The rise and fall of Sonic the Hedgehog has been one to behold.

From being a game video mascot that was so popular, the King of Pop Michael Jackson, produced music for the video game soundtrack to be so low that it took 20 years to produce a critically acclaimed game which was a glorified remake of the early game.

The struggle has been real for the blue hedgehog and it didn’t look good with the initial character design that everyone hated. So bad, the film’s release was held back for 3 months. However, that move was appreciated by the fanbase when the second trailer revealed a much more Sonic looking Hedgehog.

The infamous Sonic home of Green Hill is now located in the state of Montana. Sonic is run out of his home planet and forced into Earth. Sonic becomes amazed by his new surroundings, however, the unbearable loneliness begins to overtake him, causing him to lower his guard and alert the government to his presence.

Seeking to investigate the origins of our alien friend, the military sends the quirky but ruthless Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to bring him in. Sonic must rely on Green Hill’s neighborhood cop Tom (James Marsden) to keep him out of the hands of a demented madman and try to make his first friend on earth.

Addressing the elephant in the room, the controversial visual redesign for Sonic by Artist Tyson Hesse was necessary as the film couldn’t succeed without it. The reason why James Marsden’s chemistry with Sonic works so well is that the character is integrated into the universe that is created allowing the audience to remain focused on the story. The original design would not have allowed the filmmakers to achieve that feat so the change was critical to its success.

To the surprise of few, Sonic The Hedgehog is aimed at a younger audience, despite that, there are plenty of Easter eggs and callbacks to the original video game that will please the older audience who grow up with them.

Jim Carrey finds a role that allows his over the top personality to blend in with the character without taking you out of the film. James Marsden is a decent straight man in a film that doesn’t ask too much from him and the rest of the supporting cast are serviceable at best.

The worst thing that can be said about Sonic is that at times it plays it too safe and the end credit rap song is an abomination to everyone with ears. Otherwise,

One thing that can’t be denied, Sonic the Hedgehog puts out a great effort to please kids, fanatics, adults, and moviegoers everywhere making it a true crowd-pleaser.

3.5/5

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