KNUCKLES
“I Don’t Make Jokes; I Make Warriors”
What You Need To Know
KNUCKLES is a buddy comedy miniseries on Paramount+. Following the events of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2, space warrior Knuckles (Idris Elba) struggles to adapt to his new Earth-bound life. One day, he meets up with police deputy Wade Whipple (Adam Pally). Wade is physically weak, but vows to prove his detractors wrong. Knuckles agrees to train Wade in the “ways of a warrior” via a bowling tournament. At the same time, rogue government agents plot to usurp the echidna’s alien powers. Can the duo prove their worth as earth’s mightiest warriors?
Set in the universe of the live action SONIC THE HEDGEHOG movies, KNUCKLES is a six episode miniseries that combines live action and animation. It follows Knuckles, a stoic alien anteater who comes from an intergalactic tribe of warriors. After befriending Sonic in the second movie, the warrior struggles to adapt to the relaxed atmosphere of his new home on Earth. His yearning for “glory” upsets the town and results in him getting “grounded” by Sonic’s foster parents.
Then, the red warrior makes a new mission – to train the next generation of intergalactic warriors. He eludes the Sonic family and comes across Wade Whipple (Adam Pally), the incompetent yet kind-hearted deputy officer in town. Wade was a minor comic relief in the SONIC movies, but his character is fleshed out in KNUCKLES. He is dimwitted but is willing to prove his detractors wrong.
Moved by Wade’s enthusiasm, Knuckles agrees to train the cop as a “mighty warrior.” In exchange, Wade agrees to teach the alien Earth customs. The duo then set their sights on a bowling tournament in Reno, Nevada. If Wade can succeed in conquering his passion of bowling, then he can become a true “warrior.”
Throughout the series, three government agents set out to steal Knuckles’ energy powers for their own evil purpose. Knuckles and Wade battle the agents, get into slapstick hijinx, bump into Wade’s dysfunctional family, and learn that true strength comes from one’s heart. Can our heroes win the bowling tournament and save the world in time?
The KNUCKLES TV series is a buddy-cop action comedy with science fiction elements. The best aspect is the interaction between Knuckles and Wade. Both characters are clueless, but quickly become loyal best friends. Knuckles might be clueless to Earth’s customs, but he teaches Wade to find his true self-confidence. Adam Pally’s performance as Wade is fantastic in the program’s comedic and dramatic scenes.
On a technical front, the series is a slam dunk. The action scenes are lively, the animation for KNUCKLES is expressive, and each episode is chalk full of great visual comedy. The miniseries features strong cartoon violence, but there is no blood. The bad guys have paper thin motivation, but they do pose a visible threat to our heroes.
The miniseries does have several mishaps, however. The first is Wade’s family. Halfway through the story, Wade reunites with his dysfunctional Jewish family. He manages to repair the gripes, and the family comes together to save Knuckles from peril. The mother and father characters have enjoyable humor, but the sister character is a major drag. She constantly brags about being “an FBI agent for the Secretary of Transportation,” but screeches at her brother and Knuckles. The sister character often brings down the energy of certain scenes.
Lastly, the show favors Wade’s point of view over Knuckles. Wade receives most of the character development, while Knuckles is treated more as a supporting character. The show is advertised as having equal screen time between both leads. Yet in practice, Wade gets preferential treatment. While Wade’s journey is well-written, it may disappoint Sonic fans who expect a Knuckles-centric story.
KNUCKLES is an enjoyable miniseries for both general audiences and fans of the SONIC movies. The program promotes the virtues of teamwork, persistence, and family. The series is funny, full of imaginative setpieces, and great performances from Idris Elba and Adam Pally as Knuckles and Wade. Similar to the SONIC movies, this miniseries has strong cartoon violence, a few light swear words, and a space ghost who mentors the team. As a result, MOVIEGUIDE advises caution for older children.
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong moral worldview with Jewish references promotes friendship, teamwork, persistence, family, and unlocking one’s inner strength, an overweight deputy cop overcomes his low self-esteem, a space alien echidna (a spiky anteater creature who talks) teaches his friend to be “strong” in unorthodox ways, the main characters celebrate the Jewish holiday of Shabbat, a man repairs his relationship with his dysfunctional Jewish family, the same man renounces his grudges against his absentee father, both main characters develop mutual respect with one another, and two scenes of the cast interacting with the ghost of an alien anteater
Foul Language
A few mild obscenities such as “hell, damn and OMG,” and a woman compares Jews in the 1940s to the space warrior’s tribe of aliens
Violence
Strong cartoon action violence throughout, the cast engages in hand-to-hand combat, the bad guys use exo-skeletons and other high-tech weapons powered by Knuckles’ energy quills, characters are thrown through walls, a man is dragged by a motorcycle on the street, the cast throws power punches at each other, and a character is crushed with a giant metal sphere
Sex
No sex
Nudity
No nudity
Alcohol Use
No onscreen alcohol, but Wade’s family mentions their obsession with margaritas
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
The cast visits a gambling casino in Reno, Nevada, the main character’s father betrays the cast and turns the family into the bounty hunters, a space warrior gets “grounded” but flees from his human family, and the main characters carjack a pickup truck in Montana.
