Title: Sonic The Hedgehog
Release Date: Feb 14th, 202o
Studio: Paramount Pictures, Sega Sammy Group
Director: Jeff Fowler
Release Format: Theatrical
Sonic The Hedgehog is a film that has as much controversy as Sonic has miles on his shoes. His latest adventure shows fans why they shouldn’t have been so quick to count him out.
Yes, you read that right as for months, fans have only had one thought that this wouldn’t be worth a penny. Unfortunately, I have to break it to you that it’s worth every dime and nickel this Valentine’s weekend.
Sonic revolves around the titular character being on the run from Dr. Robotnik( Jim Carrey), who aims to catch him for experiments. This sees Sonic(Ben Schwartz) go on an adventure with Sherrif Wachowski (James Marsden) across the country to escape danger.
I surprisingly enjoyed the film after coming in with a trash bag full of fruit ready to throw at the screen. I left the theatre with a smile on my face and my car’s backseat smelling like a grocery aisle.
Sonic The Hedgehog exceeds expectations by giving a film that is comedic, fast-paced, and fun above all else. It stays in its lane, not reinventing the wheel but has a mostly smooth ride by doing so.
Colorful Faces
Sonic is the main attraction here and channels what you loved about the character from the ’90s. He’s a blue ball of a good time, and usually, those phrases don’t go together, but this is the exception, The movie has a nostalgic feel of a film from the era that works in its favor.
James Marsden continues to be the Hollywood go-to-guy when you need against CGI characters. He plays the straight man to Sonic’s laidback, almost childlike wonderment. He’s not overly rigid and has jokes that work because he comes off as an everyday dude.
Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik(Eggman) adds more dimension to the character than it’s gotten through its existence. Although Carrey goes a bit too over the top sometimes, luckily, it works more often than not.
Some of Carrey’s jokes, which seemed ad-libbed, that had me dying of laughter. Carry is a prodigy in the ring when it comes to comedy, hitting you with quick jabs before throwing a haymaker of laughter to your gut when it’s least expected.
Robotnik’s relationship with his assistant, while not delved into deeply, makes me want to see more of that dynamic in a sequel. It’s the classic Mr. Burns and Smither’s relationship of a boss treating his underling like trash with a twist. The relationship with their boss is almost endearing, unlike most people’s real-life relationship with their boss being more like Biggie and 2pac.
The Surprising and The Expected
The story is straight forward and something that’s unfolded a million times over on the silver screen. Yet, I still ended up being into it the whole way through. The movie’s quick pace helps avoid any unnecessary bloat many other films tend to fall victim to.
While I never for one moment felt that Sonic was in danger or would lose, I definitely wanted to see how things played out. This is like hearing your grandpa tell the same for the 50th time, but you’ll listen because of the amusing non-PC stuff that will fly out his mouth.
Walking into the after-credits scene, you would be excused in thinking that Iron Man is playing in theatres again. Nerds and kids alike lost their minds as if Nick Fury walked in, talking about the “Avengers Initiative.” If this movie wasn’t good, nobody would care, even to stay long enough, but Sonic hit the checkmarks to make you want to see a second entry.
I like the look of Sonic; the colors aren’t muted like other projects out today. This is meant to be a vibrant movie, and the aesthetics give you that feeling of adventure. The CGI looks pretty good all-around, with Sonic being the best looking out of everything. He doesn’t look out of place in the world and looks great in action.
Speaking of the action, I wish there was more of it showcasing Sonic’s powers. The problem goes back to anything being a big enough threat to show a spectacular battle. It’s like someone forgot to up the difficulty and is playing on easy mode with the end result has Sonic being overpowered and fighting underwhelming battles.
Sonic Got His Step Back
Verdict: Sonic The Hedgehog is possibly the most entertaining video game based movie to date. It may not be a movie of the year, but it makes a good watch for families or fans of the series. The writing not being as consistent in later parts is made up for by the pure fun of it all.
This is the kind of film where if it aired on TV, I’d kick back and watch it anytime. I can’t stress how much of an easy watch it is due to the pacing (and runtime). Sonic knows what it is and how to have audiences leaving the theatre happy.
What’s the best video game movie? Have a favorite Sonic game? Leave your comments!
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