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Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) movie

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by Dark Sonic, Dec 7, 2013.

  1. 360

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    Apologies for the double post - but just found the source of "the renders are not final". It's from TailsChannel in a new video here.

    Also some guy on Reddit held an AMA claiming to have seen the movie at a test screening and leaked a tonne of stuff including story here. It's authenticity is still up in the air however.

    Beware of spoilers on that second link - though it could just be all made up and untrue.
     
  2. VectorCNC

    VectorCNC

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    I can be as critical of Sonic/Sega as the next guy, but I honestly don't think the design is that bad. I look at the reaction by everyone and its a bit embarrassing...

    What did people expect? Yes, we all wanted a full CG movie, but the budget simply wasn't there for that. And it's hard to blame a company for not wanting to break the bank on an IP with a horrendous reputation for disaster.

    So, given that if the movie was to exist at all it had to be a hybrid, isn't the design a decent approximation of Sonic's likeness? People talk as though rubber legs, and a diclops eyes was going to look good or make sense alongside humans—obviously not.

    I don't even think Sonic should be immersed in the world of humans, but that was Sega's fuck up decades ago. So it's a bit misplaced to fault the studio for going this route.

    That said, we have Jim Carey as Robotnik. Look at his work as the Riddler, or as Count Olaf. He may do an amazing job! Listen to Ben Schwartz voice work, he sounds perfect to voice Sonic. There is room to have some hope, people!

    Is this the movie we would all make for ourselves? Obviously not. But given what I've seen, and taking this movie for what it is, I'm cautiously optimistic for a change, which is a strange place to find myself in as I'm often one of the most pessimistic about anything Sonic related.

    I look at this fuss, and it makes me feel like WE are being the abusers in this relationship. Can't we just be greatful for a change? The design isn't perfect, but it's not bad either, and just think how good all those recoloured human penises are going to look photoshopped onto him.

    I mean, are people actually pissed there is a brand tie-in with his shoes? WTF grow up.
     
  3. Sid Starkiller

    Sid Starkiller

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    I didn't want a fully CG movie. I wanted no movie at all.

    Seriously, both this series and video game movies in general have extremely spotty track records. The way I saw it, at best no one would care about a Sonic movie. At worst, it could be another Sonic 06. I really, truly would rather not have a Sonic movie at all.
     
  4. Powpuck

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    I dunno, I can't really put myself in the shoes of someone who sincerely(?) likes this design. Like, I can appreciate the designs of Patrick Tatopous, who made notorious bastardizations of well established characters such as the smb movie goombas and tristar godzilla. They fail horribly at evoking what they are ostensibly based on, but at the same time they're really fun solid characters in their own right (even when everything else they're in is tedium).

    I guess it's the refusal to go whole hog that this is so dissatisfactory. Or maybe Sonic is like one of those deep sea fish that turns into a gelatinous mess when taken out of his milieu.

    Or maybe I just get flashbacks to that one time I woefully decided to jog seven miles without any socks on (owchies).
     
  5. Beltway

    Beltway

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    That's a heap of rubbish. The Sonic movie has a $90 million budget; that's sitting in arm's reach of blockbuster film territory. You don't spend that much money on a film if you want to play it safe with the budget. That $90 million likely also doesn't represent the film's marketing budget, so the film will likely cost even more than $90 million regardless.

    Even if we were to agree $90 million is cheap by Hollywood standards, Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a CG animated film made with this exact budget and that film looks fucking phenomenal. And that was released a few months ago. Other CG animated films made by the studio, as well as others (Illumination, Reel FX, Blue Sky,etc.) have been made on similar or cheaper budgets that still look good; despite not having the budget of a Disney/Pixar/DreamWorks animated film.
     
  6. VectorCNC

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    That's a fair point, provided that it is reflective of the average expense, and not an anecdotal exception. It still doesn't change the fact that this is the direction which was chosen, despite the desire of hardcore fans.

    It seems logical that the most purists of a fanbase (which Sonic Retro is be definition) will want to utilize the creative medium which is most capable of accurately replicating the the subject matter. Therefore, is stands to reason that the majority of us would want the movie to be totally CGI. However, boo-hoo, baby didn't get the bottle, so we pick up our toys and go home? Or we throw rocks? We then disingenuously critique the 3D model in the guise of common-sense design merits, or an unbiased personal preference, without disclosing that we are basically unpleasable from the outset. I acknowledge that not EVERYONE does this, that some people do acknowledge this, and that some people, I'm sure, would feel this way regardless, but most of the response I've seen implies that if the design had done a, b or c differently, they would approve of it. The fact is, if you allow yourself to relinquish some control, and accept the parameters of the film for what they are (not our tendency to control everything) the model is:

    A. an accurate translation of Sonic;
    B. makes reasonable coherence in the real world (of which we know nothing of the plot, and BTW consider the actual Sonic Bible!!!); and
    C. is not outright unappealing in appearance in an obvious way (and this subjective loophole is how I get nailed to a cross...)
     
  7. Aerosol

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    Sonic (?): Coming summer of 2055...?
    It sure is!

    Cause the design looks weird. His little raccoon paws are downright unsettling and odd in colour. I mean, even real hedgehogs have paws the same colour as their snouts. Why are Sonic's hands white? They're approximating his gloved looked without giving him gloves...for what purpose? His Branded Sneakers look lazy too ("oh his shoes are red right? I've got a pair of red Nike's let's just use them"). What was wrong with giving a white velcro strap? Sonic's shoes are almost as iconic as the shape of his head y'know. I'll concede that given better context this design might grow on me enough to not repulse me, but I don't find it likely.

    Basically though you're saying that if we lowered our standards, then the model is "good enough" which is impossible to disagree with. I can however argue that neither point A nor point B are valid in a world where we have The Smurfs and The Smurfs 2. And Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

    They could've just taken the model Marza uses and made the movie with that and it would've been both an accurate translation of Sonic by default and would've made reasonable coherence in the real world. But they decided to make a new design, which is fine. But the new design is kinda weird and Penders-esque, which is not fine.

    I mean honestly I'd probably be able to stomach it if he had gloves and didn't have a center mouth. The creepy little colourless hands and lascivious grin bother the fuck out of me.
     
  8. OKei

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    [​IMG]
     
  9. Beltway

    Beltway

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    On the insinuated bit of Spider-Verse possibly being an "anecdotal exception" for CG animated movies...

    SPA (Sony Pictures Imageworks):
    Spider-Verse - $90M
    Hotel Transylvania 3 - $80M
    Emoji Movie - $50M
    Smurfs: The Lost Villlage - $60M

    Reel FX:
    Free Birds - $55M
    Book of Life - $50M

    Warner Animation Group (Animal Logic/Sony Pictures Imageworks)
    Storks - $70M
    Lego Batman Movie - $80M
    Smallfoot - $60M

    Illumination:
    The Grinch - $75M
    Despicable Me 3 - $80M
    Sing - $75M
    Secret Life of Pets - $75M

    All of these were released in the past six years.

    That aside--the whole "unpleasable fanbrats" grandstanding going on against detractors of the design and this movie is just making me laugh. I can understand the notion of thinking "benefit of the doubt" is an argument to seriously try with Sonic in 2019 (if only barely), especially so over a live-action/CG film. But the inflammatory patronizing commentary going on that's ticking all of the usual boxes--"You're just jaded! Stop whining and accept it for what it is! They're doing the best they can!"--is veering hard into typical zealot buffoonery. Is anyone going to argue the only reason we hate the design because it has green eyes next?

    There's wanting to be supportive of a product, and then there's being a textbook "true Sonic fan". Don't be the latter.
     
  10. Plorpus

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    Hmm... Sounds like something a fake Sonic fan would say
     
  11. Overlord

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    Even if we pretended the design is good (it isn't), the rest of the film still has next to nothing to do with core elements of the franchise.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Aerosol

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    Sonic (?): Coming summer of 2055...?
    The last panel is missing an audience member that has never heard of Blue the game and decided to see Blue the film because the poster looked cool.

    Please notice me senpai.
     
  13. 360

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  14. Zephyr

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    Agreed. This is the kind of practically-unconditional support that's essentially rewarded far too many poor design decisions (mechanical, aesthetic, and otherwise), and absurd mission statements (like: "make a Sonic product for people who don't even care"), made by Sega and Sonic Team. It's the kind of attitude aptly outlined in your sig. It's arguably why something like this movie exists in the first place.

    I don't believe it, but I want it to be true.
     
  15. Laughingcow

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    Can we stop pretending the averaged movie goer is a complete dumbass who will watch anything? Movies do flop and in the case of the Sonic movie, they don't have Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson (Highest grossing actor in Hollywood today) to jack up their movie gross like Rampage (which at least has decent looking monster designs).
     
  16. Boxer Hockey

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    Smurfs made 563 million against a 110 budget. Chipmunks made 360 against 60. Yogi Bear, 201 against 80. etc. etc. None of them really had any huge star pull either. All a family film really needs to make its money back is to look inoffensive enough for parents to say "why not". Don't even get me started on the international pull of talking animal movies.
     
  17. Aerosol

    Aerosol

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    Sonic (?): Coming summer of 2055...?
    Oh yea I don't think this movie will be a commercial dirty bomb, but I think it will be critically mocked for the next 20 years.
     
  18. Laughingcow

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    While I agree with the later part, you are putting me in a position where I have to defend the Smurfs, Chipmunks, and Yogi bear....Fuck it.

    For all the faults in the Smurfs, it didn't bastardize the designs of the original (and even goes so far as to acknowledge the original comic in universe which I did laugh at). You also forget it had an entourage of talent behind the cast though I will say I did enjoy Hank Azaria's Gargamel and I love Neil Patrick Harris in general.

    The Chipmunks is a better meter in the the designs were changed from the strange anthropomorphs of the cartoon into real Chipmunk sized Chipmunks (which might have been the inspiration to the Sonic movie designs). The difference here was that Alvin and the Chipmunks was based on the novelty of having music with HIIIIIIIIGH PITCHED VOICES (which till this day still proves popular with the average person) not on having an iconic design. The music is what people are there to see though in comparison, they aren't bad on the eyes.

    Yogi Bear...I would honestly prefer if the Sonic movie was like this from a character design and Lore standpoint. They are the EXACT same characters from the original tv show (except Ranger Smith).

    Granted, it all of the above cases, the movie plots are meh/trash but as you point out, they made their money back so clearly the audience responded. Digging further into this would be off topic "Why do people watch certain movies" type discussion so I'll just say that in the Sonic movie's case, widespread mockery of the new design speaks for itself. The problem isn't that they changed the design, it is WHAT they changed it to.
     
  19. Beltway

    Beltway

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    If only it was that easy for some other talking animal films. Paddington and Paddington 2 are fantastic films (especially #2--one of the best films I've seen in years) and did have some recognizable talent on board (Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant playing the villains in the sequels), but wasn't received as warmly here compared to overseas (although the sequel did suffer from the Weinstein fallout and WB not doing much to promote it after getting the rights). :( Even Christopher Robin only did modest numbers, despite being based on Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise. Peter Rabbit was pretty successful though; it helps that it is actually kinda decent if you're not looking for something true to the books.

    I'd like to note though that US audiences do have something of a "fool me once" mentality when it comes to sequels. Scooby-Doo, Garfield, Smurfs, TMNT 2014, they all made bank and were pretty successful in spite of reviews. All of them got immediate followups (Monsters Unleashed, Tale of Two Kitties, Smurfs 2, Out of the Shadows) that ended up underperforming and killed any pathways to future entries. Even Alvin, despite having two successful sequels, eventually ended up having its fourth movie flopping domestically (although directly releasing it against Star Wars: The Force Awakens wasn't going to do virtually any film much favors).

    I certainly wouldn't be surprised if the film does alright, Sega immediately greenlights a sequel in the hopes of kicking off a franchise....and then it outright craters hard at the box office.
     
  20. Sid Starkiller

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    Yes, but how many parents are going to take their kids to this, with how expensive theaters are, with Frozen 2 right around the corner?