Original post was written for Vudu and can be found on blog.vudu.com
The long-awaited Sonic the Hedgehog has finally made it to our living rooms! This little, blue-guy is taking you on an adventure full of plenty of silliness and laughs. The movie’s video game origins will get older adults excited about its nostalgia, and the humor in the movie brings everyone in the family together for a good time. And while Sonic may be an alien from another planet, he is also here to teach us some important lessons about what it means to be human too.
SONIC’S SEGA (AND INTERNET) ROOTS AMP UP THE NOSTALGIA
We can’t talk about how Sonic the Hedgehog came to be without bringing up Sega and the Internet. Sonic originated from the Sega Genesis games that first came onto the scene in the early 90s. Those who grew up playing the games will be excited to see that the movie pays homage to the video games with a number of references. For example, Sonic sports his signature red shoes from the game that help him go fast as he fights off the evil Robotnik (who also originated in the games). Sonic also collects the classic rings that OG gamers are familiar with, and even eats plenty of his favorite food from the game – hot dogs.
Check out even more references to the classic Sonic games that you don’t want to miss in this exclusive clip:
And while the video game originally inspired the film, the Internet also helped shape the movie in an unprecedented way. When the trailer first appeared online, the game fans weren’t exactly thrilled with how different Sonic looked from his beloved Sega roots. So they did what the Internet does best – made tons of memes roasting the design. And to everyone’s surprise, the studio took the criticism and gave Sonic the redesign everyone was asking for. Sonic finally got his signature large eyes, bigger teeth, and proportional body shape. From origins to completion, Sonic’s Sega fans had a hand in making the movie happen. That alone is a cool movie history moment to witness. And moving beyond the creation, the filmmakers just made a movie that’s just fun to watch for adults and kids thanks to the talent.
JIM CARREY KEEPS THE LAUGHS COMING
Jim Carrey stars as the infamous Eggman/Dr. Robotnik in the movie. We’ve seen Carrey in mostly over-the-top roles in movies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber. In Sonic he takes his signature Carrey “out there”-ness down a bit and replaces it with tons of bad guy sass.
As the epitome of evil, endlessly condescending genius, Carrey hits all the marks while keeping things lighthearted and funny. He is mean to literally everyone (except his precious robots of course) since they’re never smart enough to satisfy him. Everything he says is a quippy insult or a sassy remark that is witty enough for both adults and kids to appreciate. Of course, his signature look adds to his evil villain style too. His giant goggles and strong mustache give him a balance of commanding and ridiculous at the same time, making him the perfect villain for a lighthearted family adventure. We can’t help but see Tom and Jerry parallels watching the chase between Robotnik and Sonic throughout the movie and that’s just a blast to watch.
But it’s not just the animation, talent, and humor that make Sonic the Hedgehog a great family movie. Sonic actually teaches us some worthwhile lessons about the importance of friendship too.
WE ALL NEED SOMEBODY TO LEAN ON
When we first meet Sonic, we quickly realize he spends a lot of time alone. Since he is an alien, he can’t be seen by any humans without risking his safety. So he’s forced to watch everyone from afar and find different ways to entertain himself. Through the movie, we see Sonic play ping pong by himself and even play baseball alone. He even spends his nights watching movies through the window of Tom’s house before they meet. And although this is fun at first, Sonic always comes to the same conclusion: he wishes he had a friend. Through the movie this theme comes back over and over – Sonic has spent years watching humanity be together, and his need for companionship on planet Earth is real. That’s why meeting Tom changes everything.
Tom is very reluctant to help Sonic at their first encounter. After all, Sonic a little alien stranger and Tom has plenty going on in his own life. But eventually, Tom agrees to take Sonic across the country, even with nothing to gain. Thanks to Tom’s willingness to be kind, the two grow close as they go on their journey and fight off Robotnik. As they face more hardships and get to know each other on their adventure, they start to develop a real friendship. Not only does this make Sonic happy, but this friendship even helps save their lives. And in the end, Tom gains an unexpected little hedgehog friend too.
So while Sonic is an alien from a different planet, he reminds us of some really important lessons in being human – help those in need, be kind, and remember that we all need somebody to lean on.