When the big-screen foray of Sonic the Hedgehog was announced, most people weren’t happy. It wasn’t a matter of casting or anything like that, but rather the somewhat creepy human-esque design of Sonic himself. But rather than release it to the public and prepare for a lambasting, Paramount Pictures delayed the film and gave him a much more loyal makeover. And boy, did it pay off.
Sonic scored big box-office bucks before COVID-19 put a dash in his speedy hopes and dreams, but now he’s on home video for all to celebrate. And if you’re a fan of the fast little hedgehog, you’ll find that this film is definitely up to…speed? Okay, that may be enough puns.
A Decent Story, Backed By a Fun Jim Carrey
In the film, Sonic (voiced by Jean Ralphio himself, Ben Schwartz) comes to Earth, where he makes friends with a police officer (James Marsden) and begins a cross country journey to recover his helpful rings from San Francisco. Hot on their trail is the nefarious Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), an evil scientist who wants to harness the power of Sonic’s quills for his very own.
It’s a routine story, for the most part, and one built with family comedy in mind. But somehow, it works. That’s mainly due to the charm of the cast. Though he’s no Roger Craig Smith, Schwartz does a terrific job as Sonic, capturing his persona alongside the CG effects.
But this is Carrey’s show. He’s back to his manic self after a few oddball dramatic choices in his career, and he doesn’t disappoint. He plays Robotnik like the full-tilt diva that he is, right down to the bad jokes (“Rock-conaissance!”) and the awesome makeover he gets at the end. It sets everything in place for a potential sequel, which, honestly, I hope we get.
Would the film have worked the same way without the makeover? I’m actually scared to see if that would be the case. But the fact it ended up as it did – and still remains charming and fun – is a miracle. Paramount actually listened to the fans, and it shows in a movie that’ll breeze right by you in about 90 or so minutes. Oh, and you should stick around for the post-credits scene. You’ll love it.
A Strong Presentation, But Lacking Extras
We were sent the typical Blu-Ray/DVD set for the film along with a digital copy. So we couldn’t tell how the 4K transfer went on that disc. However, the Blu-Ray quality is nothing short of excellent. The visual effects shine on the screen; and there’s hardly a grain in sight when it comes to its exquisite transfer. This is definitely one you’ll want to keep an eye on. The audio is great too, particularly if you have a sound system that holds things up. It definitely gets up to that Sonic level.
As for extras, they’re somewhat lacking. What I wouldn’t give to hear Carrey go on for the whole movie as Robotnik, talking about how great he is in the film. Alas, there are some featurettes here, including one where he talks about his villainous character.
There’s also a fun “For the Love of Sonic” piece that talks about the speedy hero in great length. But, surprisingly enough, there’s nothing here about the process in redesigning him from his somewhat oddball original form. That would’ve been a fascinating piece of dive into.
The Deleted Scenes and Gag Reel are pretty fun, and there’s also a music video if you get into “Speed Me Up” for some reason. We didn’t.
A Rapidly Good Time
Sonic the Hedgehog may not be the best video-game-to-film adaptation out there, but it’s a surprisingly stable one, built on some good laughs, goofy moments (really, Olive Garden?!) and top-notch performances from Carrey and Schwartz, among others. If you’re looking for a good piece of summer entertainment, make sure you warp this one right into your library. It’s worth your precious rings.
RATING: 8/10
Sonic the Hedgehog finds his way home in a package filled with summertime fun.
