Why you need to watch the Sonic movies
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The Sonic franchise is continuing to grow in popularity as they continue to produce some of the most iconic video game movies of our time. Although other people do not think the Sonic franchise is as strong, I have to disagree! Sonic is for everyone and it is a film everyone should give a shot.
Video games and movies are popular forms of media entertainment, but the same can't always be said when the two are combined. Critics and casual audiences have a history of disliking video game movies. Either they missed key reasons why fans loved the games or tried shoving too many plot elements from a video game (which benefits from the long run time) into a two-hour film. In recent years, however, the trend of adaptations of bad video game films has dissipated significantly, and Sonic The Hedgehog is one of those reasons. With the franchise's popularity, the Sonic franchise practically guaranteed a theatrical movie. As a fan of the franchise, I am proud to say that “The Blue Blur” has one of the best film trilogies of all time, one that I recommend everyone to watch.
One reason why I recommend these films is because of the excellent depiction of the characters of the franchise. The characters retain their core personality traits from the games and maintain their dynamics with other characters. This includes Sonic and Tails' brotherly bond and Sonic and Robotnick's cat-and-mouse rivalry. This helps introduce newer audiences to these characters and lets them jump into playing the games easily.
The films also do a good job of giving the main characters arcs that help them grow. For example, in the first film, Sonic, in particular, is more childlike and immature than his game counterpart and has to tackle his feelings of loneliness. These slight alterations to Sonic's characterization help Sonic appear more relatable for a casual audience, as many of us have struggled with feelings of loneliness before, and you route for him to find friends and family so he won't be alone. In addition, once Sonic does find a family of his own, they help him grow and mature into a more heroic character in the second and third films.
Another significant aspect of the Sonic movies is the cast. The films are filled with excellent performances from actors, actresses, and voice actors alike. Ben Schwartz does a great job of voicing Sonic the Hedgehog, being able to convey the Blue Blur's cocky, laid-back, and energetic attitude. When the time comes for Sonic to express fear, anger, and sadness, Schwarts still brings his A-game. One actor who always steals the screen is Jim Carrey as Dr. "Eggman" Robotnick. Carrey does a great job displaying the character's genius intellect, has perfect comedic timing, and an over-top villainous energy that brings the character to life. Jim Carrey also consistently brings the best jokes and has some funniest scenes in each film. Furthermore, in the third film, Dr. Robtonick goes through a great arc that gives the character a fantastic conclusion.
The best aspect of the sonic films is how each film feels like a genuine improvement from the last. The first film played it safe in terms of storytelling, and the only characters from the games included were Sonic and Eggman. Not only were more game characters added, such as Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow, but the stories told were loose adaptations of plotlines from the games. Adding more characters and drawing inspiration from some of the game's plots leads to more excellent world-building, complex themes, and interesting character dynamics.
The cinematography, CGI, and action sequences also improve, with the third movie having shots and fight scenes that leave you on the edge of your seat. Even though I watched the third film once, the fight scenes between Sonic and Shadow still live in my mind. My opinion of these movies comes from a biased view as I am, once again, a big Sonic fan. Seeing my favorite characters come to life on the big screen will be my favorite memory. The Sonic trilogy is, however, something that anyone can enjoy. These films have great characters, comedy, and action and provide genuine entertainment, which is all a film sometimes needs to do. I highly recommend watching these films, especially since a fourth installment— which is said to be released in March of 2027.