SONIC THE HEDGEHOG REVIEW
Movies based on video games, historically, are cursed.
I don't necessarily mean in terms of execution, though that's sometimes the case-the ur-example being 1993's SUPER MARIO BROS., a film that's wildly inventive and thoroughly, thoroughly terrible- but in terms of critical reception. Games aren't art, in the purview of professional film critics (Roger Ebert once stated that word-for-word) and so adaptations of games are less than art. This has lead to some genuinely solid movies getting critically lambasted upon release, dying before they had a chance to shine despite a decent understanding of the material.
Enter last year's DETECTIVE PIKACHU, the movie that finally broke the curse, getting warm reviews from critics praising the chemistry between the human lead and Ryan Reynold's adorable, wisecracking version of the title character, and it became a box office winner with a sequel on the way in the face of impossible odds.
Maybe the key to good video game adaptations is buddy comedy, because SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is just that, and it's unexpectedly great.
It was seriously in danger of not being so. A lot has been written about the original design for the character, an uncanny valley nightmare of dead-eyed delivery and disconcerting realism-the teeth, those HANDS- and the delay and retooling into a model closer to the original games, but it really does make a pleasant, heartwarming adventure even better. The relationship between Sonic and Tom, James Marsden's dedicated small-town cop, wouldn't land quite as well if Sonic looked like...this:
And yes, SONIC is unexpectedly emotional. Writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who should not have been responsible for a script this good given their previous output (National Lampoon direct-to-video trash and the legendarily awful farce Transylmania, a movie with a rare 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) opted to pen a story about Sonic's search for a family in the wake of tragedy, and the result is a series of genuinely sweet moments of bonding between the Blue Blur and his human companion. Ben Schwartz, the voice of Sonic, nails the brashness and snark that's codified the character in games for the past three decades as well as the loneliness of being a stranger in a strange land, and it arguably outshines Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu in terms of both character and cuteness.
Of course, I'd be remiss not to mention the true scene-stealing draw of this movie: yes, Jim Carrey is back in his manic, rubbery 90's mode that made movies like THE MASK and ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE comedy classics, and his over-the-top villainy and arrogance as Dr. Robotnik make for several laugh-out-loud moments (special mention goes to his blissful dance routine while directing his machines to capture Sonic on the run). It's a blast to see Carrey back in the game again after years of dramatic roles, and it adds to the nostalgia of the entire movie.
Which this is, really; SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is a throwback to the 90's, if not in setting, then in feel. It's the kind of sweet bromance picture that defined a lot of that decade's output, and it's a celebration of that decade's most notable gaming hero, with plenty of neat Easter eggs for fans.
And in defiance of video game movie history and its own weird production, it works.
It falters in spots, of course. The movie's introduction uses the "you're probably wondering how I got myself in this situation" meme without an ounce of irony (although it did get a laugh out of me, so points), and Sonic's backstory, while a nice nod to the lore of the games, rushes by too fast to land with much impact.
Tom's wife, Maddie, portrayed by Tika Sumpter, is a sweet performance, and it's nice to see a mixed-race couple at the heart of the movie, but it feels like she's tacked on to the adventure at the last second solely to make an observation about Sonic and Tom's relationship that the movie doesn't really need to spell out.
And...admittedly, the aim for nostalgia here means that SONIC is nothing you haven't really seen before, and there are a few moments that lean so heavily on movie tropes that my girlfriend and I both couldn't but groan a bit about them even while excitedly talking about the movie afterward.
But that's the thing- we were EXCITED. So was the rest of the theater, and a post-credits appearance that I won't spoil lead to a joyous round of applause. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG isn't looking to reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't have to. It aims to please fans of the games, and tell a sweet story, and it mostly succeeds. And that's enough to break a curse, and grab some well-deserved rings.
I don't necessarily mean in terms of execution, though that's sometimes the case-the ur-example being 1993's SUPER MARIO BROS., a film that's wildly inventive and thoroughly, thoroughly terrible- but in terms of critical reception. Games aren't art, in the purview of professional film critics (Roger Ebert once stated that word-for-word) and so adaptations of games are less than art. This has lead to some genuinely solid movies getting critically lambasted upon release, dying before they had a chance to shine despite a decent understanding of the material.
Enter last year's DETECTIVE PIKACHU, the movie that finally broke the curse, getting warm reviews from critics praising the chemistry between the human lead and Ryan Reynold's adorable, wisecracking version of the title character, and it became a box office winner with a sequel on the way in the face of impossible odds.
Maybe the key to good video game adaptations is buddy comedy, because SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is just that, and it's unexpectedly great.
And yes, SONIC is unexpectedly emotional. Writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who should not have been responsible for a script this good given their previous output (National Lampoon direct-to-video trash and the legendarily awful farce Transylmania, a movie with a rare 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) opted to pen a story about Sonic's search for a family in the wake of tragedy, and the result is a series of genuinely sweet moments of bonding between the Blue Blur and his human companion. Ben Schwartz, the voice of Sonic, nails the brashness and snark that's codified the character in games for the past three decades as well as the loneliness of being a stranger in a strange land, and it arguably outshines Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu in terms of both character and cuteness.
Of course, I'd be remiss not to mention the true scene-stealing draw of this movie: yes, Jim Carrey is back in his manic, rubbery 90's mode that made movies like THE MASK and ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE comedy classics, and his over-the-top villainy and arrogance as Dr. Robotnik make for several laugh-out-loud moments (special mention goes to his blissful dance routine while directing his machines to capture Sonic on the run). It's a blast to see Carrey back in the game again after years of dramatic roles, and it adds to the nostalgia of the entire movie.Which this is, really; SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is a throwback to the 90's, if not in setting, then in feel. It's the kind of sweet bromance picture that defined a lot of that decade's output, and it's a celebration of that decade's most notable gaming hero, with plenty of neat Easter eggs for fans.
And in defiance of video game movie history and its own weird production, it works.
It falters in spots, of course. The movie's introduction uses the "you're probably wondering how I got myself in this situation" meme without an ounce of irony (although it did get a laugh out of me, so points), and Sonic's backstory, while a nice nod to the lore of the games, rushes by too fast to land with much impact.
Tom's wife, Maddie, portrayed by Tika Sumpter, is a sweet performance, and it's nice to see a mixed-race couple at the heart of the movie, but it feels like she's tacked on to the adventure at the last second solely to make an observation about Sonic and Tom's relationship that the movie doesn't really need to spell out.
And...admittedly, the aim for nostalgia here means that SONIC is nothing you haven't really seen before, and there are a few moments that lean so heavily on movie tropes that my girlfriend and I both couldn't but groan a bit about them even while excitedly talking about the movie afterward.But that's the thing- we were EXCITED. So was the rest of the theater, and a post-credits appearance that I won't spoil lead to a joyous round of applause. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG isn't looking to reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't have to. It aims to please fans of the games, and tell a sweet story, and it mostly succeeds. And that's enough to break a curse, and grab some well-deserved rings.
Comments
Post a Comment