Based on the SEGA video game, Sonic the Hedgehog is a kiddie movie that could’ve taken more risks, but is weird enough in its own right.
Now best known for the original character design of Sonic with oddly human features that haunted the collective Internet’s nightmares until it bullied director Jeff Fowler to spend millions and retool his entire movie, Sonic the Hedgehog has finally landed into theaters.
The movie itself, now that it’s actually here, is pretty solid! For a concept that probably shouldn’t work, Fowler takes Sonic and drops him into a classic fish out of water tale where he’s on the run from his alien home planet and hanging out undiscovered on Earth, living a life of solitude for 10 years.
Sonic the Hedgehog could’ve been absolutely zany, given the source material, and it could have landed along the lines of something visually kaleidoscopic and daring, like the Wachowskis’ Speed Racer. Instead, the movie takes a different route with a more conventional kids’ movie, a road trip buddy story between Sonic and his new police officer friend, Tim (James Marsden).
It’s very much a PG-rated kids movie, embracing the feel of a 90s romp with high energy, cheesy humor and a lovably goofball protagonist. A throwback in energy rather than aesthetic is a welcome change when we’re currently awash in decades nostalgia of the former variety.
And Sonic as a main character is unexpectedly deep. He’s someone who is quippy and bubbly on the outside, but quickly we learn on the inside, he feels very alone in this world. That might sound funny to hear that about a speedy blue hedgehog from another planet, but it is surprising how much the screenplay gets you to empathize with Sonic’s plight.
In a moment of realizing just how profoundly alone he is (it’s that deep!), Sonic rage runs around a baseball diamond, causing his powers of electricity to rev up and create a massive blackout. The days of Sonic lurking in the shadows are over. The government, which is portrayed as absolutely bumbling and incompetent in a clever nod to today’s politics, decides to bring in the unhinged but brilliant Doctor Robotnik. Enter Jim Carrey.
Speaking of 90s throwback, Carrey in this performance is in his zany late 90s Ace Ventura era element. He’s having a blast, and it is infectious, giving us hilarious line deliveries and even a quirky little dance number in one particularly memorable scene.
It’s obvious vintage Carrey is the main appeal for seeing Sonic the Hedgehog, but there’s a lot else to love, as well. The action is equal parts viscerally breathless and cartoonish, with moments where Sonic, moving so fast, is able to manipulate scenarios while time is slowed down, and this effect not only adds humor but packs a punch in the movie’s climactic action piece.
Most of all though, Sonic the Hedgehog thrives on the budding friendship between police officer Tim and our Sonic. Tim just received a job offer to leave the small town where he’s worked for years to become a street cop, tackling real crime, in San Francisco. Similarly, upon being captured, Sonic accidentally loses his prized possessions, also in San Francisco. These possessions are the signature golden rings from the video game, but here, they work as Sonic’s teleportation device between worlds.
Sonic is preparing to depart Earth for good as, now discovered, he’s putting humanity’s safety at risk with Robotnik on the hunt. Both Tim and Sonic are looking for escapes from what they’ve known and become familiar and comfortable with. It works as a coming-of-age story in this regard, and a heart-warming one tailored to kids.
There are splashes of irreverent humor throughout, like a running bit about Olive Garden that felt tailor made to my weird interests. There’s also a great level of detail in some of the throwaway jokes delivered by Sonic with pop culture references that’ll have you second guessing if a being not from Earth should even know these things. But I guess if he’s so fast, he would quickly gather knowledge and information, as well?
Anyway, that’s not the point. Sonic the Hedgehog is harmless fun. It’s more fun than I was expecting even when it mostly treads familiar plot trajectory. What makes it stand out, however, is that it’s not going for snark or a snide sense of humor. It has its heart in the right place and acts as a story of friendship, family, crossing things off your bucket list and finding out what’s really meaningful to you. Take it from a speedy little blue alien hedgehog: We shouldn’t take our lives on earth for granted.
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