Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie
Publisher
ADV
Director
Kazunori Ikegami
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Running time
60 mins
Year
1991
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie
By John Huxley
23rd May 04  Before I begin I should probably set the record straight. Firstly, I'm not a great fan of the Sonic videogames on any format. Sure, they're a fun ride, but there's only so much enjoyment to be gained from pressing right on the d-pad and the jump button every once in a while. Secondly, Sonic never was and never will be cool. Wearing shades and red trainers might be sufficient characterisation for a simple videogame, but when Sega decided to give Sonic more than a one-word speaking role (as was the case with the Dreamcast adventure games) it became obvious that he's got less personality and charisma than Mickey the Mouse. So why on earth anyone would want to base an animation around such shallow characters is beyond me. And before you go thinking I'm picking on Sonic just because I don't like the games; the same goes for almost any videogame character from a similar era, Mario included. They were designed to be nothing more than a bunch of pixels generated by a computer processor and that's where they should stay. Still, here's Sonic in 60 minutes of glorious cel animation, the seminal 16-bit character and his universe bought to life on your DVD player. Perhaps pleasingly for fans of the games, the plot is not that dissimilar to something we would have seen on the Sega Megadrive way back when. Dr. Robotnik has convinced Sonic and friends that his own homeland, the Land of Darkness, has been terrorised by his mechanical alter-ego Metal Robotnik who chased the real flesh and blood Robotnik out of town. With nowhere to turn, the rotund evil genius enlists the help of Sonic and Tails who must journey to the Land of Darkness and stop Metal Robotnik before it destroys Planet Freedom. Although it may not be the most elaborate story ever devised, it does tie in nicely with the universe created by the earlier videogames and gives Sonic and Tails plenty of opportunity to speed all around the place and generally do that which they do best (the infamous gold rings are conspicuous by their absence, however). A few minor plot developments spice things up a little, but don't go expecting any revelations that weren't included in the synopsis on the back of the box. The characters mirror their videogame counterparts with regards to both aesthetic and personality. Sonic undoubtedly looks the part when he's zooming around and jumping on badguy's heads, though the average animation can only convey a suggestion of speed rather than the genuine article provided by the Megadrive's relatively speedy processor. Well-worn animation techniques (think Dragonball Z) put a dampener on what could have otherwise been the film's highlight; faster-than-light action sequences. With nothing to rival the roller coaster ride experience that made the videogames so popular, this animated version instead relies on more pedestrian action to carry the film. This is far from the disaster it might have been; the less manic action is more enjoyable to watch because it is far more dramatic and infinitely more coherent. While the action was entertaining enough, the characters involved were less than agreeable. Disregarding the central trio of Sonic, Tails and Knuckles (why does he wear that cowboy hat?), the characters designed specifically for this animation do little to improve the ailing roster already in place. The majority of these are barely noticeable, while others such as the human girl Sara are far too obnoxious to be even remotely likable. It could be argued that these characters, though simplistic, are well suited to the Sonic universe. That may be true, yet it's hardly something to boast about. In retrospect, I was probably not the ideal person to review the Sonic movie. It's obvious this is aimed squarely at fans of the videogames and a pre-teen audience, neither of which could be used to describe me. Speaking as a non-fan, this animation is far from the atrocity it might have been - the action is fun to watch and, for better or worse, it at least remains true to the source material. I can recommend this to diehard Sonic fanatics and parents who want something non-threatening for their children to watch on a rainy day, but everyone else would be better off picking up an anime based around a license with more substance; the Street Fighter II movie or Zone of the Enders, for example.
R2 DVD Notes
Features: English audio, English subtitles, character bios, slideshow
Notes: Shock! Anime purists stay well away - this DVD contains no Japanese audio track. This may not be of concern to the largely pre-teen audience who wouldn't want to read the subtitles anyway, but for the rest of us it's a disappointing omission. Thankfully the English dub is of a decent quality, even if Tails sounded like an snotty little brat (I guess he's supposed to be). The special features are thin on the ground, with very little to keep you entertained when the final credits have rolled. Which, by the way, features some classic cheesy Sonic music best displayed in the Dreamcast Sonic Adventure games. Maybe not the most saleable aspect of the Sonic movie, but fans of the games are bound to be pleased.
-- John Huxley 23rd May 04
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