Sonic the Hedgehog movie review

MOVIE TITLE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour, 39 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A-

IN A NUTSHELL:

Super fun. Super sonic. The popular, blue hedgehog is back! SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is a live-action comedy adventure based on the video game franchise from Sega. I was pleasantly surprised because this fun family film is much better than I expected it to be. Movies based on video games are notoriously bad, so I’m happy to announce that this one breaks that unfortunate mold! The design team seems to really know and love Sonic, carefully including lots of details that Sonic fans will enjoy.

I watched the movie with a guy who does video game reviews on YouTube named Lynn Hunsaker, so I was really curious to see what he was going to think of the movie. When I asked him what he was hoping to see in the film before it started, he said he really wanted to hear the famous name yelled out like in the video game: Sega! Sadly, they didn’t do that. Even still, after the movie, his one word to describe the movie was “Phenomenal!” That’s a really strong recommendation from a gamer! His YouTube channel is called “blue ranger power.”

Mega fans and the original designer of Sonic (Naoto Ohshima) absolutely hated the way Sonic looked in the first trailer that was released last year. Because of their outrage, a new design was created and the film’s release was postponed. The good news is that you don’t have to be familiar with any of the Sonic video games to be completely entertained.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Biracial, married couple
No profanity, but the word “sucks” is used.
Fart noises, which made the kids in the audience laugh every time.
Talk of formula vs. breastfeeding
Despite the movie being a PG film, there is an extensive bar scene with alcohol, bad behavior, and a big bar fight.
Explosions, destruction
People in perilous situations
Some of the humor for adults is pushing the edge for what should be in a PG film.

THEMES:

Friendship, connection
Loneliness
Bucket Lists
Prove yourself
Humanity and the human experience
“What could possibly be more important than protecting the people you care about?” – Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz)
“It’s all about family, Tom.” – Sonic

THINGS I LIKED:

After a long list of A-list actors were considered to voice Sonic, the winner for the role was chosen: Ben Schwartz. He does a great job with the voice and keeps the energy up throughout the entire film.
I’ve always really loved James Marsden ever since I first saw him in Enchanted and Hairspray (2007) when they both hit theaters the same year in 2007. This is actually his third live action/animation hybrid film, along with Hop He’s really good at acting to CGI characters, which is probably why he was selected to play the leading human role.
Rumor has it that Jim Carrey wanted to be in this movie because his daughter has been a big fan of the SONIC video games for years. He’s described by Sonic as a “mad man with a mustache from the Civil War.” My video gamer friend told me that Dr. Robotnik is supposed to be very serious and bad, so he didn’t like Jim Carrey’s comic spin on the role, but I liked it. Rather than playing a one-note villain, he brings some backstory motivation to his character that is entertaining and allows him to go all in in classic Jim Carrey style. I also thought his villain gloves and gadgets were super cool.
You get to see Sonic when he was a little kid and when his furry body gets all wet, both adorable.
I loved the scene with Sonic and the turtle. I had 3 pet turtles, so it made me laugh out loud.
Lots of fun, upbeat music.
Lots of humor for adults and kids with witty dialogue.
There’s a really funny slow-motion scene in a bar. That kind of action has been done better in other movies, but I was still completely entertained.
For Sonic fans, there are some respectful nods to the video game, like talk of flying eggs, and lots of other hidden Easter eggs.
You get to travel around the world to see sites in Paris, Egyptian pyramids, the Great Wall of China, and San Francisco.
Lots of physical comedy. Parents and kids laughed every time Sonic “flossed.”
Definitely keep watching during the rolling credits at the end of the movie for a fun cameo surprise at about the mid-credit spot. I also really like how they turned scenes from the movie into what looked like video game footage during the closing credits. Unfortunately, there is nothing else at the very, very end of the credits.
Tim Miller, who made the first Deadpool, is a producer in this film, so some people are calling this new SONIC film a type of Deadpool for kids because of the snarky, edgy humor, and breaking of the 4th wall.
The visual effects team, Blur Studio, did a really great job with CGI.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The movie doesn’t use any of the current cast from the Sonic video games that have been used since 2010 at Studiopolis. Too bad.
Sooooo many shout-outs to companies that it just feels like a blatant cash grab: Olive Garden, Amazon, Optical Illusions eyewear store, and Comic-Con. There are also shout-outs for movies and actors like Charlotte’s Web (2006) , Men In Black, The Rock, and Vin Diesel..
I didn’t care for Natash Rothwell’s character. She was always ripping on James Marsden’s character and encouraged her sister to divorce him. She overreacted to everything and was more annoying than funny, but the audience liked her.
Some fake CGI moments.
It would have been more fun to go on more stops during the road trip.

FUNNY LINES:

* “Wade must have lost his mind.” – Tiki Sumpter (Maddie Wachowski) “He didn’t have much to lose.” – Tom Wachowski (James Marsden)

“It’s a pay phone. It’s mostly for drug deals and fugitives from the law, like us.” – Tom Wachowski (James Marsden)
“The face…I was born with. The confidence I picked up along the way.” – Sonic (Ben Schwartz)
“Is The Rock president yet?” – Sonic

INTERESTING LINES: