SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

US, 2020, 99 minutes, Colour.
James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, voice of Ben Schwartz.
Directed by Jeff Fowler.

This is definitely a film which is best reviewed by a younger member of the audience, possibly 12 and under. Older audiences may not realise who Sonic Is, and what is a talking hedgehog doing with all the humans. If their children and grandchildren have not played the Sega video game, they will experience a dead loss.

So, it is probably best to be at a screening with a younger audience who are responding to this unusual blend of animation and live-action. Sonic the Hedgehog has the capacity for moving faster than sound and light (well illustrated in an early stage of the film where he plays baseball with himself, quite competitive as he throws, hits, runs, catches…).

Actually, there have been Sonic movies since the early 90s. But, here Hollywood has its turn. It may not move as rapidly as Sonic does, but it is very fast-paced. It opens with a fantasy sequence where Sonic is pursued by strange creatures in another world, is protected by a wise old owl who gives him some rings, gold rings, which can serve as portals for escape from dangers. Off he goes through the first one and, if you were to choose a place to go in the United States, would it be Montana? Well, that is where he ends up. It is where he lives his lonely life over the years, and plays the baseball game with himself.

Enter the humans, especially in the form of a friendly policeman, Tom (James Marsden) who can’t believe Sonic’s speed, gets tangled with police and military, decides to take Sonic to complete his mission in San Francisco.

Not as easy as hoped for. When Tom arrives in San Francisco, he teams up with his wife from whom he is estranged and he (and certainly we the audience) are verbally over-browbeaten by his wife’s sister, loud and definitely definite.

But, that is not the main worry. This story has a villain, the sinister Dr Robotnik, a mad inventor, who has created his own subservient servant to bring him coffee and some daily praise, who is into weapons and power. He is played by Jim Carrey, returning to his manic behaviour, expressions, intensity that made his career in the 1990s.

Of course, this builds up to confrontations between the mad scientist and Sonic, especially when fast vehicles and elaborate explosives are involved. Lots of action, vehicle chases, crashes, some mayhem.

And it comes to a head in San Francisco, on the top of the Transamerica building, multiple bombs, multiple explosions, threats to Tom and his wife – the defeat of Dr Robotnik and leaping through golden rings and landing, of course, back in Montana.

Tom and his wife are reunited. The whole experience is American top-secret. Sonic now has a nice room in the house with all his souvenirs. A nice ending.

But, on a strange planet, Dr Robotic shaves his head, talks to himself manically, obviously auditioning for the next film of Sonic’s Adventures.

1. An entertaining film? For younger audiences? Young adults? The parent generation?

2. The basis on the seeker computer game? The animation style? The character of Nick? Is Voice? The Adventures? Human and hedgehog interaction? The evil Dr?

3. The style of animation, the world of It, the enemy and attack, the wise Owl, gift of the rings, the bag (and the rings on the Paramount logo!), The safety with the rings? Escape? The liveliness of It? Indications of swiftness, movement? The special effects, especially the confrontations with Dr robotic?

4. Montana, Thomas, idle on the road, the speed scanner, the contact with his fellow officer, nothing to do? The suddenness of Sonic arriving?

5. Sonic lonely, playing baseball with himself, winning with his speed against himself!

6. Thomas and his bonding, the puzzle, the story? The police? The military?

7. Thomas and Sonic, the mission to go to San Francisco, the Transamerica building? The ring?

8. The intervention of the mad scientist, Jim Carrey and his performance, voice, caricature, his robotic serpent and his treatment of him? Wanting to capture It? Thomas and his vehicle, the open road? The scientist and his vehicles, pursuit, explosions, tactics, vehicles within vehicles, even to the smallest, adhering to the hands?

9. Thomas going home, his wife, the separation? His wife’s sister – easily upset, excessively loud? Her daughter, giving him her shoes?

10. San Francisco, the tower, tying up the sister, going on the mission, getting into the building, using the police excuse, Sonic in the bag, the elevator people wary?

11. The events on the roof, the mad scientist coming, his vehicle, the range of weapons, Sonic and his speed, rounding Them up, saving Thomas and his wife by pushing them over the building, and arriving back home, safely, the townspeople and their support, the old culture and his imagining the blue creature?

12. The military, the gift voucher of $50, wanting to see It, Thomas refusing, Sonic as a secret? His delight in his room? A happy future?

13. The scientist shaving his head, his dead servant, his being on another planet, cracking jokes, manic – and ready for a sequel?