Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

6/10

Starring

James Marsden

Ben Schwartz (voice)

Tika Sumpter

Jim Carrey

Directed by Jeff Fowler

Sonic the Hedgehog is not a bad movie to see, but it tries so hard to pull at the heartstrings that there was a time it almost got mine. Now Jim Carrey’s general knack of over acting was a plus in this movie, his put together of Doctor Robotnik just stands out well done. The design of Sonic stays true to game’s animation, which is a hurrah for the production team for listening to criticism. That said the movie’s plot lacked the needed excitement for a fantasy movie and it was so easy to guess your way through.

This is not the first time I am seeing Sonic on TV instead of on a game. I recall seeing the animation when I was much younger, there he was too confident and much like a bully to the bad guys. I liked his portrayal here more than I did back then.

This is the first live action film of this iconic gaming character created by Sega in 1991 and it is not bad.

The movie introduces us to the lead character Sonic who is an extraterrestrial blue hedgehog. In the world he lives in as a child he was born with supersonic speed and he lives under the care of an Owl who tells him to hide his powers. Sonic being young did not listen and when he was being hunted, the Owl gave him a bag of rings, which can open portals to new worlds and asked him to hide there. He was told to leave the moment he his discovered.

Sonic steps through the portal and finds himself on earth, Green Hills Montana to be precise. He lives there for years and starts to idolize the local sheriff (Tom Wachowski played by James Marsden). Everything was going great and the man he idolizes does not know he exist although Sonic follows him everywhere, even to his home.

One day, his loneliness got the best of him and he ran so fast that his powers got noticed. The government then hired Doctor Robotnik to find out the source. This is where their rivalry began. Which is what we see all through the games, Robotnik trying to catch Sonic and Sonic always getting the upper hand.

I recall many thinking the redesign of Sonic will cost almost an arm and a leg, but it cost around $5 million dollars, in addition to the already over $80 million production cost. The whole thing was worth it, if you saw the old trailer and this new one.

I see Sonic doing well in the box office, as it set the record for the biggest opening weekend, and with the way it ends, there are many paths towards a second part that the writers can take.

If you get the time to go see this movie, just allow yourself to see it as something done for a child and not for adults because the movie’s plot seems to be done to please children.

If you think too much of it, all you will see is plot holes and reasons for you to wish never to see another Sonic movie.