Sonic The Hedgehog is directed by Jeff Fowler and based on the SEGA video game franchise of the same name. It was released by Paramount Pictures. It was originally supposed to be released in November 2019, but after backlash from the original trailer, it was pushed back to 2020 for redesigns.

Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is alone hiding on Earth after escaping his planet when an unknown enemy tried to kidnap him and steal his powers. Living on Earth, he takes residence in a cave near the city of Green Hill, Montana, living through the lives of the citizens, especially Sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) and his veterinarian wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter). When Sonic runs a little too fast, he attracts the attention of the US government who calls on the aid of Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who wants to steal Sonic’s power to enhance his robotic creations.

This movie is a lot of fun. It is clearly meant for kids with a lot of clean humor (minus the two curse words uttered by the antagonist) that had every child in the theater laughing throughout the whole thing. Do not worry adults, there is plenty of smart humor from James and Tike plus zaniness from Jim Carrey to keep the adults entertained. It was clever, funny, and I enjoyed it a great deal.

I did enjoy Schwartz as Sonic. While he dropped the arrogant attitude that is frequently seen in video games and television, he focuses on the mischievous side, which turned out to be the right decision. He was fast and quick-witted with plenty of memorable lines. Carrey was a mediocre Dr. Robotnik. No other to put it. He was not bad, but he did not stand out. As for the other human actors, they complimented the film well and did a good job adding to the story. I especially liked seeing the cameo of voice actor Garry Chalk, who voiced Dr. Robotnik in the Saturday morning cartoon Sonic Underground.

While the movie did borrow from some of the video games and even animated series for some of its world-building, it did a good job of crafting its own universe. It gave us plenty to go on so it was not confusing, but also not so much that it overwhelmed us. Once again, do not worry, it has plenty of fan service which I know will drive mainstream critics mad, but I loved every moment.

I would be remiss if I did mention the first design. It was terrible. Awful. It made me not want to see the movie at all. Fortunately, Sony heard the cries of the fans and did the right thing. They redesigned the character of Sonic and the fans are rewarding the film. Media outlets, pundits, celebrities and entertain industry professionals constantly attack the fans for being fickle. Once again, the fans win.

Bottom line, Sonic The Hedgehog is a fun family film. It has a strong sense of Sonic’s roots while also crafting a story, so it could stand out. It is fun for kids, their parents, fans of Sonic, and general audiences.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Mild violence, Minor foul language

FAVORITE QUOTE: Where am I? What year is it? Is the Rock president?

Check out the trailer below:

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my movie reviews of Missing Link and Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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