Geekscape Reviews ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ In 4DX
Geekscape Reviews Sonic The Hedgehog In 4DX
You know, the journey leading up to the resale of Sonic The Hedgehog: The Movie was an odd one. For all intents and purposes, this movie should have been bad. I doubt it would have been given a second look and it would have faded into mediocrity if its holiday 2019 release had come to fruition. But ironically, its initial trailer and design were received so poorly that the studio redesigning the iconic Sega mascot accumulated seemingly endless goodwill with the fan base. I know I fell into the mindset of almost feeling obligated to see it as a thank you for listening to feedback instead of dismissing it as “hating” or whatever word we’re using these days. That aside, Sonic The Hedgehog is an uneven love letter to the 30 year gaming star. While glimpses of love for the character peek out here and there, the overall product ends up as a barely serviceable take on the blue blur.
In an attempt to flesh out Sonic’s backstory, the film starts in a beautifully rendered CGI version of Green Hill Zone, where a young hedgehog is being raised by an owl? Okay. So anyway, when a tribe of echidnas, (foreshadowing?), hunt the child for his speed force, his guardian hands him a bag of rings that can link to other worlds. It’s here that Sonic finds himself on Earth, studying humanity in his boredom as he lives a secluded life away from his hunters. But eventually, his loneliness gets the better of him, setting off a chain of events that forces him and the local sheriff, (played by a two eyed James Marsden), to take a cross country road trip. With the government sending its Dr. Robotnik, their smartest, (and most detested), scientist to study and capture the hedgehog, danger is hard to outrun.
If this sounds bleak for a Sonic movie, you wouldn’t be alone. Sonic’s signature character trait is being an arrogant, smarmy dick who happens to be an environmentalist. Let’s be honest, if he wasn’t trying to save helpless animals, he’d be kind of an asshole. Anyway, seeing him being portrayed as a naive, lonely and unsure child is a strange direction to take. It makes the middle portions of the film a bit of a slog as Sonic’s signature speed is sidelined in favor of a buddy cop road trip film. Sonic rarely worked in a car in video games, so the film carries on this tradition. Furthermore, if you were expecting the kind of family film that has jokes for both kids and adults, this isn’t it. Sonic flosses and farts, things a longtime fan would likely never want to see the character do.
With that said, it almost feels like two different teams worked on this at times because of how often the movie feels like it was made by longtime fans at the beginning and end. Seeing Green Hill Zone was a highlight, as was the nods towards future characters. The ending sequence is straight out of a 2D boss fight or the good parts of Sonic Adventure. My inner child was celebrating the sight of Robotnik and Sonic fighting a high speed battle actress countless environments. Easter eggs are scattered throughout the film that reference some deep history, (including some from unofficial sources and memes).
While Jim Carrey feels more like he’s reviving Ace Ventura than playing the good doctor from the games, that doesn’t stop him from carrying the movie every time he’s featured. I was never a big fan of his 90’s Schlick, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it after being given time to miss it. Plus, his over the top comedy fits in perfectly in a world where anthropomorphic blue hedgehog can exist. Unfortunately, Marsden is the opposite and has to play it completely straight, which is part of the reason why the middle drags so much. He did his best with what he had, but it’s hard to create a touching family narrative out of a cartoon with eyes that take up half of his head. Plus, Sonic is kind of unlikeable. Not in the dickish way I mentioned before, but in a petulant way that makes it hard to root for him. It turns around eventually, but those scenes were tough to get through.
While Sonic is under the microscope, I’d be remiss to ignore his design, which for the most part is a massive improvement over the initial footage. Some angles, especially from the side, can come off a little rough, but shots where he’s facing the camera are pretty close to perfect. Seeing some of his abilities in action like his spin dash put some muscle behind the special effects, complimenting Robotnik’s crazy robots well. And while these two get plenty of spotlight, franchise fans will have even more to look forward to. Let’s just leave it at that.
Speaking of the action scenes, for a game known for its breakneck pace, fights are few and far between. It’s because of this that the 4DX effect added very little to the experience, with the moving chairs rarely being used. Now that Sonic’s backstory is established, I’m sure future sequels will take better advantage of both the character and 4DX. But for now, you’d probably do well to pass on the premium ticket price.
Ultimately, Sonic The Hedgehog: The Movie is just serviceable enough to be enjoyed while still falling short. The nods to Sonic’s history and some of the scenes are a 90’s kids’ dream come true and Jim Carrey fits much better than expected as Robotnik. The special effects and Sonic’s redesign are all mostly well done, but are failed by a meandering plot and little use of his abilities. Some juvenile humor, odd writing choices and a plot that takes itself too seriously at times almost makes the character feel misunderstood while simultaneously setting up the foundation for what he should be. You hardly need to dash to the theater to see this, but it’s a fine way to spend 90 minutes. Which is much more than first impressions suggested.
Final score: 3/5
