Plot: What’s it about?
I can’t remember when (or where), but I do remember watching some sort of documentary on video games. Come to think of it, I think it was a Nextflix series. Regardless, one of the episodes focused on Sega and, more to the point, Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega had seen what Nintendeo did with Donkey Kong and the Mario/Luigi/Peach, so they too wanted a piece of the action. They came up with a character that was “similar” in appeal and, as you might have guessed, it was Sonic the Hedgehog. I don’t think that Sonic ever attained quite the level of notoriety that Mario did, but three decades later he’s still kicking and we’ve now arrived at our third Sonic the Hedgehog film. To their credit, they’re fun and with Jim Carrey doing what he does best (over-the-top acting) he does make it entertaining.
In this installment, we meet a hedgehog named Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves) who’s escaped from a 50 year “nap” (for lack of a better term). He’s out for revenge on humanity for something that happened prior to him being captured and the individual responsible is none other than Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). He’s the grandfather of Ivo Robotnik (also played by Carrey). Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and pal Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) are forced to join forces with the good Ivo. And, yeah, in a nutshell – that’s it. But with colorful characters, clever writing and some genuinely good action scenes the time flies right by.
I’m more of a passing fan of the video game. Actually I was never really that good at video games with the exception of Mario Kart and NHL Hockey ’94 on SNES. Don’t ask me how to remember that. But I’ll give credit where its due and say that Sonic has managed to stand the test of time and these films are pretty clever. The franchise even scored a spinoff of sorts with Knuckles, so if you want just a bit more – there you go. With the addition of another top notch talent in Keanu Reeves, we’ve got plenty of action to go around.
Video: How’s it look?
Being a recent film, you needn’t worry about the results here. Obviously the main character is CGI, but it doesn’t feel like it. Carrey’s performance is over the top and blends perfectly with the hyperspeed action occurring on screen. The 2.39:1 HEVC 4K encode is bursting with color, detail is off the charts and the result is nothing short of perfection. I don’t think anyone will be dissatisfied with how this looks. It delivers.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Thankfully the same Dolby Atmos track found on the 4K disc is present on the Blu-ray. And, as one might imagine, there is no shortage of all your speakers being used. I kept looking behind me to see what was there, forgetting how good and involving surround sound can be. Vocals are crisp and natural sounding and the action scenes keep us involved. Like the transfer, this track satisfies.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary — Director Jeff Fowler and the Voice of Sonic Ben Schwartz—Embark on an adventure with the director and star!
- Sonic Family Fun—The Sonic cast and crew share how they’ve become like a family over the years.
- Enter Shadow—Keanu Reeves and other cast members talk about his portrayal of fan-favorite character Shadow the Hedgehog.
- Robotnik Family Reunion: Ivo and Gerald—Jim Carrey and the Sonic family discuss how the characters of Ivo and Gerald Robotnik were brought to life.
- For the Love of Sonic: Directing a Trilogy—With a background in visual effects and animation, director Jeff Fowler shares how directing the Sonic films has been a dream come true.
- The Fox, the Echidna, and the Hedgehog—Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles invite us into the recording booth.
- Live-Action Lunacy: Acting Opposite Puppets—Find out what it’s like to act alongside life-sized puppets!
- From the Cryo-Tank to London: The World of Sonic—Explore the production designs for the film’s many spectacular locations.
- Team Sonic vs. Shadow—The team behind the epic battle sequences details how the action is choreographed for maximum realism.
- A Very Sonic Christmas—Team Sonic helps Santa Claus save Christmas!
- Gag Reel—Laugh along with Team Sonic and these hilarious outtakes!
- Deleted Scenes
The Bottom Line
I have to hand it to the filmmakers. They’ve taken a character that’s been around for decades and have managed to make not one, but three entertaining movies. We’ve got some top notch talent with vocals as well as live action actors as well. Paramount’s disc is spot on perfect with reference-quality audio and video. If you’re a fan, look no further.
