Sonic and I go way back. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of me playing the old SEGA Genesis games with my dad. Since it began my love of gaming, I had to check out the movie.
FACTS FIRST
Reported Budget: $90 million (original budget)
Opening Domestic Box Office: $68 million (4 day total)
Opening Worldwide Box Office: $111 million (4 day total)
Rotten Tomatoes Critics/Audience Score: 64% / 94%
Cinema Score: A
End Credit Scene: Yes (See Spoiler Review)
NON-SPOILER REVIEW
Not a lot to review here as the movie was barely over an hour and a half long. I put "original budget" in parenthesis because the movie overhauled the animation of Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) after the first trailer came out. Fans of the popular video game character were not happy with the original design, but seem much happier after the redesign, as evidenced by the A Cinema score. Some estimates have the redesign inflating the budget to as much as $125 million!
The movie itself is rated PG and definitely caters to a family crowd, especially if you have young children. The movie follows Sonic and small town cop, Tom Wachowski (played by James Marsden), as they spend most of the movie on the run from Dr. Robotnik (played by Jim Carrey). Carrey brings his usual quirky style of physical comedy, along with some sharp tongued word play, to this role. If you're a fan of Carrey, then you'll enjoy watching him work in this film. The movie does have nods to the video game franchise, which I can get into more later in the spoilers, but I think they'll please a lot of fans.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION
Is the animation great? No, but it is good enough to not distract me throughout the movie. The plot and dialogue are definitely geared more towards a younger audience, but the nostalgia from the games will win over a lot of older fans. My rating falls in line with the Critics/Audience score. Critically speaking, not the best movie, but very enjoyable from a fan's perspective.
My Rating: C+
If
you're a fan of Jim Carrey, the Sonic games, or have young children,
then I'd recommend the film. If none of those apply to you, then I'd
pass on it.
SPOILER REVIEW
The movie begins with a young Sonic having to flee his home world (that looks familiar to gamers) by using a golden ring, which can teleport the user to new locations. You see him struggle with loneliness as his need to keep himself and his powers hidden competes with his desire for companionship. Eventually, his frustration boils over, and he lets off a massive electrical blast that alerts people to his existence.
Dr. Robotnik attempts to capture the rambunctious hedgehog for his own sinister goals. Sonic's ability to generate energy (giving him incredible speed and the electrical discharge potential) can sustain Robotnik's army of machines, enabling them to go faster, longer. While trying to escape Robotnik, Sonic loses his sack of golden rings. Tom finds Sonic and eventually agrees to help save Sonic from the evil doctor.
One of my favorite scenes in the movie happens towards the end when Sonic uses his golden rings to escape from Dr. Robotnik, teleporting to different locations around the word. Sonic running through the Great Wall of China evokes memories of special stages. There's also a point where Sonic runs up the side of a pyramid in Egypt toward a golden ring at the pyramid's point. I also enjoyed the scene where Sonic effectively ends a bar fight by racing around at super speed, disabling every combatant as they seem frozen in amusing positions.
The final showdown certainly brings back memories of those SEGA boss battles: Robotnik in a large flying drone and Sonic aggressively spinning while hitting the drone repeatedly. That's not where the game similarities end though. The two credit scenes really hit the nostalgia hard.
There's a pre-credit scene that happens right after the title card at the end of the movie. It features Dr. Robotnik abandoned on a mushroom planet, finally beginning to look like the iconic crazed super villain we've come to love. The mid-credit scene features another familiar Sonic character, Tails, who comes to find the iconic blue hedgehog.
After a mediocre movie that barely registered any level of real interest or enjoyment, the ending and the credit scenes had me leaving the theater actually wanting a sequel. Apparently I wasn't the only one. The cinema score and the box office numbers indicate people are leaving the theater very pleased. I'm sure Paramount is thrilled since they spent all the money redesigning. Hopefully, for Sonic fans, the success of this movie means a sequel is sure to follow.
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