I Had More Fun With Sonic The Hedgehog Than Detective Pikachu

Sonic the Hedgehog hits Digital today. It hits 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 19…and here is my surprising review.

Add me to a long list of people who were pleasantly surprised by Sonic the Hedgehog. Like many, I was horrified when his human-toothed, awkwardly-proportioned design was first revealed the masses. In an unexpected move, Paramount allowed the filmmakers to go back in and redesign something that was a bit closer to his game design. Okay, a LOT closer to his game design. 

But, in spite of the credit I gave the filmmakers for actually listening to fans, I couldn’t help but think that it ultimately wouldn’t matter. The film, based on the trailer, looked like a generic kid’s movie. And you know what? Yes, it is. It is a generic kid’s movie. But just because a movie is generic doesn’t make it unenjoyable. In a time where the world is full of uncertainty, this wonderfully-light and heartfelt tale is one I needed.

In it, we follow the titular Sonic the Hedgehog. His whole life, he’s been on the run from enemies who want to steal his powers. So he hides, knowing that one day, he’ll be discovered, and he’ll have to run once again. The plan is to use his magical rings to escape to a mushroom planet, but luckily for him, his time on Earth has been largely uneventful. He’s bored, yes, but he lives vicariously through the lives of those he observes in secret. Yes, even Sonic is living that quarantine life.

When a careless mistake alerts the U.S. government to his presence, however, he knows he has to leave. One thing leads to another, he runs into James Marsden’s character — a cop he’s been observing for years — and loses his prized rings, leading him on a road trip to San Francisco to get them back.

RELATED – After Watching Sonic, I May Be Wrong About Video Game Movies

As I said, it’s a fairly generic movie. You get the character immediately. You get the stakes. In fact, the opening itself is so generic, you may very well roll your eyes. But, at the end of the day, I found its predictability comforting and heartwarming. Sonic is actually more likable than I thought he’d be. Rather than go for a sort of edgy teen-ish character, what we have here is a lonely guy in search of a real friend, and it’s something that really resonated with me. 

James Marsden is a fairly straightforward secondary protagonist, but he’s also quite likable. He’s a competent small-town cop with dreams of something bigger. And then we have Jim Carrey’s Robotnik. Yes, he’s pretty cringey at times, but not nearly as much as I anticipated. As a ‘90s kid, it was great to see him in top form once again, and I love the fact that director Jeff Fowler let him go full Jim Carrey.

Will this movie change your life? Absolutely not. It’s a very safe, very young movie. But if you’re in need of a light, fun story with a familiar warmth, you could do much worse than this. In fact, I’m almost ashamed to say I found it more enjoyable than Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, a movie that I found mildly disappointing. 

Final Grade: B

Of course, like all Digital releases, it comes with plenty of special features. I had a chance to get my hands on most of it — except for the feature commentary. On the whole, it’s a pretty standard set of extras. You have a fun little 2D, black and white animated short with the Blue Blur traveling the world. It’s nothing special, but it’s amusing. We get some deleted scenes, bloopers, interviews with the cast — a lot of the generic, self-congratulatory stuff many of us are used to. 

Honestly, the only real thing that resonated with me on this front was the featurette on the origins of Sonic the character. If you like to disappear down video game doc rabbit holes on YouTube, this will likely be right up your alley. 

BONUS FEATURES ON DIGITAL*, 4K ULTRA HD COMBO, & BLU-RAY COMBO

  • Commentary by director Jeff Fowler and the voice of Sonic, Ben Schwartz
  • Around the World in 80 Seconds—See Sonic’s next adventure!
  • Deleted Scenes—Director Jeff Fowler introduces deleted scenes
  • Bloopers—Laugh along with Jim Carrey and the cast
  • “Speed Me Up” Music Video
  • For the Love of Sonic—Jim Carrey and the cast discuss what Sonic the Hedgehog means to them
  • Building Robotnik with Jim Carrey—See Jim Carrey bring supervillain Dr. Robotnik to life
  • The Blue Blur: Origins of Sonic—Explore the origins of the legendary Blue Blur
  • Sonic On Set—Visit the set with the voice of Sonic, Ben Schwartz

All in all, the extras are simply okay, but keep in mind that I didn’t have access to the feature commentary, so for all I know that could be a gamechanger.

Extras Grade: C+

So, what do you think? Have you had a chance to check out Sonic the Hedgehog movie yet? Will you be picking it up on Digital? Let us know your thoughts down below!

Sonic the Hedgehog is out on Digital now and hits 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 19!

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