This weekend, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega’s Blur Blur, finally gets his big Hollywood break. The movie, from Paramount Pictures and directed by Jeff Fowler, is poised to take off after a rocky start that ultimately led to a total redesign of the eponymous character. All that’s in the past, though, and the response to the redesign has so far been positive, but will the movie itself live up to the hype?
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The embargo for critics’ reviews lifted late Wednesday night, offering fans the chance to see what reviewers really think about the Sega mascot’s first film. As it turns out, critics are a bit mixed on the live-action movie, with many praising the redesigned character but others finding it still a bit off. There are several negative reviews, but the general tone seems to be “surprisingly good” rather than “irritatingly bad.”
Sonic the Hedgehog is scheduled to officially release tomorrow, February 14th, with select screenings beginning tonight. The film stars Ben Schwartz as the voice of the eponymous hedgehog, James Marsden as Tom Wachowski, a police officer that befriends Sonic, and Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, the franchise’s classic villain and scientist. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the film right here.
You can take a look at what the critics are saying with the roundup of Sonic the Hedgehog reviews below!
ComicBook.com – Spencer Perry
“Sonic the Hedgehog is a totally harmless kids movie that manages to have enough heart and humor to keep the adults entertained, too. Schwartz perfectly embodies the character to hilarious effect and steals the show so often that the movie suffers when he’s absent for too long, though sequences of Carrey’s Robotnik offer plenty of jokes to keep the adults laughing. Natasha Rothwell also appears in a supporting role that generates some of the biggest laughs of the movie, despite minimal interaction with Sonic at all.”
You can read our full review here.
CNET – Sean Keane
“It’s a shame Sonic the Hedgehog’s forgettable jokes don’t live up to its visuals, but it’s a decent cinematic start for the blue blur and leaves me with the hope of an even more adventurous sequel down the line. And if you’re an old-school gamer who’s still trapped in the Sega vs. Nintendo console wars of the ’90s, rest assured that Sonic’s first movie is a whole lot better than Mario’s.”
You can read CNET’s full review here.
GameSpot – Phil Hornshaw
“As video game adaptations go, Sonic the Hedgehog is among the stronger ones. It’s smart enough to stand on its own, making use of longstanding aspects of Sega’s supersonic mascot and his franchise, while making sure that what really shines through are its characters. That restraint goes a long way to making Sonic the Hedgehog a light, funny movie, and while it definitely skews young, longtime Sonic fans should have just as much fun finally seeing the Blue Blur on the big screen.”
You can read GameSpot’s full review here.
TheWrap – Yolanda Machado
“‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ might not become a kid-movie classic, but it makes for a great little getaway to enjoy with the whole family. That, in itself, earns a golden ring.”
You can read TheWrap’s full review here.
Mashable – Kellen Beck
“If you’re a Sonic fan of the ’90s or ’00s hoping for some deep cut references or something that appeals to your developed tastes and critical thinking, you’ll probably walk away disappointed. And if you’re looking for a fun movie full of heart and great characters, you’ll probably walk away disappointed too, because this movie feels empty, even if it is pretty.”
You can read Mashable’s full review here.
The Washington Post – Kristen Page-Kirby
“Fans of the video games will find a host of allusions, but there’s plenty to please any moviegoer who can’t tell a Sega from a Switch. In the end, ‘Sonic’ is quippy without being mean, and sweet without being sappy, making this a trip that’s well worth taking.”
You can read The Washington Post’s full review here.
The Hollywood Reporter – John DeFore
“A throwback in more ways than one, Jeff Fowler’s Sonic the Hedgehog obviously hopes that fondness for a video-game character birthed in 1991 is sufficient to get audiences into theaters for a CG-plus-live action adventure. To sweeten the nostalgic deal for parents of the kids the film is aimed at, Sonic offers Jim Carrey in a performance almost as full-tilt as those of his mid-’90s heyday. His villainous Dr. Robotnik supplies nearly as much amusement as the prickly star of the show, with this duo’s hyperactivity balanced out by James Marsden in his nice-guy wheelhouse. The production may have riled the internet months ago, with furor over the look of its first trailer sending FX crews back to work on a character redesign; but what’s made it to the screen is light-hearted fun unlikely to offend anyone.”
You can read The Hollywood Reporter’s full review here.
The Guardian – Steve Rose
“Sonic the Hedgehog’s big Hollywood entrance was swiftly followed by undignified retreat last year, when the first trailer for this movie prompted online reactions of ridicule, puzzlement and horror at its CGI star’s unsettlingly creepy appearance. The cast of Cats were adorably cuddly by comparison. Now, after a quick redesign, the speedy video-game character is back: less weird-looking, more overtly cartoonish, ready to tear out of the uncanny valley and into our hearts. By the looks of it, though, they should have spent longer in the workshop. Few but diehard fans and young children will be charmed by this predictable, derivative caper.”
You can read The Guardian’s full review here.
Variety – Owen Gleiberman
“Given the level of obsession with which Sonic’s fans regard him, the makers of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ would have done well to turn the film into a slapstick theme park of video-game trickery, like the relentlessly imaginative ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet.’ But no! Their truly epic bad decision, far worse than the original fussy humanoid design of Sonic, was to make the ‘Sonic’ movie into one of those clunky live-action adventure comedies with a digitally animated generic weisenheimer plopped into the middle of it.”
You can read Variety’s full review here.
CinemaBlend – Mike Reyes
“If anything, the way that Sonic The Hedgehog shuffles the cards of tradition with a fresh deck of surprises is pretty helpful. While other video game movies would want to get cute and stuff their introductory films with as many fan-centric references as they can, this film takes it easy and knows to ease the audience into things, whether they’re familiar with Sonic’s adventures or not.”
You can read CinemaBlend’s full review here.
