Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) movie

The UK has a great affinity for nostalgic mascot platformers. Sonic Mania was on the Nintendo Switch eShop "Digital Only" charts for a looooooong time. By the time it dropped out, the Sega Ages Sonic 1 release had taken its place. I've just checked the current charts - Sonic is no longer charting, but Sega Ages Alex Kidd in Miracle World is.

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The Sonic series has had a somewhat similar trajectory to many non-Nintendo legacy franchises. Game series like Mortal Kombat, Tomb Raider, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro.

* They start out with a big hit game that's critically and commercially successful.
* They build upon that with a couple of "bigger and better" sequels, the sales and reputation increase.
* Then the owners of the IP get complacent, think their series is bulletproof. Key members of the original game staff are no longer around, future installments are handed over to lesser talents, without the time/money/resources needed to maintain the high quality.
* This trend continues, with diminishing returns, the brand goes quiet.
* Then they realise that their once huge IP has been squandered, has been under-performing for years.
* They invest the appropriate talent/time/money/resources into a high profile relaunch for the series.
* Relaunch is critically and commercially successful, finding a new audience and bringing fans of the early entries back into the fold.
* They follow up with successful sequels, maintaining the new standard of quality.

Sonic is different though, because Sonic already had a successful high profile relaunch with Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, which were well received at the time. They haven't held up so well, and didn't necessarily win back all the fans of the old 2D games, but it was a successful relaunch of a semi-dormant series nonetheless. But after the Sonic Adventure titles, Sega immediately squandered that goodwill and there was a sharp decline in quality. Sega has tried tried a few big and splashy relaunches since then, each with a different "we mean business this time" tactic - going back to the original title (Sonic the Hedgehog 2006), reviving the original series (Sonic the Hedgehog 4), rebooting and redesigning (Sonic Boom) - and each one doing more damage to the brand because they failed to invest in releasing a quality product.

There have been some good games in there too of course (Rush Adventure, Colors, Generations), but for each step forwards they insist on taking two steps back, and we get a Sonic Forces. Maybe Sonic Mania's glowing reception will prove to be a wake-up call for Sega.

So is Sonic popular enough for the movie to be viable? He's definitely recognised enough, but these days it's largely for the wrong reasons, so that's a double edged sword. A nostalgic audience certainly exists, people who enjoyed the old Sonic stuff when they were kids, but nothing about this film evokes the Sonic of anyone's childhood memories. The casting of Jim Carrey does help sell it as a '90s nostalgia movie though. Ultimately, this film's fate is likely going to be decided by how well the marketing clicks with kids - and with that demographic, a wise cracking CGI animal stands a decent chance.

 

Speaking of UK, mascots, and videogame charts; guess it's worth mentioning Mania Plus did re-appear last week. Granted, it's at #33 of the Top 40 (while Crash, Mario, and Spyro are still charting in the top 20), and probably won't be there next week, but still a bit interesting to note.

 

I'm numb. The source material is a suggestion. Let come what may.

 

It didn't disappoint my unwanted expectations at least. lol Because come on, were we all really expecting something to follow the source material?

 

I expected at least a bald head, common with every main Robotnik/Eggman.
But by the looks of it (and that misguided Sonic Boom rejected concepted art) it's blind luck that he still have a mustache.

 

lol

 

I find myself endlessly entertained by each little development. Not the worst possible look a Robotnik could have had, honestly. Is that supposed to be his Egg-o-matic (or the Paramount "equivalent")? I'm curious to see how that goes, if that is in fact a thing to be.

With all that said, I'm still not gonna go see it and won't be picking it up from the store. Might eventually watch it on a streaming service, though.

 

This is allegedly the stand-in for the Egg Mobile.

More boring than the 06 flying tentacle machine.

 

#genericvillian1


I mean, at least he doesn't look....bad? This was honestly most my imagination brought to life when I first heard Eggman/Robotnik was going to be played by Jim Carrey. What I didn't see coming was Dr. Pornstache-nik.

He will forever be referenced as suck. Perhaps "Egg-Pornstache-man" for the Japanese story purists.

 

i got sent the pic without context earlier and thought someone photoshopped Sportacus and Starlord together. i don't hate it but that was my first impression lmao

 

The whole movie is from another dimension...

 

If anything, he looks like an anti-hero.

 

Via Red Baron Pizza, I bet.

 

OMG! That looks exactly like him. What the hell? So they're getting their character designs via frozen pizza brands rather than the source material? What's Eggman's back story in this movie going to be? Do I want to know?

 

Screw Sega for letting this happen. Seriously pathetic.

 

It's Jim Carrey with a mustache, didn't except anything else really.

I'm... really not looking forward to the trailer. With the release of Sonic Mania, it was kinda nice to have Sonic be loved again by the broader gaming community. Now the trailer's gonna drop, it's gonna suck, and Sonic will be back to be a laughing stock.

I could try to be emo™ and say I don't care about this movie, but I really wish it didn't exist. A crappy live action adaptation is about the only thing Sonic didn't have to suffer through...until now.