Wait pays off for sleek ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’
If the Hollywood mantra for making blockbusters is “faster, faster, faster,” then the creators of “Sonic the Hedgehog” have wisely ignored it.
The little blue alien who can sprint quicker than the speed of light has ironically benefited from slowing it down, taking a pit stop to retool and emerge as a total crowd-pleaser.
Respectful of the rich history of the brand yet welcoming to newcomers, “Sonic the Hedgehog” is a feel-good buddy movie for both adults and their own little aliens. “Nailed it!” screams Sonic at one point, and that might be a fitting summary for the film.
Director Jeff Fowler has been entrusted on his feature film debut with bringing to life the ball of super CGI energy, whose origins lie in Sega video games. But things didn’t look too good when a trailer dropped last April that portrayed Sonic as more ratlike with creepy human teeth. An outcry led to the film being delayed for a reset, resulting in a Sonic with a sleeker design, larger eyes and fewer chompers.
The film that emerges portrays Sonic as a cute, naive teenager. He has fled his own planet with a warning to “never stop running” and a twist on the “Spider-man” proverb: “With great power comes great power-hungry bad guys.”
The plot isn’t too far from the classic “E.T.” or the more modern “Bumblebee” — an alien lands on Earth to hide and soon must team up with a kindly human (James Marsden) to escape the clutches of evil government scientists who want to dissect it.
In this case, Jim Carrey dons a Civil War mustache and a black full-length leather coat to play the baddie, Dr. Robotnik, as only he can — ultra-arch, absolutely unhinged and dangerously unpredictable.
Sonic, voiced by Ben Schwartz, is sweet and funny and self-aware. He wears gloves, socks and sneakers but points out, “I’m not even wearing pants.” He discovers what a bucket list is and instantly wants to do all kinds of stuff, including start a bar fight.
The filmmakers have also added an excellent, propulsive soundtrack, which includes X Ambassadors, Queen and the Wiz Khalifa-led “Speed Me Up.”
There are references to the video game throughout, including a sequence in which Dr. Robotnik chases Sonic through Paris, up the Egyptian pyramids, and along the Great Wall of China. Green Hill is where the creature ends up on Earth — echoing a key level in the game — and we learn he hates mushrooms, a frequent Sonic touchstone.
The filmmakers might not have rushed making this film, but that’s no reason for you to press the brakes now.