Paramount Pictures
Growing up, I played a lot of Sega Genesis, which included plenty of ‘Sonic’ games. I loved the one where Knuckles was introduced in the 1994 Sega game, Sonic the Hedgehog 3. I have always enjoyed the character of Sonic throughout the years. From the comics to the cartoon show, I have always had a special place in my heart for the blue hedgehog. When I heard about a live-action film, I was initially excited … until I saw the first trailer. The original design for Sonic was one of the worst things I have ever seen, and I am glad the creators decided to respect the fans and give us a new design.
Sonic the Hedgehog is voiced by Ben Schwartz, who I absolutely loved in Parks and Rec. Sonic lives on Earth after he leaves his home planet when enemies try to obtain Sonic’s rings. Sonic lives alone and often wishes for a friend. James Marsden also stars in the film as Tom, a local police officer who dreams of being an officer in San Francisco. When he meets Sonic, they must protect themselves against the evil Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who is after Sonic’s power for his own gain.
What I wanted out of a Sonic film was a quickly paced film with a lot of action and humor. I got that and I was happy with the end product. Sonic the Hedgehog is a quickly paced film that allows for its humor to flow throughout the film. There are several jokes that I laughed out loud at. Most of the jokes kids won’t understand, which was a bit confusing to me, but I still found it funny. I was also impressed with the action. There were a few scenes that reminded me of Quicksilver in the X-Men films where everything is slowed down and he is running around tampering with things. Sonic does that a few times and it was fun to watch!
It has been awhile since I have seen Jim Carrey in a film, and I thought he was a great pick to play Robotnik. Carrey gives a very over the top performance that only he could pull off. Though at times, I did find his eccentric personality too unnecessary since it didn’t add anything to the film or character. Ben Schwartz was perfect as Sonic. When the film called for Sonic to be lonely in the beginning of the film, Schwartz was able to bring that somber voice acting to life and when the film needs Sonic to be energetic, Schwartz was able to handle that as well. Schwartz is a funny actor and I could tell that he had a blast voicing the character.
My least favorite character in the film was Tom. James Marsden is a decent actor, but honestly, anyone could have played the character. I saw some early posters for the movie, and it looked like Chris Pratt at one point was involved in the film. I think he would have been a better choice for the character. With that being said, I do think that Tom and Sonic had a fun relationship that was nicely progressed throughout the movie that led to a friendship that Sonic wanted.
Overall, I had a blast with Sonic the Hedgehog. I really hope it succeeds at the box office and Paramount greenlights a sequel. There is a post credit scene that had all Sonic fans screaming and it gives me hope that they can expand the Sonic universe.
Sonic the Hedgehog has a run time of 1 hour 39 minutes and is rated PG for action, some violence, rude humor and brief mild language.
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