Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook Review: Sonic Spin-off Gets Stylish Release

The Idris Elba-led Knuckles show premiered on Paramount+ earlier this year, and now it’s available to own at home. The Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook release is certainly the most stylish way to own the Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off and features some worthwhile bonus features as well.

“Knuckles takes place between the films Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and follows Knuckles (Idris Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protege and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior,” says the synopsis. “Featuring appearances by Ben Schwartz (Sonic), Colleen O’Shaughnessy (Tails) and Tika Sumpter (Maddie), the ensemble cast also includes Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Rory McCann (Game of Thrones), Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), and Paul Scheer (Black Monday).”

Knuckles was a hit on Paramount+, and for good reason. The six-episode series is an entertaining and quick watch, keeping the same charm and humor as the first two Sonic movies. Some limitations are shown, as Knuckles takes a backseat occasionally to his protege Wade (played by Adam Pally). So fans looking for 3 hours of nonstop Knuckles action will be a bit disappointed as the series didn’t have that kind of budget and is instead much more of a buddy comedy.

However, Wade’s storyline, in which he has to find the warrior spirit and confront his own daddy issues in the form of Cary Elwes’ hilarious “Pistol” Pete, a deadbeat dad turned over-the-top bowler, is able to hold its own in between some great Knuckles moments. Pally really impresses with his comic timing, and other highlights include a hilarious low-budget rock opera featuring Michael Bolton. There are also a number of surreal moments, such as Knuckles fighting Kid Cudi, and some great Easter egg references, like Knuckles wearing a cowboy hat like in the old OVA.

One of the big selling points of the Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook is naturally the SteelBook itself. The eye-popping red case features the powered-up echidna on the cover and looks great. Meanwhile, the back features a cool image of Knuckles on his throne, which is sure to look great in any Sonic collection, and the inside is a humorous image of Knuckles wearing a virtual reality headset next to Sonic. It’s a really stylish SteelBook and one of my favorites as a fan of the video games.

The Knuckles Blu-ray also features over 12 minutes of bonus features. Most of the five videos are previously aired television or online spots, like a game of “this or that?” and the cast doing impressions of Knuckles, but they’re all fun to see, and it’s nice to have them all in one spot. The real draw here is the new gag reel, which is seven-and-a-half minutes long and features some incredible footage of the Knuckles puppet that the actors filmed with before the CGI was added. The scenes are hilarious, and every moment with the puppet puts a goofy smile on my face.

Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook Review: Final Verdict

The Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook is an easy recommendation for any Sonic fan looking to add the hilarious series to their collection. It looks great when being displayed on a shelf and is just as fun to watch. Plus, the worthwhile bonus features give you an extra incentive to revisit the show before Sonic the Hedgehog 3 comes out.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received product from distributor for our Knuckles Blu-ray SteelBook review.