Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) movie

These are in my local shopping centre :/

 

I do think that Griffith is still the OG Shadow, but I will say that Kirk Thornton actually did a damn good job in Forces. He was so bad in the prior games but then did a complete 180 and was one of the highlights of Forces IMO.

Also,

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given that the mid-credits scene has Colleen Villard reprising her role, I honestly wonder if the producers at any time considered bringing Smith onto the movie but either decided not to or he declined. I wouldn't be surprised, since they were able to get one game voice actor on board.

 

That's awesome man. Love seeing this success for Sonic, it makes me genuinely happy.

 

Man, that's hilarious. Because it is, word-for-word, EXACTLY how I felt about Jason Griffith.

ANYWAY! Here are my thoughts on the movie. I don't think I've ever been so... "of two minds" about anything in my life, haha. I'm not TORN on it at all. I just find myself holding two completely different, rather incompatible opinions about that movie simultaneously, and yet somehow I can do that without causing any internal conflict. It's a bundle of contradictions that I feel no need to untangle.

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PERSPECTIVE NUMBER ONE: As a lifelong diehard Sonic fan, I found the movie to be... a pretty fun time on its own merits, but annoyingly divorced from its source material. This part of my brain walked out of the movie feeling a WHOLE lot like I did coming out of the 2017 Power Rangers movie. What they did, they executed well, but in a misguided attempt to garner a wide appeal, it seemed to change, replace, or omit a great deal of what makes the property unique and special.

Something Lange said a few days back has stayed with me: "I do not understand this idea that enjoyable and faithful are at odds. That's saying Sonic is not enjoyable and has to be NOT Sonic to be enjoyed. This mentality has plagued not only the Sonic franchise but other franchises. Sonic was already made to be widely enjoyable. Why use a popular IP if you're just going to change it? Is it not popular for what it already was? Then how does making it something else make any sense?"

Aside from the VERY beginning and the VERY end, I think you could replace Sonic with an original speedy alien with a heart of gold, give Robotnik a different name, and all you'd need to do is run "Find & Replace" on the script. Don't get me wrong! The little in-jokes and shout-outs were appreciated. But THAT'S just how little any element of pre-existing Sonic canon actually affected the plot.

This might not have been the case if Sonic felt more like... I guess, my notion of what Sonic is supposed to feel like, haha. One of the most important aspects of how I see the character is this: Sonic hides his own anxiety or insecurities, when he has them, with an even bigger-than-usual abundance of bravado. Whether that's to lift the spirits of the people he cares about, or to protect himself FROM those insecurities is up in the air, but it's something that's been consistent about him across various universes.

THIS Sonic does try to cover his insecurities with humor, and he's as quippy and confident as he should be, but he's also openly, directly, emotionally VULNERABLE in a way that doesn't feel like the character to me. This is, of course, a different continuity. I'd even say the idea that a "cool" hero should try not to be emotionally vulnerable is an outdated concept. Sonic may well be more relatable this way, and THIS particular Sonic being the way he is makes all the sense in the world, given his circumstances.

It's believable within the context of the story the film is telling, and Sonic doesn't have to be (and literally could not be) a 100% match for all Sonics that came before. I really did love the character, and even _as_ a Sonic, he was largely excellent. it's just that combined with everything ELSE the movie lacked, not having Sonic that quite resonated with me was a bigger letdown than it otherwise would've been.

But here's the thing. Even as my grown-up, analytical, lifelong Sonic fan brain was lambasting the movie for feeling the need to shoehorn Sonic into the "real world" and making itself a buddy cop flick instead of doing anything with what Sonic or his world actually IS... I still had a huge smile on my face the whole time.

Because PERSPECTIVE NUMBER TWO: The 7-year old I used to be who loves Sonic way too much to ever critique anything about it and wants to know and play and see every single thing his hero does is STILL A PART OF ME, and he had the time of his freakin' life. Maybe it's because I can't affect the movie the way I can a game and so I tend to _be_ less critical about it, but this movie made me _feel_ that part of my fandom in a way that I haven't in a long time.

The theater I was in had a healthy mix of older couples on Valentine's dates and parents with their kids, and given how much consternation there's been over whether Sonic still does or is even "supposed" to appeal to kids, it was INCREDIBLY heartwarming to hear those kids having the time of their lives, exactly like I would have.

So don't read this as me saying I didn't enjoy the movie. It's STILL my favorite video game adaptation I've ever seen, it was a thrill FINALLY seeing Sonic on the big screen with this kind of budget behind it, Jim Carrey's Robotnik stole every scene he was in, and the film was genuinely hilarious, well-acted, and even well-written. I'm glad to see it's getting Sonic so much positive attention, and I'm SUPER happy it's doing so well.

And if that critical, diehard adult wants a film that has more elements of Sonic, that's exactly where a sequel could really shine, and the post-credits scene CERTAINLY teases as much. Here's hoping!

 

Well, I honestly can't believe it, but I actually enjoyed the movie! Yeah, it's completely divorced from the source material as Josh said, and that does not help the already fractured franchise. But I think it really succeeds in standing on its own. Which is SURPRISING given the doomed start this flick had.

I would give it a 7.5/8, but...

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I WILL GIVE IT A 9 JUST BECAUSE OF THAT POST CREDITS SCENE. TAILS WAS SOOO CUTE I ALREADY WANT A SEQUEL (I also can't believe I said that).

Also, I know this can't possibly be true (and I'm a bit reluctant to say it knowing he is reading ) but I can't convince myself that Tyson wasn't involved in all the good things this movie manages to pull off, all the little nods and details we enjoyed as Sonic fans. I know there is a whole team behind a movie, it's just that everything I heard about the movie after his involvement gave me hope and it really paid off at the end.

Anyways, thank you Tyson, whatever your level of involvement was

 

This is a mindset that I agree with, but it has to be inspected on a case-by-case basis. In this case I think it's important to respect where Sonic's reputation stands in the eyes of the public and why that really matters. Consider what your average consumer thinks about Sonic and wether his name is a promise of quality. And then take that into account and consider why doing something new is necessary to shed the weight of the negative expectations that people have long held now. Obviously there are VERY wrong ways to refresh a franchise but sometimes the only way to regain trust is to mix things up. It just needs to be done respectfully.
I think it's true the movie took more liberties than needed in places, but at the same time it's hard not to sympathize a little with why Sega keeps swerving all over the road lately.

 

I just came home from watching the movie and I feel really great about it! I'd put it right up there with Detective Pikachu as a wholly enjoyable live action video game adaptation with things that both veterans and newcomers/kids can enjoy. There were plenty of kids in my theater and they all seemed to love it, and honestly that's one of the best parts about all this, knowing that Sonic is going to gain so many young fans from this.

Additional spoilery thoughts:

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The echidna tribe was a really nice touch. I wonder if this means that Sonic's homeworld in the movie is a hybrid of South Island and Angel Island, or if the echidnas invaded from a different location.

The loudest laughs in my theater came from the motel scene when Sonic farts. As expected, considering most were parents with kids. The part in the bar fight where Sonic slows down time was a close second - That was an amazing scene, by the way.

When you guys mentioned people freaking out at the post credits scene, I had a feeling it might be Tails - Even though I somewhat predicted it, I still went wild on the inside when he popped in. Most of my fondest memories of the Sonic series was when I played 2 player with my older brother and took control of Tails, and he continues to be my preference in games where he's playable, so his appearance means so much to me and the idea that he'll be in a potential sequel has me feeling giddy!

Thank you, Tyson, for your part in this, and for everyone else on the team who helped with this incredible turnaround.

 

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Forgot to mention: I like the tribal look of the echidnas. It's appropriate to Knuckles' characterization as last guardian of an ancient civilization to have his relatives in primitive clothing.

 

For sure, and I know a ton of us are saying this, but hats off to you, man. I genuinely think you deserve all the credit in the world for pushing not just this movie, but the series as a whole in a HUGELY positive direction. It's well on its way to shedding those negative expectations. From one fan to another, I'm SO glad you're in this position, and I can't thank you enough.

 

What a pleasant surprise! I was deathly afraid that it was going to ruin the series and then I almost cried when a little child heard the Green Hill music at the end and screamed out “That’s his theme!!” Sonic’s not dead after all y’all and it’s a lot harder to kill him than we thought! I’m ready for a sequel! I’m also thinking outs possible that we may have more SEGA based movies. It had that type of setup tab the very beginning.

They did this right while also adding some new elements. Wow. I did my part and bought 4 tickets. I had some friends come with me who also saw it last night. I think they’ve already broke even and hope they make a lot more $$$$ moving forward!

 

Maybe have a SEGA Cinematic Universe? :specialed:

 

I feel like this needs to be said: the next big 3D sonic title just HAS to be good. It really does.

This movie is giving sonic a (positive) bump in the mainstream popularity and consciousness that I havent seen in a long time, possibly only with Mania in the last 20 years. SEGA has to capitalize on this now. Sales are going to increase for the next title, you can book it. They really, badly need a 3D title like Mania to stick the landing, to create the new generation of obsessed Sonic fans like they did with us in the 90s and even bring older fans and casuals back to the series. Huge, huge opportunity here.

I'm strongly rooting for Iizuka and company.

 

Sonic Movie is officially the best video game movie opening at box office, beating even detective pikatchu! what a time to be alive

https://xcancel.com/Wario64/status/1229076482732900352

 

Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog made a loud boom at the Presidents Day box office with a three-day domestic opening of $57 million, a record for a video game adaptation. The film's projected four-day gross of $68 million is among the best showings ever for the long Presidents Day weekend, which coincided this year with Valentine's Day.

Until now, 2019's Detective Pikachu boasted the top North American opening for a video game adaptation with a three-day start of $54.3 million, not adjusted for inflation.

Overseas, Sonic the Hedgehog launched to a strong $43 million from its first 40 markets for a global bow of $100 million through Sunday, and $111 million through Monday. Top markets included Mexico ($6.7 million), where Hollywood family films prosper in particular. The U.K. followed with $6.2 million.

The film — which nabbed an A CinemaScore — is based on the popular Sega video game and sees the titular character (voiced by Ben Schwartz) team up with a small-town sheriff (James Marsden) to battle the evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey).

The movie's better-than-expected debut is a big win for Pamount and director Jeff Fowler, who redesigned the character after a loud outcry from fans last year.

Sonic quashed it next closet rival, Warner Bros. and DC's Birds of Prey, which fell to No. 2 in its second weekend with an estimated $17 million and $19 million for the four. The troubled superhero pic tumbled 49 percent, a steep drop for a holiday weekend.

Sony and the Blumhouse-produced Fantasy Island, a horror reimagining of the classic television series of the same name, opened in third place with an estimated $12.4 million for the three days and $14 million for the four despite getting slapped with a C- CinemaScore.

Directed and written by Jeff Wadlow, the $7 million pic stars Michael Peña, Maggie Q, Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell, Portia Doubleday, Jimmy O. Yang, Ryan Hansen and Michael Rooker.

Universal and producer Will Packer's romantic drama The Photograph followed in fourth place with a three day opening of $12.3 million and projected four-day gross of $13.4 million.

The Photograph, starring Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield, was written and directed by Stella Meghie. The $15 million film received a B+ CinemaScore, and was timed to Valentine's Day.

After Sonic the Hedgehog, the weekend's other big headline was Bong Joon Ho's and Neon's Parasite, which feasted on its top Oscar wins by grossing a huge $5.5 million for the three days — its biggest weekend to date — and an estimated $6.7 million for the four. The specialty film, which first opened in select theaters in early October, is now playing in 2,001 cinemas, its widest count to date.

Parasite's U.S. total through Monday is an estimated $44.3 million, one of the best showings of all time for a foreign-language film. That was enough to beat fellow specialty pic Downhill, starring Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The Searchlight film opened to $4.7 million for the three days and $5.2 million for the four days after flunking with a D CinemaScore from audiences.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-sonic-hedgehog-booms-record-68m-opening-1279595

 

Book might have the closest to the answer for this:

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In the book they're described as power-hungry warlords, and it's said that Longclaw fled to the island with Sonic since he seemed to be feared for his "Chaos Power" and she just wanted to let him have "something close to a normal childhood." So it's possible they were looking for Sonic and he just happened to have wound up where they were looking at the time.
Longlcaw's also stated to have been last in "a line of noble warrior owls dedicated to maintaining the balance for all living creatures". Don't know how much of this they'll throw away in the future but I really hope they don't and I wish it was touched on at least this much within the film itself to give it that otherworldly quality, and it seems like a fine enough addition to the lore of the games that'd sort of tie everything together in sequels.

I had the biggest grin on my face the entire movie despite not being surprised by anything. I'm kind of sad about it but it's fine.​

 

This is really great since it bring us closer to a movie (whether it's the sequel or the third one) where Knuckles might come out.

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Voiced by Dwayne Johnson

Edit:

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Or Vin Diesel? Can't name many "tough guys" actors tbh.

 

Forgot to mention, had a chuckle when some kid shouted out at the end:

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Wow! It's an Orange Sonic!

 

Seems like a sequel is all but inevitable now. Hopefully Paramount doesn't do to Sonic what they did to Transformers.

... but what I do want is a sequel on the same level of Evan Almighty, where they replace Jim Carrey with Steve Carell and make the humor even more family-friendly and centered around farts and poops. Now that'd be Certified Fresh on Rotten.

 

Saw the film on opening night, only now just getting around to putting my review here.

I really liked this movie. I like seeing different takes on old characters, so I didn't mind how different it was from the games. What mattered to me was Sonic's characterization, and that was top-notch. The trailers made him seem too annoying for my tastes, but thankfully that's not the case in the actual film. The humour got some laughs out of me and landed right for the most part (except for the typical family movie jokes, which were thankfully few and far between). I didn't feel like they focused too much on Tom. The action scenes were amazing, and

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the fight scene with Robotnik at the end with Sonic waking up and all gave me goosebumps.

. Jim Carrey's Robotnik was funny, and felt more like classic Eggman than I was expecting.

My only real problem was with the pacing. I really wanted to see more of Longclaw and the echidna tribe, and the climax felt kind of sudden.
Overall though, this film was a lot of fun. I'd love to see more in the future, with more focus placed on Sonic's world.