Sonic the Hedgehog raced into theaters over President’s Day long weekend, but due to theater closures a couple weeks ago, it released on VOD early. The blue speed demon made $58 million during its opening weekend and during its interrupted run in theaters, still made $306.8 million worldwide. This video game adaptation was enjoyed by audiences while garnering a high 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” on CinemaScore.
Sonic the Hedgehog initially made news with its first trailer due to fan backlash. The design didn’t fit fan’s expectations, instead of a cute blue CGI hedgehog, it looked oddly humanoid. No one expected the film to be able to come back from that, but when the new design was shown, public opinion changed quickly. People weren’t only glad the new design looked better, they also appreciated being listened to by Paramount.
Once Sonic the Hedgehog was released it broke box-office records and performed better than anyone expected. The family film raced past the previous record holder, 2019’s adaptation of video game Detective Pikachu, starring Ryan Reynolds and Justice Smith. With its unprecedented opening weekend Sonic The Hedgehog became the highest grossing opening weekend video game adaptation in the US.
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While the film adaptation doesn’t resemble the video game it’s based on for most of the running time, it does include some aspects such as the titular hedgehog and his antagonist Dr. Robotnik. However, beyond that this is more of an origin story for Sonic finding his place on Earth. A few other moments that tie into the game include Sonic’s childhood on the alien planet, his trademark golden rings, and a few more fun moments.
It’s now available for purchase on VOD and Fandango has made the first 8 minutes available for all to see. Come check it out below!
The Full Opening of Sonic the Hedgehog
The opening of the film begins with Sonic, who takes us back to his time as a child on an alien planet with the Longclaw, Sonic’s owl guardian. She sends him away after Sonic exposed his speed and hunts him down. The blue hedgehog ends up in the small sleepy town of Green Hills, Montana. Sonic then gives a brief overview of his life in Green Hills.
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The clip is fun and definitely lets you know the vibe of the movie and what can be expected. This is an origin story so don’t expect to see a lot of characters from the video game, but Sonic and Dr. Robotnik can be seen duking it out for most of the film. You can also expect an unlikely road trip with his new buddy, Tom (James Marsden), AKA Doughnut Lord.
Sonic the Hedgehog stars Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Jim Carrey as Dr. Ivo Robotnik, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Adam Pally, Neal McDonough, Lee Majdoub, Frank C. Turner, Natasha Rothwell, Tom Butler, and Melody Niemann.
Sonic the Hedgehog Official Synopsis
Based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega, Sonic The Hedgehog tells the story of the world’s speediest hedgehog as he embraces his new home on Earth. In this live-action adventure comedy, Sonic and his new best friend Tom (James Marsden) team up to defend the planet from the evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and his plans for world domination. The family-friendly films also stars Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of sonic.
If you are still on the fence read our review to see if this is something for you to enjoy while social distancing. And keep an eye out for a little Easter Egg at the end of the movie.
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