SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
By Quinn Marcus
(2020)
Age: 7+
70/100: SWEET/SOUR
So What’s The Story?
Sonic, a little blue alien is chased off of his home planet by island warriors who want his power. So, Sonic’s protector and mentor Longclaw gives him rings that open portals to anywhere in the universe. Sonic is sent to Earth with a backup plan in case something goes wrong. He spends his days in a cave reading comics, playing ping-pong and trying to keep himself hidden from the world. That all changes when Sonic causes a power surge. The Pentagon decides to bring in Dr. Robotnik to find and neutralize the creature. Sonic immediately turns to Tom, a San Francisco cop and someone Sonic has been watching for some time. Together they go on the run, protecting each other from Dr. Robotnik’s creations.
Is It Worth Your While?
It’s hard to think of a good video game film adaptation since most of them are so bad. For example: Tombraider (2018, 30% sour). They can never come up with a great story idea. Instead they have hope that a bunch of references and action that resembles the game will get players hooked. While many of these films make money, they are not great. Well, I found this film to be a surprise. We all remember the memes and hate that were built up due to the original Sonic design (terrifying). However, the film did do what most movies wouldn’t waste their time on. That is to go back and redo everything about the visuals. I have to say, it worked. The effects were more satisfying and energetic. Is it only for the gamers? Well it depends, the film has material for both gamers and non-gamers alike. Although some references might slip past some people’s minds, there is a substantial amount of jokes and story to keep non-gamers entertained. Take it from me, a guy who is not a gamer, but still thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
The director (Jeff Fowler) is a first time director having done mostly only a few tv movies. As his first big opportunity, I was generally impressed. Sometimes the film felt muddled and frantic, but he binded a solid story together with just enough action to keep viewers entertained. The writers jokes didn’t always land and sometimes scenes felt tired. Then again, there were some genius, well written scenes such as Sonic’s baseball scene and Jim Carrey’s first scene. Although the writing may sometimes have been simple and no more than average, it’s way better than what other video game adaptations could come up with. Yes, there were a few noticeable plot holes, but over time you forget about them and just enjoy the film. Detective Pikachu (2019, 65% sweet/sour) was another video game movie that surpassed expectations. The only thing keeping it from reaching the same quality as this was the thrown away ending. Sonic The Hedgehog wrapped up the film in a dazzling spectacle with even a little heart. Overall Sonic The Hedgehog was entertaining, generically, but amusingly written, eye catching, and a fine push for Jeff Fowler’s career as a director.
How Was The Cast?
Sonic The Hedgehog’s cast did a committed job of bringing their character’s to life. First, we have Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic The Hedgehog. Not only did he get this popular game character’s voice right. He also brought into the film his sense of over confidence and his need to protect his friends. At points it was a battle between who is more entertaining, Ben Schwartz or Jim Carrey. Although Jim’s role was smaller, he was extremely funny. Next, we have James Marsden as Tom Wachowski. James hasn’t had a hit film in a while, or at least a film he did good in, but I thought he was decent in this. Most of the time you just wanted to see Jim Carrey and Sonic brawl it out and not have this generic, small town cop in the story. However, James’s character was interesting enough to keep in the film. James had some good jokes and always seems to work well with what I would imagine to be a broom on set. Obviously it’s not a game changer for him, but it’s a start. Third and finally, we have Jim Carrey as Dr. Ivo Robotnik. I missed Jim Carrey, or at least his wild, insane performances. This film really brought back to life his flair for making every twitch, every move he made hysterical. Every good Jim Carrey movie has his signature scene. Without a scene like this, you might as well not call it a Jim Carrey film. In this they managed to squeeze the dancing in the lab scene in there. Now that was a classic Carrey scene: funny, crazy and full of the comedic force that jump started his career. Although he did his best with what he had in the film, I generally thought Jim Carrey was underused. I hope that in future projects Jim continues to bring his brilliant charisma to his films.
Aging ‘The Little Spacehog’
Sonic is one of the more tame video game adaptations. There is minimum flirting. There are a few kisses on the cheek. Sonic is forced into seclusion from others and feels lonely. Dr. Robotnik is a fun, kid-friendly villain that will make all audiences laugh. There are some explosions, laser battles and a quick bar fight. Character’s are in peril often. However, there is a warm message of belonging in the film. Sonic is taken in by those who he saved and is marked a hero by his town. Overall if you’re in a family looking for something fun to watch, this is the one for you.
