Movie review
Kaylee Brewster
Two-and-a-half stars out of four
While the plot of “Sonic the Hedgehog” is predictable and lacks development, this movie provides enough action and comedy to keep audiences in their seats.
The film follows the super-speedy Sonic the Hedgehog (voiced by Ben Schwartz) as he comes to Earth seeking refuge. Instead, he meets the evil Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who wants to use him for his powers. Sonic teams up with Tom (James Marsden), who protects him and will help him get to safety.
The film relies on three things: comedy, a budding friendship and special effects.
The movie’s best strength is humor, in the form of Sonic’s fast-talking one liners and fast-moving actions and pretty much everything Carrey does. Carrey’s character is the villain, but thankfully he’s not a bad guy that will give your kids nightmares. He does the wrong thing, but makes you laugh while he does it.
The friendship between Sonic and Tom is the heartbeat of the film. Sonic feels alone in his travels, and with Tom, he finally feels he has a friend — one he knows he will have to say goodbye to when he leaves Earth. Tom is helping Sonic out of a sense of duty, and while Sonic’s constant chatter annoys him, he does care for the animal (or alien?). It’s a cliche movie moment, but one that will give you warm fuzzies inside anyway.
Now, on to the special effects. “Sonic the Hedgehog” was supposed to be released last year, but after an outpouring of fan backlash on the design of the title character, “Sonic” got a redesign and a new release date. It worked out well for the film. Although, Sonic looks cartoony, he interacts well with the live-action environment. He can appear cute and cuddly, but is fierce when he faces down Robotnik. His iconic blue blur and lightning are electrifying on screen.
“Sonic the Hedgehog” isn’t perfect, but when Sonic looks at you with those adorable eyes, you can’t help but love him and his movie. That said, the film targets kids and fans of the video game character, so some might prefer staying at home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szby7ZHLnkA
