SONIC THE HEDGEHOG IN THEATERS

By Jackson Troxler

The blue blur known as Sonic the Hedgehog has arrived in theaters to box office and critical success, especially compared to past films based on video games. The film features the title character of Sonic (Ben Schwartz) teaming up with a human named Tom (James Marsden) to halt the vile plans of Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). The film is an absolute delight for kids as it features plenty of playful antics by the anthropomorphic speedster.

Despite the recent positive reception to the film, this was not the case just under a year ago. Many found the first design of Sonic to be laughable. Originally designed with human and animal features awkwardly placed on the same creature, the amalgamation of this character design was one the internet was quick to despise. 

​After momentous fan backlash following the release of the trailer, Jeff Fowler, the director of the film, announced via his twitter account that he and his team heard the concerns and were ready to make changes. Soon after came the announcement that the film would delay its original release date, moving the premiere from November to February. This was to allow the artists working at Paramount Studios, the company that produced the film, to not only redesign Sonic but reanimate the shots that he was in to properly accommodate his new look.

When the second trailer was released featuring the new design, fan responses were much more positive. More faithful to the video games on which the hedgehog was based, Sonic’s cartoony design was much more appealing to fans. His eyes were bigger, his hands had gloves resembling Mickey Mouse’s, and he was all around more animated and adorable than what had previously been created. This kind of Cinderella story was a rarity for video game movies and likely contributed to its incredible success at the box office.

The Sonic movie is currently out in cinemas for all to enjoy. This is in no small part due to the title character’s authentic recreation. The animators deserve a pat on the back for righting this wrong, and I can only hope that more video game movies of this caliber are made in the future.