4/5. Paramount and Sega’s Sonic The Hedgehog blasts Sonic into a medium never attempted by the blue blur: a theatrical film. The movie is a fun and solid experience for all ages. My name is Xander, I am in grade 12, and this is my review.
Sonic The Hedgehog sees Sonic enjoying his secret but lonely life in the town of Green Hills, dreaming of having friends and a family, especially with local town sheriff Tom Wachowski. One night while running, Sonic releases an electric shockwave that knocks out the power across the Pacific Northwest. This alerts the U.S. Department of Defense who enlist the scientific genius Dr. Robotnik to find the cause of the outage with the aid of his machines. Sonic tries to go to Tom for help, but their meeting results in Sonic losing his magic rings through a portal that ends up in San Francisco. Now, Sonic and Tom have to work together to get to San Francisco before Dr. Robotnik can capture Sonic. This journey shows Sonic what it is like to work with others, the meaning of friendship and being part of a family.
The high-speed, action-packed movie is a great introduction to Sonic for audiences that might have not played the games. This doesn’t mean it’s still not a treat for long-time Sonic fans as throughout the whole movie there are references to all the past Sonic games, some right in your face and some that you might miss on a first viewing. The movie’s CGI is animated well and the voicing by Ben Schwartz is a great fit for Sonic. The real star of the movie is Jim Carrey, playing an eccentric, comedic, and somewhat crazed Robotnik that steals every scene.
My only real problem with the movie, other than its clear directive to play things safe for the kiddie audience, is the score which is somewhat disappointing. If there is one thing that the Sonic games are known for, it’s the great music, yet his big theatrical debut only uses two songs from the games, with one of them being a more unknown tune from Sonic Mania. I can understand why the movie follows a more generic and cinematic score, but it would have been nice to hear more of these classic and recognizable songs in theaters.
Overall, Sonic The Hedgehog is a great kids' movie that also appeals to adults and long-time Sonic fans. While mostly a comedy, there are some heartfelt moments that the film pulls off well. I think there is something for everyone here and at the very least, you’ll leave the film with a smile on your face.