Sonic the Hedgehog (Review)
Sonic the Hedgehog is One of the Best Video Game Movies to Date!
For those of you who have spent your lives under a rock, Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game that was designed for kids. So, it makes sense that the film adaptation of that would be a movie for kids (and nostalgic geeks). Keeping that in mind, I dare to say that Sonic the Hedgehog just might be one of the best video game movies I’ve ever seen. It’s well aware of just how ridiculous its premise was but embraces it with a warmth and acceptance that proves contagious. Thanks to some truly likable characters and a fun sense of humor, Sonic the Hedgehog proves to be a movie that the whole family will actually enjoy.
Sonic the Hedgehog follows the titular blue, speed demon hedgehog (voiced by Ben Schwartz) hiding on Earth in the small town of Green Hills, Montana. There he spies on the unsuspecting townfolks and grows to think of them all as his friends (who just don’t know he exists). Life is lonely for the little Hedgehog, but he’s far from emo about it. Instead, he’d committed to living his best life. That is until an accident alerts mad scientist Dr. Robotnik (Jimm Carrey) to his existence. With the evil genius on his trail, Sonic turns to the beloved town sheriff (James Marsden) to help him escape the villain’s clutches.
When the original trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog hit, the internet was not happy with the hyperrealistic version of the classic videogame character. It was, more or less, the stuff of nightmares. Fortunately, the fine folks at Sega listened to the outrage and went back to fix their CGI abomination. The new Sonic is actually all kinds of adorable. Does he look “realistic?” Not really, but this is a film based on a videogame character that was originally 16-bits. I’m a fan of the new look for the character and found that it gave him a lot more personality. The fact that he’s an alien in the film makes it much easier to accept the big anime-esque eyes and odd physiology of the little blue devil. The guy is an all-around cutie and that makes it hard to not to love him. That just makes it easier to root for him as the film’s hero.
The general rule of thumb is that movies based on video games suck. So, the bar was pretty low for Sonic the Hedgehog. Like a world-class hurdler though, it manages to clear it. That’s because the film sticks to the basics and focuses on getting those right. It sets up plenty of plot points early on so that they can pay off later without feeling forced. Marsden’s character is a small town Sheriff who dreams of working in a big city so that one day he can be that guy that people come to for help. He wants to prove that he has what it takes to be a hero and save someone. So, when Sonic shows up on his doorstep, it makes sense that he agrees to help. The film is littered with details like this that might seem simple at first, but pay off by making it a smooth and relatively logical ride for audiences. There are also plenty of easter eggs from the games in the film too, and I honestly have to applaud writers Patrick Casey and Josh Miller at the slick ways they were able to work those into the story (notably a perfectly executed “Egg Man” reference).
More than anything Sonic the Hedgehog is really funny. Jim Carrey returns with a vengeance playing Robotnik as a narcissistic and condescending creep. It’s a reminder of all the over the top characters he’d played in the past that audiences have loved and the guy hasn’t lost his touch over the years. Marsden also brings a lot of charm with him as always. There’s just something likable about him with his dashing good looks, boyish smile, and willingness to be a bit of a doofus on camera. His character, Tom Wachowski, seems like a genuinely good guy and the banter he has with his wife (Tika Sumpter) makes them a couple I would love to be friends with. Then there’s Schwartz (who you might know better as John Ralphio from Parks and Recreation) as Sonic. Schwartz has a load of charisma and is able to sell even his lamer lines. He brings a serious sense of excitement and cool to the character that you can’t help but find endearing. There are moments where he fumbles a bit during more intense action scenes, but it’s nothing too distracting. It’s a terrific cast in general and all of them play their parts perfectly.
Sonic the Hedgehog is just a fun movie all around. More than that, it’s a legitimately great video game movie. It’s funny, exciting, and has enough feel-good moments to even get a few “awwww”s from the audience. The showing I attended was filled with laughter and kids declaring their love for the character. There were even a few adults excitedly whispering about the references that they picked up on. Usually, I frown on talking in movies, but Sonic the Hedgehog is one of those rare films that was a wonderful shared experience. I was just in a good mood throughout it. I definitely recommend it.
