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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 18 February 2020
Review: Why wait? ‘Sonic the

Hedgehog’ worth rushing to see

By MARK KENNEDY Associ- naturally attracted to fast and instantly wants to do
ated Press things — “Flash” comic all kinds of stuff, including
If the Hollywood mantra books and the movie start a bar fight. “You two
for making blockbusters is “Speed” (Keanu Reeves is are so cute,” a woman tells
“faster, faster, faster,” then “a natural treasure,” de- Marsden and Sonic. They
the creators of “Sonic the clares our heroic blue guy, protest: They’re loose can-
Hedgehog” have wisely ig- one of many lines that will nons. (OK, very cute loose
nored it. go over your little ones’ cannons).
The little blue alien who heads.) The non-human one goes
can sprint quicker than the Reeves isn’t the only ce- fast, to be sure. A radar gun
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Sonic, voiced speed of light has ironical- lebrity to get a shout-out: clocks him at 300 mph but
by Ben Schwartz, in a scene from "Sonic the Hedgehog ." (Para-
mount Pictures/Sega of America via AP) ly benefited from slowing Vin Diesel, Will Smith and later in the film he moves so
it down, taking a pit stop Obi-Wan Kenobi are all in- fast he stops time, zipping
to retool and emerge this voked for laughs. Amazon around while everyone is
month as a total crowd- and Olive Garden also get as still as a statue. The film-
pleaser. some love. There’s a weird makers have also added
Respectful of the rich his- urban-versus-rural tension an excellent, propulsive
tory of the brand and yet throughout, with the script- soundtrack, which includes
welcoming to newcomers, writers clearly putting their X Ambassadors, Queen
” Sonic the Hedgehog ” is fingers on the scale against and the Wiz Khalifa-led
a feel-good buddy movie life in the big city. One “Speed Me Up.” (Steal it for
for both adults and their great sequence ends with your workout playlist.)
own little aliens. “Nailed it!” everyone agreeing on a There are references to the
screams Sonic at one point common enemy: hipsters. video game throughout,
and that might be a fitting The plot isn’t too far from including a sequence in
summary for the film. the classic “ET” or the more which Dr. Robotnik chases
Director Jeff Fowler has modern “Bumblebee” — Sonic through Paris, up the
been entrusted on his fea- an alien lands on Earth to Egyptian pyramids, and
ture film debut with bring- hide and soon must team along the Great Wall of
ing to life the ball of super up with a kindly human China. Green Hill is where
CGI energy, whose origins (James Marsden, in a very the creature ends up on
lie in Sega video games. But Marsden groove) to es- Earth — echoing a key lev-
things didn’t look too good cape the clutches of evil el in the game — and we
when a trailer dropped last government scientists who learn he hates mushrooms,
April that portrayed Sonic want to dissect it. a frequent Sonic touch-
as more rat-like with creepy In this case, Jim Carrey stone.
human teeth. . An outcry dons a Civil War mustache So much thought has been
led to the film being de- and a black full-length put into the film that at the
layed for a reset, resulting leather coat to play the very beginning the Para-
in a Sonic with a sleeker de- baddie Dr. Robotnik as only mount logo substitutes its
sign, larger eyes and fewer he can — ultra-arch, abso- regular stars for Sonic’s
chompers. lutely unhinged and dan- golden rings. A potential
While there’s no way to give gerously unpredictable. sequel is set-up during the
a side-by-side comparison, “You know what I love end credits — as well as
the film that emerges por- about machines? They the glimpse of a familiar
trays Sonic as a cute, naive do what they’re told,” he creature that fans are sure
teenager, prone to saying snarls. Carrey has his own to get excited about. The
very 2020 things like “I am insane dance sequence filmmakers might not have
living my best life” and “I that will make you spit out rushed making this film, but
can’t with that guy.” He your popcorn. that’s no reason for you to
has fled his own planet with Sonic, voiced by Ben press the brakes now.
a warning to “never stop Schwartz, is sweet and fun- “Sonic the Hedgehog,”
running” and a twist on ny and self-aware. He does a Paramount Pictures re-
the “Spider-Man” proverb: The Floss. lease, is rated PG for ac-
“With great power comes He farts. He wears gloves, tion, some violence, rude
great power-hungry bad socks and sneakers but humor and brief mild lan-
guys.” points out “I’m not even guage. Running time: 99
In the script by Pat Casey wearing pants.” He dis- minutes. Three and a half
and Josh Miller, Sonic is covers what a bucket list is stars out of four. q