Good evening everyone, and welcome to another session of me reviewing movies, and either recommend them, or advise against people seeing a certain film. Not to mention that we are now less than five reviews away from Movie Review # 350 (which yes, again, I think I have a film picked out to review for that special occasion when that day comes). Either way, tonight, we review a movie that happens to be based off of a popular video game, and TV franchise. The character of these video games has appeared in games that were made for video game consoles such as Sega, Nintendo Game Cube, and consoles like that. Not to mention that he is a character that is featured in some of the more recent Super Smash Bros. video games as well. That’s right! It is that beloved hedgehog character that has grown on many of us video game buffs over the years. Released on February 14th, 2020, the movie is appropriately titled Sonic The Hedgehog.
Plot: After using a special portal to get himself transported from his home planet to ours, Sonic spends time on Earth enjoying life there. But ten years later, when the villainous Dr. Robotnik tries to hunt the blue alien down, can Sonic, with the help of a local police sheriff named Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), and his wife, a veterinarian named Maddie (Tika Sumpter) defeat his archenemy once and for all?
Now, when I was kid, and more of a video game nerd then than I may be to a certain degree now, I wasn’t quite as into any video games that were about Sonic The Hedgehog as probably many people around my age were. Sure, I did play Sonic games with friends that had the Sega video game system. Nevertheless, I was more into video games like Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, The Legend Of Zelda, and video games like those. However, after renting the Game Cube video game Sonic Adventure 2: Battle back in my early teen years in the early 2000’s, I would say that I became a little more invested in video games that were about the blue alien creature after that. So much so that I sometimes would play him as a character on Super Smash Bros. video games (unless I played a different character). Years later, when I saw trailers for this new film, I was very excited to see this movie, even though it looked like some of the other Sonic characters weren’t going to appear.
After seeing this film recently, was it good? For the most part, yes it was. Now, by that, I mean that there are a couple points that could have more than likely made this film a little better. First of all, the beginning of this film may have moved a little too quickly. In fact, while we get to see and hear a little bit of Sonic’s back story in the beginning, one can easily tell that his origin story could have maybe added in an extra five to ten minutes, if not more, simply to have a little more depth to Sonic’s character. The other problem is that some of characters in the supporting cast might feel a little too generic like your typical cynical sibling, or characters like those.
But is this movie bad? Heck no! In fact, if you liked a movie such as Detective Pikachu (which was another video game and TV franchise that was just released last year), you’re bound to enjoy Sonic The Hedgehog too. Sure, Detective Pikachu may have done some elements better, most notably when it comes to mostly excellent character development and world building. While Sonic The Hedgehog was not quite nearly as strong in areas like those, those areas are still very strong for the most part, along with other elements that make this movie really good. Next, there is the main cast of this film. Still, one or two of the main characters might feel a little stereotypical on the surface. However, as the movie progresses, you grow to love and appreciate the main characters of this film more and more. That is especially when it comes to the main character Sonic. First off, let’s give credit to Jim Fowler, and the filmmakers of Paramount Pictures and Sega for choosing to listen to the fans about changing the design of Sonic to look much closer to his original design. That is especially even if that meant waiting an extra three months to release this film. Sure, changing Sonic’s design meant not having him look as realistic as much as he would have otherwise. Still, with the movie having plenty of human characters, why should that have to be an issue, you know? One other thing to enjoy about Sonic’s character is that he is very genuine about how he feels in regards to whatever he goes through. When he’s happy, he’s not afraid to express it. Same goes for when he’s sad and depressed, or has other emotions like those. Anyway, you have James Marsden as Tom Wachowski, and his wife Maddie. Sure, Tom might have more development of the two, but you still appreciate them both regardless. Oh, and as for James Marsden, if you liked him in roles such as 2007’s Enchanted, or possibly even 2011’s Hop, you’ll probably like his role in this role too. However, one of the other best characters in addition to those three is most definitely Jim Carrey’s character Dr. Robotnik. While watching this guy on screen, all I could wonder is why the villain in Fox and Blue Sky’s Spies In Disguise wasn’t as well developed as Robotnik. As a result, it’s almost like one could picture a family comedy like The Emperor’s New Groove, except with a slightly better villain, and a story with more spice and flare added to it.Additionally, plenty of the jokes are funny, well-timed, and very memorable as well. In addition to all of this, there are some good messages in Sonic The Hedgehog that may hit people hard at home. Some of these might include questions such as to whether or not we make decisions for the right reasons, or the wrong ones. What’s more is that some of the visual designs, and animation is very good too. There are also some Easter eggs, and references to the games that appear throughout the course of this film. Oh, and one more thing to mention is that when the film ends, and goes into the end credits, make sure to stick around at least for a few minutes afterwards. There’s a mid-credits scene that you don’t want to miss.
And that’s my review for Sonic The Hedgehog. Yes, the movie could have maybe ran an extra 15-20 minutes that’s more typical than most family films. I mean come on, even Disney Animation seems to make their films a little longer than ninety minutes nowadays. Thankfully Sonic The Hedgehog didn’t have a shorter running time, but took in time to develop as much as possible, even if it could have improved in a couple areas. And praise God that Sonic’s design was changed, especially since this movie might not have been as successful otherwise. Well, whether you have been a big video game fan, or not, this is one film that you should try to check out nonetheless. The story is heartwarming, the plot is very good, and there are a few other reasons to make it a point to see this film. Even if you haven’t played any video games that are about this character, Sonic, there should still be a way to get into the story of this film. Yes, this movie may be enjoyed a little more by people who grew up with Sonic games. Still, non-Sonic people should be able to find ways to enjoy this film as well.
Final Grade: A-
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 