Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble

 Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble  is an 2010 American live-action CGI animated hybrid action film that is a sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie and is based off the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Being the fourth film in the Sega Cinematic Universe, the film is directed by Brad Bird and produced by Peter Liguori and Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima with a screeplay by Kevin Williamson. Taking place two years after the first film, Robotnik escapes from prison and creates Mecha Sonic Mark II and Metal Sonic to help dominate the world again while Sonic, Jeff, and the others try to stop them as they find out that there were eight Chaos Emeralds and seven of them can give you unlimited power, while Robotnik also plans to launch a space station, the Death Egg. The film stars Bruce Willis, Denzel Washington, Michael Cera, Robert Pattinson, Christina Ricci, Charlie Day, Tim Curry, and Mark Hamill.

In 2007, a unknown Fox employee leaked a contract for the first film online, with the contract stating that if the film was a box-office success, there would be sequels. That Fox employee was later fired, but when the first film grossed $644 million on a budget of $207 million, Sega and 20th Century Studios announced the development of a second movie. Production studios from there such as Marza Animation Planet and Blur Studio worked on the film for animation while 20th Century Studios' 20th Century Animation also did the animation. Walden Media also did executive producing. Mark Hamill was announced to be apart of the film in 2009, and others such as Tom Kenny and Seth Green were announced.

Spike Lee did not return to work on other projects, and Bird took his place. Kyle Balda and Joel Coen served as co-directors for the film. Mark Hamill voiced Mecha Sonic in this film as Bird though Hamill's voice was "perfect" for Mecha Sonic. Production started in October 2008, only a few months after the film started and was completed on March 17, 2010. The first teaser was released in October 2009, at E3 2009, showing the film's first poster. More promotional material for the movie soon followed until its release date one year later. Hans Zimmer returned to the film to compose the music while Jun Senoue was bought on to compose rock songs and Johnny Gioeli to perform a new song, Teamwork.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble was released on October 10, 2010 and received mixed reviews, compared to the first film, with critics praising the animation, acting, visual effects, and the return of Mecha Sonic since Sonic and Knuckles, but the screenplay, despite being an improvement, runtime, and mostly "bad" jokes and filler were criticized. Despite this, the film grossed $823 million on a budget of $211 million, making it the fourth highest grossing film of 2010. Although in recent years, Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble has received better critical reception, especially from fans of the franchise. A sequel titled, Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos was released in 2012.

Synopsis
Two years after the Battle of Las Vegas, Robotnik (Bruce Willis) strikes again as he is broken out of prison by his robot, Egg Robo (Gary A. Hecker). He creates his new robot Mecha Sonic Mk. II (Mark Hamill) and revives Metal Sonic (Tim Curry), to once again dominate the world and launch his new space station, the Death Egg. Meanwhile Jeff (Michael Cera) has moved to a new neighboorhood while Sonic (Robert Pattinson) discovers that there were eight Chaos Emeralds, one of them destroyed making seven, using the seven can make you have unlimited power as he also goes along with his friends and new allies to defeat Robotnik.

Cast

 * Bruce Willis as Doctor Ivo Robotnik, a mad scientist genius who revives Mecha Sonic Mk. II and Metal Sonic and launches his space station, the Death Egg.
 * Denzel Washington as General Thomas Mackerel, the military general of Area 51, now moved over to New York City, and called Area 55.
 * Michael Cera as Jeff Balkiry, a 19 year old boy who works at a middle school and is friends with Sonic and the others.
 * Danny DeVito as Edward Balkiry, Jeff's grandpa who owns a lab in his basement and makes money off his new inventions.
 * Charlie Day as Grant Svenson, a computer tech at Area 55 who is married to Chloe Sanchez who also works with him.
 * Christina Ricci as Chloe Sanchez, Mackerel’s assistant at Area 55 and the wife of Svenson.
 * Bob Odenkirk as President Broadie Allen, the president of the United Federations, who resides in Central City.
 * Jennifer Saunders as Hillary Balkiry, Jeff's mother.
 * Alec Baldwin as Arnold Balkiry, Jeff's father.
 * Mandy Patinkin as Principal Michael Danvers, the principal of I.S. 109, the school that Jeff works at.
 * Skyler Gisondo as Timothy Beckett, A 11 year old kid who is Jeff's former neighbor, until he moved.

Voices

 * Robert Pattinson as Sonic the Hedgehog, a blue anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run very fast.
 * Pattinson also voices Shadow, a black hedgehog who is a ally of Sonic and wears air shoes.
 * Mark Hamill as Mecha Sonic Mark II, another robotic copy of Sonic, created after Robotnik was freed from prison.
 * Idris Elba as Knuckles, a red echidna with boxing gloves who is the strongest of the group.
 * Emma Stone as Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog with her piko-piko hammer who has a crush on Sonic.
 * Anna Faris as Miles "Tails" Prower, a smart fox with two tails who invents gadgets and can fly. He creates a new biplane called the Tornado 2 which can also transform into a mech.
 * Faris also voices Charmy the Bee, a bee who is part of the Chaotix Detective Agency.
 * Tim Curry as Metal Sonic, the first robotic copy of Sonic, teaming up with Robotnik and Mecha Sonic.
 * Tom Kenny as Vector the Crocodile, the leader of the Chaotix Detective Agency and the most mature out of them all.
 * Seth Green as Espio the Chameleon, a chameleon who is also a member of the Chaotix Detective Agency.
 * Gary A. Hecker as Egg Robo, Robotnik's robotic henchman.
 * Phil Hayes and Garry Chalk as Scratch and Grounder, Robotnik’s two dimwitted badniks. Hayes and Chalk reprise their roles from the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon.
 * Frank Welker, Gary A. Hecker and Dee Bradley Baker as Robotnik's badniks.

Cameos

 * Silver Sonic from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 makes a cameo in a flashback Robotnik has.

Inital reception
Upon release in October 2010, Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. They praised its CGI animation, visual effects, acting, and improved writing, but criticized the runtime, filler, and some aspects of the writing. On the Wayback Machine, it is shown in 2015, the film had a 41% approval rating on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. Its critical consenus read "Triple Trouble is deeply inferior to the first movie in a lot of ways."