At Least, 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Isn't an Atrocity

Sonic the Hedgehog is the very first attempt to bring the Sega icon to the big screen.  In it, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is a refugee from another world, and has been living secretly in the small town of Green Hills, Montana for ten years.  But when he accidentally causes an EMP, he eventually finds himself on the radar of the United States Department of Defense, which enlists the services of the mad roboticist Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to hunt him down.  While on the run, Sonic befriends Sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), who then agrees to help him.

This movie was supposed to be released last year.  But due to the backlash for its initially terrible character design of Sonic, it was re-set for a 2020 release so that Sonic’s look could be fixed.  The redesign and the accompanying trailer earned much praise, and based on that new response, the probability for its commercial success became very high – which made me seriously consider the whole thing was an elaborate marketing ploy.  Whether that’s the case or not, the movie indeed turned a profit.

Anyway, it’s a decent adaptation.  It’s not great, but it could have been worse, especially if it stayed put with that original character design.  As something geared for younger audiences, it suffices.  It has a generic plotline, yes, but it’s peppered with strong humor, great buddy chemistry between its CGI and live-action leads (Ben Schwartz’s Sonic and James Marsden’s Tom Wachowski, respectively), an entertaining villain (Jim Carrey, who Jim Carreyed the heck out of his character), and fun set pieces that showcase cool applications of speedster powers and Sonic’s trademark moves.  Plus, its delivery is unpretentious.

Personally, I prefer my Sonic movie to be fully CGI, and not be set on our world.  I would have wanted it to be closer to how the property was interpreted by Archie Comics and by the second Sonic animated series in the 90’s, in which Sonic, Tails, and other anthropomorphic animal characters are freedom fighters working to overthrow Robotnik, an incarnation that is more sinister than usual, who has taken over the world.  This take is striking because of its darker tone and more dramatic storytelling.  A movie that’s similar to this vision would have been awesome.

In the end, this Sonic the Hedgehog movie we got will do.  It’s not quite delightful, but at least, it isn’t an atrocity.  And there’s enjoyment to be had from it.  Hopefully, the sequel – which the ending reveals will have Tails and a more accurately looking Robotnik – will be better suited for more sophisticated tastes.