In 1991, Japanese video game company Sega, released game titled, “Sonic The Hedgehog on Sega Genesis. The game is about a blue hedgehog with super speed who uses his power to collect rings to prevent Dr. Robotnik from using it for evil. Sonic’s appearance, personality and super speed was influenced by The Flash, Santa Claus, Felix The Cat, Mickey Mouse & Michael Jackson’s white glove and boots from the album, “Bad.” Sonic’s first game became an instant hit kickstarting a franchise spawning numerous games, a cartoon aired in 1993-1996 with Jaleel White as the blue guy, action figures, t-shirts and crossover appearances in the “Super Smash Bros.” series since Brawl.
Fast-Forward to 2013 when Sony acquired the film rights to adapt Sonic on the big screen. Skip to 2017, Paramount Pictures ultimately bought the rights. Ben Schwarts (Parks And Recreations) signed on to voice the character. Jim Carrey also signed on to portray Sonic’s nemesis, Dr. Robotnik. In 2019, Paramount released a trailer gone horribly wrong. Sonic’s appearance was so ugly he fell off a tree hitting every branch all the way down to the public reacting in disgust. In response to negative feedback, Paramount delayed the movie for an entire year, so they redo Sonic’s face to resemble his actual appearance from the games. After a lengthy repair, the movie was officially distributed in time.
Sonic The Hedgehog was officially released in 2020. (same year Ghost Of Tsushima came out) It received mixed reviews from critics, fans and gamers alike. Regardless of divisive reactions, the movie made enough money at the box office. A sequel will be released on April 8th, 2022, with Ben Schwartz & Jim Carrey reprising their roles. Idris Elba will voice Knuckles. Before the sequel comes out, I wanna share my thoughts on Sonic’s big screen debut. One more thing, Mario is getting his own movie this Christmas with Chris Pratt voicing Nintendo’s mascot.
Today’s review contains no SPOILERS. I’ll give some of you a chance to see it.
Fast & Slow Elements
Fast: Although Roger Craig Smith is not involved, Ben Schwartz did a fantastic job for his performance as Sonic.
Other Cast Members such as James Marsden & Jim Carrey all did a decent job for their respective performances.
Tim Miller (Deadpool) serves as an executive producer.
Action Sequences have great moments showcasing Sonic’s super speed.
Humor has a lot of legit funny moments from Sonic’s dialogue.
Cinematography was shot flawlessly without succumbing to Shaky Cam.
Junkie XL (Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, Zack Snyder’s Justice League) orchestrated the music.
Visual Effects brought the titular character to life. Thank goodness Paramount did the right thing delaying the film for a year so they can fix his face. The Effects Team were influenced by Seth MacFarlane’s “Ted” in order to create their own interpretation of Sonic.
Chemistry between Sonic & Tom serves as the main highlight. Their interactions with each other moves the story forward.
Before the movie starts, rings replace the Paramount logo’s stars. What you’re about to see, is gonna be one heck of a fun ride.
Pacing felt normal for a 90-minute film.
A fart scene made me laugh very hard.
Prior to the events of the movie, Sonic has an origin story. Don’t worry, it doesn’t take forever like Ang Lee’s “Hulk.”
Sonic resides in a small town called, Green Hill. A reference to Green Hill Zone depicted in the games. A wink to fans.
One scene shows Sonic watching “Speed.” Keanu Reeves reprised his role as Ted in “Bill And Ted Face The Music.” He also portrayed Johnny Silverhand in the controversial video game “Cyberpunk 2077.”
Tom’s last name, Wachowksi could be a reference to filmmaking duo, The Wachowskis. They’re known for “The Matrix Trilogy” & “V For Vendetta.” They’re also real-life gamers. Speaking of The Matrix, there’s a Bullet Time (slow-motion) scene or two with Sonic slowing down time.
A Mid-Credits Scene sets up the next installment.
Slow: I couldn’t find anything wrong. I’m giving The Cast & Crew an Extra Point for making a flawless movie as possible.
The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!
Sonic The Hedgehog is arguably the best movie based on a video game franchise. At first, I felt skeptical over an adaptation of a video game franchise. Upon watching Sonic’s movie, I never expect it to be so great. I can’t wait to see the sequel. If you’re prepping up for Sonic The Hedgehog 2, watch the first one if you want to refresh your memory.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 