LM23 Rating: Why and how Sonic the Hedgehog became one of my favorite movies
So after watching Sonic the Hedgehog 2, I opened up Prime Video, which I rarely ever bother watching, and decided to rewatch Sonic the Hedgehog more carefully. Sonic 2 was such an amazing surprise and I knew there were a lot of moments that I could understand better if I had paid attention more closely to the original Sonic. I put on the movie, but I drifted in and out of it as if I were rushing through a novel that I didn’t have time or interest to finish. I paid attention to the beginning and ending, but don’t recall much from the middle.
But this time, with more respect for Sonic, I sat myself down and started from the beginning again. And now I can’t stop rewatching it. The first time I watched Sonic, I considered it a lightweight movie that if I don’t pay too much attention, it wouldn’t matter. But now that I’ve watched it several times, I consider Sonic the Hedgehog more of a dramedy than a superficial cash grab kiddie video game movie.
Sonic the Hedgehog opens with Sonic’s origins. In five action packed minutes, we learn all we need to know about how Sonic made his way to earth. We meet Sonic as a carefree little guy around 5 years old, speeding around his home island. All we know is that he was born with special powers and a giant owl named Longclaw was his guardian. Sonic was living his life on the island until one day a group of bad guys came after Sonic and Longclaw. Longclaw tossed a ring and ushered Sonic to safety on planet earth which is on the opposite side of the universe. Sonic heads off with a bag of backup rings, but turns back when he sees the bad guys about to overtake Longclaw. But sadly, he’s too late as he’s been transported to earth.
Ten years later, we then meet Tom, the local town sheriff of a sleepy town called Green Hills, Montana. What I love about this introduction is that Tom is parked on the side of the street with his speed gun, hoping to catch speeders. No cars are on the road which means no action for the sheriff. But then, there’s some unexplained speeding activity as the radar has just clocked something going nearly 300 miles an hour. The blue streak that passed by as we know was Sonic. A quill from Sonic is left behind and the sheriff picks it up. This almost meet-cute is so brilliant. The more I rewatch Sonic, the more I love this opening sequence.
And now we get to see Sonic his best life in Green Hills. No one knows he’s in their midst because he’s living life in the fast lane. Sonic proudly shows us where he lives and that he’s defied the odds by not struggling like a dirty hedgehog. Sonic’s made himself a home in an underground cave in the forest. His place is full of hand-me-down’s and repurposed DIY home décor. He’s got his own gym which is a washing machine that he runs inside in. He’s got a ping pong table made from a street sign. He somehow has a huge stack of comic books which makes up his reading library. There’s even miscellaneous musical instruments like a guitar. And, he’s got a security system or knunchucks to ward off evildoers. Sonic’s got everything he needs to live a good life.
Sonic then introduces us to the characters in the town he shares including his favorite, the sheriff who he calls the donut lord (you can guess why). His wife is called the pretzel lady because of her yoga contortions. The most hilarious townie is the local crazy guy who has actually seen Sonic, but no one believes him because he’s, well, Crazy Carl.
Though Sonic says he’s happy with his life, he regularly lurks in the background of the sheriff and his wife. Even watching TV with them from outside. Bonus points for Speed being the movie of the night and Sonic for loving Keanu. But things may be changing as we learn the sheriff wants to move onto bigger and better things as a policeman in San Francisco. And poor Sonic finally admits that he doesn’t want to be alone forever.
So how is it that Sheriff Tom and Sonic the Hedgehog finally cross paths?
Sonic marvels at a baseball game and has to wait until the field is cleared and the sky is dark in order for him to give the game a try. Because Sonic is so fast, he’s able to play by himself and be multiple players at once. When Sonic goes in for a high five, it’s only then that Sonic realizes that he’s still alone and it’s no longer fun to play. In a fit of frustration and anger, Sonic charges at full speed around and around the baseball diamond. Energy from Sonic causes an energy surge in the entire town which causes a blackout.
At this point, Tom is at the house by himself as his wife had gone to San Francisco to hunt for apartments as Tom was accepted as a policeman on the force. His wife also has a sister who lives in San Francisco. Tom’s deputy, Wade, calls him as he’s freaked out that everyone is calling him because of the blackout. But Tom notices something strange when the blue quill he picked up while watching for speeding cars is glowing. In the meantime, we see a bunch of government military officers discussing what they are going to do about this strange phenomenon. The leader, Commander Walters, insists they bring in the man with the five PhD’s, otherwise known as Dr. Robotnik to investigate.
Although I wasn’t a fan of Jim Carrey’s performance in Sonic 2, I can see why everyone was raving about him in Sonic 1. Although this would be considered a kids movie as it’s based on a video game and a cute blue hedgehog, Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik borders on a dramatic grown up bad guy. Despite the kookiness, which thank God Jim Carrey keeps it at an acceptable level, Dr. Robotnik is the really only serious character in the movie. He says lines like making his childhood bully eat out of a straw for a year and that another name for Tom’s wife could be collateral damage in a humorous way that you may miss their gravity. I was actually quite surprised at some of the things Dr. Robotnik is allowed to say in what is supposed to be a “kids” movie. Near the end when Sonic is injured and may appear to have died, Dr. Robotnik speaks up and says how they should get some ice to “keep the body fresh.” Again, not something I would expect to hear from a villain in a kids movie. Usually bad guys especially in kids movies are buffoonish and silly and nothing to really be scared of. They huff and puff but never really blow anything down or apart. But Dr. Robotnik nearly did blow up Sonic and everyone around him.
Dr. Robotnik is on Sonic’s tail and our poor blue hedgehog is forced to flee the safety of his cave. He has to frantically decide what to bring with him to the mushroom world before he tosses the ring, but he doesn’t have time. Sonic finds himself in the Wachowskis’ garage and tries to toss the ring despite not really wanting to leave for a world full of mushrooms. Sonic’s noisemaking catches Tom’s attention as he’s on the phone with Maddie who is now in San Francisco with their dog Ozzie, her sister Rachel, and niece JoJo. He takes the tranquilizer gun with him to go confront what he thinks are the raccoons at it again.
As Sonic is about to toss the ring, Tom interrupts him thinking it’s the raccoons he’s pointing the tranquilizer gun at. Out of fear and shock, Tom shoots Sonic in the leg. Sonic sees that Tom is wearing a shirt that reads San Francisco which is where the ring opens up into. Sonic’s bag of rings falls into the portal and closes as he passes out.
Tom puts Sonic in a cage and brings him in the house. As humans do, Tom takes a spatula to poke at Sonic’s head. As Tom turns around to grab his phone to take a picture, Sonic wakes up and lets himself out of the cage. Sonic informs Tom that he was the one who abducted him first. And that he was hiding in his garage because he needed to be somewhere safe. It’s then that Sonic realizes that he didn’t end up in the mushroom world and that he’s still on earth.
Dr. Robotnick’s bus drives up to the house and Sonic pleads for Tom to help him as it’s life or death. Because of the tranquilizer, his legs are like spaghetti and he needs Tom’s help. Tom is reluctant at first but agrees to. He hides Sonic in the attic while Dr. Robotnik comes to the front door claiming to be with the electric company. I almost forget that Tom is a sheriff and wouldn’t be able to be played like that. Tom is able to call Dr. Robotnik’s bluff by mentioning how his buddy Spencer also works there and if Dr. Robotnik knows of him. But that of course is a life. Spencer doesn’t work there. Dr. Robotnik becomes upset and insults Tom by describing his home town as a glorified pit stop and then forces his way in. He doesn’t find Sonic right away, instead there’s a raccoon on the kitchen table eating what’s left of the celebratory cake. But Dr. Robotnik isn’t convinced that that’s the end of it. He demands to know where Sonic is or he will be hurt. Sonic comes out from hiding, begging that he not hurt Tom. Dr. Robotnik, with his swagger, intelligence, and robot army, is still a very human person. He, too, is shocked at the sight of Sonic and Tom takes the opportunity to punch him out.
And that’s when the action begins as Tom and Sonic flee in Tom’s truck and they’re on the run. What I liked about this part of the story is that Tom isn’t yet strongly attached to Sonic the way Sonic is to him. At one point, Tom tells Sonic to leave for San Francisco on his own and poor Sonic slowly backs out of the car. But Sonic has no idea where to go and comes back to the car. It’s technically Tom’s fault that Sonic lost his rings, so Tom reluctantly agrees to take Sonic to the Transamerica Tower in San Francisco.
The best sequence has to be when Tom and Sonic end up inside a cowboy biker bar. Well, Sonic was the one who made his way into the bar first as he couldn’t control his FOMO. Tom implores Sonic to leave as they don’t have time, but as it’s Sonic’s last days on earth, he begs Tom to let them stay for a little bit. Who knew a visit to a dingy biker bar could be so meaningful. Sonic learns about a bucket list and so creates one for himself. He is sad that he hasn’t done a lot of things, yet he has to leave soon. This is the heart of the movie in that it’s not just a video game movie. It’s about a kid named Sonic who’s all alone and who hasn’t experienced much of life on earth. And so, Sonic and Tom do their best to try to knock off the bucket list in their time in the bar. And it’s amazing how many things on a bucket list can be completed in a biker bar. From competing in a sport like darts, to doing a slam dunk at a basketball game, to taming a wild animal in the form of a mechanical bull. But after a bit of fun, a fight breaks out and Sonic’s super power speed is showcased in the most clever way.
One of the great things about Sonic the Hedgehog is the use of pop songs in the scenes. Earlier, Sonic was racing his way to some Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now. And now Sonic is going to speed through time to have the upper hand on everyone at the bar. What I like about the movie is that even though Sonic has an amazing super power, he’s still just a kid and so he’s not going to be entirely perfect with his power. At one point as Sonic is doing his thing in slow motion to the X Ambassadors’ Boom, he gets bonked in the face with a flying cowboy boot.
The level of detail to this sequence is amazing. We get to see all points of action going on in the bar through the perspective of Sonic. Everyone ultimately ends up on the floor except for Sonic and Tom who then make a break for it. They check into a motel where Sonic falls fast asleep after promising to live it up in his final hours on earth. Tom goes over to tuck him in and sees that one of Sonic’s bucket list items is to make a new friend.
This bucket list item may explain why Sonic is so upset when Tom explains that his bucket list item is to move to San Francisco to be a real cop. Sonic can’t believe that Tom would leave a home and people who love him. Things Sonic obviously doesn’t have. And we all know that Sonic sees Tom as his one true friend in Green Hills. Tom and Sonic are eventually tailed by Dr. Robotnik and although they manage to get away, Sonic is injured and Tom rushes Sonic back to Rachel’s house where Maddie is. Being that she is a bet, maybe she can help Sonic.
As Maddie evaluates Sonic’s condition, she notes how in poor condition is feet are. Sonic has been racing around town all this time in beat up, mismatched shoes that he probably found in the garbage or somewhere as he was living on his own with no resources. I don’t know why, but I didn’t realize he was wearing such worn shoes, one with tape on it to keep it together. This made me so sad. Sonic claimed he was living his best life, but we realize that his best was as good as he could get with no money and help for things like a new pair of shoes.
JoJo, Rachel’s daughter, sees this and comes back with a brand new pair of red sneakers for Sonic. Sonic takes the shoes and is so happy as no one had ever given him a present before. He puts on the shoes and can now run more easily now that he has two of the same shoes that are in new condition.
As Tom’s truck was badly damaged when they were chased by Dr. Robotnik, Tom, Maddie, and Sonic take Rachel’s car to drive to the Transamerica Tower. They find Sonic’s bag of rings and Sonic sadly makes the difficult decision to go as staying means everyone would be in danger and he can’t do that to them.
But Sonic’s attempts to go to the mushroom land are thwarted again when the robots from Dr. Robotnik show up. In a shock turn of events, Sonic pushes Tom and Maddie off of the building first before diving after them. He throws a ring that opens into Green Hills which Maddie and Tom land in. Sonic meanwhile continues his fight with Dr. Robotnik as they run from country to country. In one final blast, Sonic crash lands onto a street in Green Hills, but he’s unconscious.
Sonic is face down, motionless. He seems really badly injured. Dr. Robotnik asks if Sonic has any last words and of course Sonic says “guac” (as he loves the sound of it) and passes out again. Tom, Maddie and the townspeople see all the commotion and try to help. Tom uses one of Sonic’s rings so he appears from behind Dr. Robotnik. He announces himself as the Donut Lord, in a nod to Sonic’s nickname for him, and punches Dr. Robotnik in the face. But when you think the sheriff has it handled, Dr. Robotnik fights back and knocks Tom out of the spacecraft. But before Dr. Robotnik can attack Tom, he’s saved by Wade and the rest of the townspeople who have his back.
Maddie turns Tom’s attention to Sonic who is still not moving. The camera pans to Sonic’s seemingly lifeless body and this is just a bit too sad for what is supposed to be a lighthearted video game movie. Dr. Robotnik calls Sonic a silly little alien who didn’t belong here, but Tom disagrees. Sonic is more than a human that Dr. Robotnik can ever be. This was his home and Sonic was his friend.
Medical professionals say hearing is the last sense to die when your body dies and Sonic heard every word from Tom. His eyes open and lightning bolts charge all throughout his body. Sonic stands tall and is now strong enough to take on Dr. Robotnik. In one final move where Sonic rolls himself up into a ball, he blasts Dr. Robotnik to the mushroom world with an assist from Tom who throws a ring into the air.
I’ve seen reviews where people have dismissed Sonic the Hedgehog as being silly and not having heart, but I don’t think they paid attention to the movie. Similar to how when I first watched the movie really quickly before going to see Sonic 2 at the movies. I completely missed all of the heartfelt moments. After Sonic banishes Dr. Robotnik to the world he was going to self-banish to, Tom raises his hand in a high five and Sonic is over the moon to have another hand to high five to.
But perhaps the most sweetest moment was when Sonic appears from behind the couch after Commander Walters leaves. Commander Waters had come by to give the Wachowskis a $50 gift card to the Olive Garden and to ask if they have seen the little blue alien. Sonic wants to watch a movie, but because it’s a school night, Tom and Maddie tell him it’s time for him to return to his cave. Sonic heads to leave, but is stopped. Tom and Maddie lead Sonic to the attic where Sonic had been hiding at earlier.
The attic has been transformed to a bedroom just for Sonic. All of his beloved belongings, no matter if they may appear like trash or from the bins of the Goodwill store, are all neatly set up. One new item is a race car bed, perfect for a speed demon like Sonic. Sonic is in such shock and awe as he can’t believe that everything from his cave is now in the room. I don’t know if it was meant to be that deep, but it’s so nice to see Sonic go from living underground in a cave, to living at the top of a house and have an open window to the sky. And to see how Sonic is like as a person or hedgehog, you feel so relieved that he finally has a safe home to live in after all these years of being by himself.
I’ve seen Sonic the Hedgehog over and over again now that I completely understand everything that happened in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that I missed. I definitely missed the connection of the final scene in Sonic 2 where they’re all playing a game of baseball. Sonic previously was forced to play by himself in the first movie, but now there were enough people to play a full game. Now that I know the importance of the baseball scene, it makes me love the movie even more.
Oftentimes, sequels don’t really have a lot of connecting threads to the first movie. Or at least you could get away with not seeing the first one and still follow along and find meaning in the second one. But now that I’m beyond familiar with Sonic 1, I see Sonic 2 as a continuation of part 1. You could probably watch both back-to-back like and it will feel like a series.
I can barely recall playing Sonic the Hedgehog at our cousin’s house, but I don’t remember anything from it. I just know Sonic is as memorable of a video game character like Mario and Luigi and it’s just so great to see Sonic come to life as a real character with a personality, funny facial expressions, and sincere feelings. Sonic goes from being happy, to scared, to sad, to surprised, to playful, and to serious. If you’re looking for a movie that’s fun and full of heart and not too long, then check out Sonic the Hedgehog.
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