SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
Round Hog Day
RELEASED OUT NOW! PG | 99 minutes
Director Jeff Fowler
Cast James Marsden, Jim Carrey,
Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter
Not since Laurence Olivier wielded a drill in 1976’s Marathon Man has a set of gnashers caused so much horror in the world of cinema. The original look of Sega’s furry filmic hedgehog created such consternation last year that the movie was delayed while Sonic’s design was tweaked – from toothy, muscle-legged freak to a form more familiar from the games. While the result doesn’t reach the same heights of cuteness as the star of fellow game-adap Detective Pikachu – and Sonic always seems jarringly separate from his surroundings – his final look is definitely a vast improvement.
Thankfully, the film itself is actually a lot of fun, with James Marsden’s charm virtually ricocheting off the screen in his role as a cop who decides to help the on-the-run Sonic. As baddie Doctor Robotnik, Jim Carrey is… well, Jim Carrey, almost as much of a cartoon character as his blue quarry, eating so much scenery he probably needed to get his stomach pumped after filming. Pleasingly, the action doesn’t eat up too much of the film, some of the quips are genuinely witty and there’s nostalgia and Easter eggs aplenty for fans of the game.
Weirdly, however, the movie is a little let down by Sonic’s unexciting vocals. They’re not bad, per se, but given that they’re provided by comedian Ben Schwartz, you can’t help but feel they’re too ordinary. Clunky product placement doesn’t help matters, either. Also, Sonic’s little black nose looks exactly like a liquorice allsort. But hey, at least those teeth are no longer nightmare material, eh? Jayne Nelson
Pleasingly, the action doesn’t eat up too much of the film