDR10) 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Jeff Fowler, Ged Wright, Brandon Trost, Jorma Taccone, Carol Banker
Cast: Idris Elba, Adam Pally, Ben Schwartz, Edi Patterson, Colleen O'Shaughnessey
Knuckles (2024)is a six-episode mine-series that streamed on Paramount+, it's based on characters from Sonic the Hedgehog Sega video game, this being a spin-off story that takes place between the theatrical Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the forthcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 films. I will say right up front I do not come to this series with much knowledge of the game franchise or characters as I have not played a Sonic game since the early 90s when it first hit the Sega Genesis gaming system, an even then I only played it a handful of times. I also have not watched either of the theatrical films.
From what I gather Knuckles the Echidna (voiced by Idris Elba, Beast) is an alien warrior who at least appeared in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where he played a villain turned hero, and afterward is now stuck on Earth to fulfill a vow he made, where the over-serious warrior is having hard time adjusting to our Earthly ways. Here he ends up teaming-up with inept local cop Wade Whipple (Adam Polly, Dirty Grandpa), whom I gathered also appeared in the previous Sonic film, to train him in the ways of the Echidna warrior to prepare him for a championship bowling tournament happening in Reno, Nevada, where he will face-off against his estranged father, the flamboyant "Pistol" Pete Whipple (Cary Elwes, The Princess Bride), who abandoned him as a child inside a T.J. Maxx department store to peruse his dreams of bowling glory.
Also entering into he story are the nefarious character "The Buyer" (Rory McCann, Game of thrones) who has created powerful power gloves, weapons and an exo-suit powered by Knuckles quills who aims to drain Knuckles of all his power, sending his agents Mason (Scott Mescudi aka rapper Kid Cudi, X) and Willoughby (Ellie Taylor, Ted Lasso) to capture him, plus Wade's mother Wendy (Stockard
Channing, Grease) and combative FBI agent sister Wanda (Edi Patterson, Violent Night), who get mixed up in the shenanigans. We also get appearances from Sonic (Ben Schwartz, Space Force) and Tails (Coleen O'Shaughnessey, Static Shock) but only very briefly during the opening set-up, plus Wade's former bowling team partner/bounty hunter Jack Sinclair (Julian Barratt, A Field in England) and the beloved Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) shows as the voice of the ghostly Pachacamac, the deceased elder of Knuckles' alien- tribe.
How was it? To be honest this was never gonna be my cup of tea, for starters, as I said I am not familiar with the film this is spun-off from, and secondly, I am not the target audience. It looks fine, the goofy premise and characters are just fine, the show is handsomely put together, and some of the characters are quite big, exaggerated and fun, but again, not my cup of tea, but if you're Sonic fan, a gamer, someone who enjoys video game adaptations, and goofy kiddie friendly stuff there's probably a lot more here to love than I got out of it, after all, I'm just an old fart who was never a serious gamer.
Audio/Video: Knuckles (2024) arrives on 4K UHD from Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment, the Dolby Vision (HDR10) enhanced image looks terrific. It's sharp and quite detailed, textures look phenomenal in the real world as do the digitally created characters. The colors are deeply saturated and vibrant, blacks are deep and layered, and contrast is on point, this is fantastic looking UHD presentation. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos (True HD 7.1) audio is quite dynamic, there's great use of the surround and height channels, the low-end is impactful, music and sound effects are full-bodied, there's just not a flaw to be found.
Extras include a 7-min Exclusive Gag Reel; 2-min Cast Featurette, 1-min Working With Knuckles; 1-min This Or That?, and 1-min Knuckles Impressions, featuring the cast attempting to do their best take on the character as voiced by Alba. Really just some breezy fluff-stuff, nothing very in-depth or interesting to be honest, the gag reel is the most entertaining of the bunch. The single-disc UHD arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork, there is no digital copy included.
Special Features:
- Exclusive Gag Reel (7:30)
- Cast Featurette (1:54)
- Working With Knuckles (1:03)
- This Or That? (1:03)
- Knuckles Impressions (1:04)
Buy it!
Moviezyng - use code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% off your entire order!
Physical Media Land - use code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% off your entire order!
