If you ask me to look back and pick two comedy geniuses, whose talent overshot the screens that would try and capture them - whether the big screen of the cinema, or in our television at home - the two that would immediately come to mind are Robin Williams and Jim Carrey. They pretty much set the benchmark for hilarious craziness and sheer mayhem on screen.

And I don’t know how to word it more diplomatically, but I’d venture to say that their fires burned so bright, were so incandescent; that at one point, it burned out. You know what I mean, both Robin and Jim have a body of films and TV work that are outright beyond excellent, and then the projects they embarked on in the later stages of their careers are mere shadows of what they created in their prime. It’s sad to have to say that; especially in the case of Robin, as he’s no longer with us.

I preface with all this because if there’s one thing that had me curious about Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it’s that Jim Carrey returns as the main villain, Dr. Robotnik. Exiled in a mushroom planet at the end of the first installment, Robotnik is basically rescued by the red-furred Knuckles ( Idris Elba), one of the two new characters introduced in this film. The other new main character would be Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey); and she’s like the educated, resourceful nerd of a character, who saves the day and helps Sonic out when he’s in a pickle that seems too big to extricate himself from.

As in the first film, Ben Schwartz of Parks and Recreation voices Sonic, and it’s still pretty much about his damn kinetic energy, livewire attitude, and personality, and whether he will triumph over the new dastardly duo of Robotnik and Knuckles. It’s no coincidence I use the adjective dastardly, as if there’s something I’ve always said, it’s that Jim Carey’s attack on Robotnik reminds me of Dick Dastardly of the Wacky Races cartoon series. And now he has a furry sidekick in Knuckles.

It’s a competent kiddie film. There are no aspirations to go Pixar and create a film that operates on more than one level, such that adults can still be engrossed by the film’s narrative. This one is outright for the children, and they will enjoy it as it’s colorful, frantic, and even the jokes are kept to a level the kids will appreciate.

As for Carrey, he is having fun here. But unfortunately, for an audience that may be too young to have watched The Mask or Ace Ventura 1 & 2; there’s nothing close to those films, and this is just Carrey playing at an over-loud, and over-grand, mode throughout the film.

I also noticed that among the two big releases this week of Sonic and Morbius, Sonic has the longer running time by a good twenty minutes. That’s funny in itself! The attention spans of kids are notoriously short; but they’ll hopefully stay attentive throughout this second installment - and can we stop here? Young girls and boys will enjoy Sonic 2; so make it a movie date with your children....