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Starring: James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey
Director: Jeff Fowler
Running Time: 99 mins
Sonic The Hedgehog is an American film about a small-town police officer who finds himself on the run from the law after discovering and befriending a small intergalactic hedgehog.
An unashamedly fun-loving family adventure, Sonic The Hedgehog may be a simple watch, but it’s full of energy and laughs from beginning to end. Bolstered by three excellent lead performances and a fun blend of sci-fi action and buddy comedy, it’s a great adventure that will make you smile and chuckle like you’re a kid again.
At first glance, there’s something about Sonic The Hedgehog that seems entirely outdated. In what at times feels like a similar vein to Garfield, it’s a simple, one-dimensional story of a funny CGI character on an adventure in the real world, and that’s about it.
However, the film takes that simple and admittedly outdated concept and turns it into an absolute delight. In that, Sonic The Hedgehog is indeed little more than a simple road trip movie with easy-going laughs and not much else, but it’s so lively throughout that it’s difficult not to like.
And a big part of that comes from the film’s performances, which are surprisingly fantastic for a family film. A-listers do often get slated for putting in half-hearted turns when it comes to kids’ movies, but James Marsden, Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey are all great to watch here.
Marsden is a charismatic and hugely likable level-headed presence throughout, and Ben Schwartz is delightfully manic as the voice of Sonic alongside him. They make a great duo whose friendship is fun all the way through the film, making the movie’s buddy comedy a real delight.
But Jim Carrey is without a doubt the standout performance here. Starring as the eccentric and villainous Doctor Robotnik, he puts his all into a delightfully weird performance here. With what seems like free reign to go as crazy as he likes with the character, Carrey seems to be having huge fun in the role, and that shines through in making the movie even more enjoyable to watch.
So, with great energy and humour across the board, Sonic The Hedgehog is a funny and entirely likable movie. The only disadvantages come in the form of a story that is undeniably basic and one-dimensional. It’s an enjoyably simple adventure movie, but it’s far from the most riveting watch throughout.
And as a result, there are a few moments here and there where things do get a little boring. Whether it’s brief periods of downtime or slightly overlong action/comedic set-pieces, the film isn’t always a barrel of laughs, and does prove briefly frustrating throughout.
However, I was still pleasantly surprised by Sonic The Hedgehog. An action-packed, fun-loving and enjoyably easy-going family adventure, it impresses with great humour and charisma, bolstered by three standout lead performances throughout. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 7.3 overall.
