“Sonic the Hedgehog” Races to Victory in the Box Office

Original music from Sonic’s first video game appears through out the film to welcome sweet childhood nostalgia into the theater. Including “Dreams Come True” by Masato Nakamura and a new Sonic theme song by Wiz Khalifa.

Sonic the Hedgehog made his debut on television in 1999, lasting only five months on air. The reboot would launch in 2002 and lasted 40 episodes, all the way until 2004.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Sonic the Hedgehog made his debut on television in 1999, lasting only five months on air. The reboot would launch in 2002 and lasted 40 episodes, all the way until 2004.

Piper Pinnetti, Editor-in-Chief

Since the first Sonic game was introduced in 1991, avid video gamers around the world enjoyed the new adventures of the hedgehog, along with shows that developed soon afterwards such as the television show, Sonic Underground,  that was open to the public eye in 1999.

Unfortunately, the television show was canceled before the final episode was on air, and no one was able to finish the show.

 

Photo courtesy of Flickr
The Sonic television show, which aired in 1999, was only on television for five months before cancelling. It resurfaced in 2002 and ran until 2004 with a total of 40 episodes.

However, in 2019, Sega and Paramount announced a new Sonic movie and gave fans an odd-looking hedgehog in the trailer. The movie quickly received backlash about Sonic’s strange and scrawny appearance, and how the comic figure looks more like a realistic hedgehog than an animated superhero.

The film was then pushed to be in movie theaters in February 2020 so they could redesign Sonic and spent an extra 5 million to make him look like the cool hedgehog we all remember from our childhood. 

The backlash to the design of Sonic helped the movie avoid becoming a box office disaster and the film hit a $70 million opening record for a video game movie. 

The blue hedgehog has defied all odds and presented a hilarious movie featuring his rings, his love for chili dogs, and Jim Carrey. 

The movie begins with Sonic, who is voiced by Ben Schwartz, causing a power outage with his speed powers. This power outage gets the attention of the government who are unable to determine the cause; In an attempt to find the source to the power loss, Doctor Robotnik or “Eggman”, Jim Carrey, is called to the town to investigate.

Carrey was a smart casting choice due to his silly, relaxed nature and his previous roles where he was casted in eccentric, sort-of-weird personalities (example-The Grinch). In the flick,  give the kids and their parents a comedic break in the evil villain.

While fleeing to safety from his home planet, Sonic takes refuge in a small town called Green Hills, where he meets Sherif Tom (James Marsden). After causing a power shut down from an energy serge cause by him, Robotnik is introduced into the film to track down the source. 

Sonic, who has been in intense isolation for the past ten years and Sheriff Tom develop a hilarious bromance after road trips and bar fights together. 

The movie itself was amazing for Sonic fans and makes you question why villains do not have more dance sequences as a whole. After the credits, a preview of an almost certain sequel was teased to the audience featuring an old friend from the video game, Tails. The fans in the theater were excited to see another original character appear before curtain fall, and left everyone anxious for another film with Sonic’s best buddy being a part of the next film.

As of February 26, Paramount claims that the live action film has grossed over $200 million worldwide in under two full weeks.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” is a five star, or five ring, movie that is perfect for children, and fans looking for a race down memory lane. Whether or not you have seen it, or if you have seen it already, there is still time to see our favorite  hedgehog.