Sonic the Hedgehog Review

Sonic the Hedgehog

Release Date: 13th February 2020 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures (presents)

Sega Sammy Group (in association with)

Original Film

Marza Animation Planet

Blur Studio

Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (with the participation of)

Sega (based on the video game from)

DJ2 Entertainment

Paramount Animation (uncredited)

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Family/Action/

Adventure/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 99 minutes

Budget: $95,000,000

Box Office Gross: $319,715,683 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Sonic is the fastest hedgehog who has lived peacefully and undiscovered on Earth for ten years. But one day, he accidentally causes a power outage in a small town that catches the attention of Dr. Robotnik, a mad scientist working for the government. With his newfound friend, a local human sheriff named Tom, Sonic needs to stop the evil doctor from capturing him and using his powers for his nefarious purposes.

Cast

Ben Schwartz - Sonic the

Hedgehog (Voice)

James Marsden - Tom
Wachowski

Jim Carrey - Dr. Ivo Robotnik

Tika Sumpter - Maddie Wachowski

Natasha Rothwell - Rachel

Adam Pally - Wade

Lee Majdoub - Agent Stone

Neal McDonough - Major Berrington

Tom Butler - Vice Chairman Walters

Frank C. Turner - Crazy Carl

Melody Nosipho Niemann - JoJo

Terence Kelly - Farmer Zimmer

Benjamin Vilac - Baby Sonic
(Voice)

Donna Jay Fulks - Longclaw
(Voice)

Garry Chalk - Navy Chief of
Staff (Cameo)

Colleen O'Shaughnessey -

Miles "Tails" Prower (Voice)

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Executive Producer/Director - Jeff Fowler

Based on Characters - Yuji Naka,
Naoto Ohshima and Hirokazu Yasuhara

Writers - Patrick Casey and Josh Miller

Associate Producers - Mie Onishi

and Chuck Williams

Executive Producers - Masanao Maeda,

Tim Miller and Hajime & Haruki Satomi

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Nan Morales

Producers - Toby Ascher, Takeshi Ito,
Neal H. Moritz and Toru Nakahara

Co-Producers - Dan Jevons,
Dmitri M. Johnson and Karina Rahardja

Production Designer - Sean Harworth

Production Designer: Additional Photography -

Sonja Klaus

Sonic Character Supervisor: SEGA -

Takashi Iizuka

Lead Sonic Designer: Blur Studios -

Tyson Hesse

Graphic Designers - Shannon Courte,
Erin Sinclair and Morgan McConnell

Supervising Art Director - Grant Van Der Slagt

Set Decorator - Shannon Gottlieb

Costume Designer - Debra McGuire

Digital Makeup Designer - Bill Corso

Director of Photography - Stephen F. Windon

Second Unit Director/Director of Photography:

Second Unit - Peter Lyons Collister

Stunt Coordinator - Garvin Cross

Special Effects Supervisor - Alex Burdett

Visual Effects Supervisors - Chris Uyede
and Ged Wright

Visual Effects Supervisor: Marza Animation -
David Nelson

Visual Effects Producer - Denise Davis

Animation Supervisor: MPC - Clement Yip

Visualisation Supervisor - Scott Meadows

Film Editors - Debra Neil-Fisher and
Stacey Schroeder

Supervising Sound Editors/Sound Designers:

E2 - Ethan Van Der Ryn and Erik Aadahl

Additional Sound Designers - Matt Cavanaugh,

Chris Diebold and John Marquis

Production Sound Mixer - David Husby

Re-Recording Mixers - Anna Behlmer and

Mark Paterson

Foley Artists - Alicia Stevenson and

Dawn Lunsford

Music - Tom Holkenborg

Review

Remember what I said in my review of Wreck-It Ralph about wishing for a movie adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog? It has finally come true, but not the way you would expect. I've already reviewed one film based on the video game character that happened to be a two-episode anime miniseries. I was sceptical about the new SONIC THE HEDGEHOG movie, which I thought would not work in live-action. Because I looked at the teaser that featured an unsettling CGI design of Sonic, which was too bizarrely realistic, many other fans felt the same way I did. Fortunately, they re-designed it, and fans were much happier with it.

An energetic and (no pun intended) fast-paced movie has gotten the character right onto the big screen. Unlike several video game movies, except a few like Detective Pikachu, this movie does justice to the source material. One drawback of SONIC is the simplistic and predictable storyline.

The best aspect of this movie, other than the re-design of Sonic, was Jim Carrey's performance as Dr. Robotnik. Carrey was back in over-the-top comedic form as the evil genius. It reminded me of his early roles when he had the frantic energy to do so. Ben Schwartz was funny as the voice of the titular protagonist. He played well against James Marsden's straight-arrow performance of Tom, which held the otherwise chaotic film together.

You should go and see SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. Some fans may not like it, but that shouldn't stop the rest of you from watching it. For this, it is a good video game movie.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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