Sonic the Hedgehog (film)

Sonic the Hedgehog is a CGI/live action hybrid film made by Paramount based on Sega's franchise of the same name released on February 14, 2020. It was directed by Jeff Fowler and features Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic and Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik.

The film first started development in 2013, when rights to the film were owned by Sony Pictures, and the film was first announced in 2014. However, in 2017, rights to the film were sold to Paramount, and filming began in 2018. The film was initially set to be released in November 2019. However, following the negative response the first trailer received, the film's release was postponed by three months so Sonic could be redesigned. The new design of Sonic ended up getting a much more positive response.

A young Sonic has to escape to Earth to hide from those who are after his ability of super speed. On Earth, he spends time around a town called Green Hills, where he stays hidden from the residents. However, one day Sonic accidentally causes a power shortage by running too quickly. This leads to the government sending the tyrannical Dr. Robotnik after him. As he attempts to escape, Sonic is confronted by police officer Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), in an encounter which results in Sonic's rings ending up in San Francisco. The two team up in order to help Sonic evade capture and get his rings back.

In May 2020, a sequel was confirmed. Titled Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it was released in April of 2022.

The third part, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, was announced in February 2022 and is set to be released in December 2024.

Note: For the animated movie made in 1996, see Sonic the Hedgehog The Movie.

Tropes used in Sonic the Hedgehog (film) include:

• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Sonic in the games is shown to be pretty popular and constantly surrounded by companions. In the movie, he spent the first few years of his life in isolation, leading to him becoming lonely and desperate for friendship.
• Adaptational Attractiveness: Robotnik is younger and skinnier in the movie. Considering Carrey's Ham and Cheese performance, it may be a case of Ability Over Appearance.
• Adaptational Context Change: In the games, Robotnik got the nickname "Eggman" from his egg-shaped body, here, Sonic calls him that because of his egg-shaped drones.
• Big Blackout: Sonic accidentally causes this to the Pacific Northwest by running too quickly while overcome by loneliness.
• Bunny Ears Lawyer: Robotnik is a loon but he is the smartest man alive.
• Canon Foreigner: Aside from Sonic, Robotnik and Tails, everyone is an original character.
• Comically Small Bribe: As hush money, the US government pays Tom and Maddie... a $5 gift card to Olive Garden.
• Composite Character:
  • Or rather, composite object. The rings are a combination of the gold rings Sonic collects in-game, and the Giant Rings that teleport him to the Special Zone.
  • Longclaw is one of Sophocles, an owl from the Early Sonic Canon who raised Sonic, Queen Aleena from Sonic Underground, in that she's female and had to send him away for his protection, and Uncle Chuck from Sonic SatAM in that she gave him the rings.
• Cool Gate: Sonic's rings can create portals to other worlds. He says it's how advanced species travel the universe.
• Decomposite Character: Or rather, decomposite locations. Sonic's homeworld has an island greatly resembling South Island, more specifically, the Green Hill Zone. When he arrives on Earth, he ends up in a town in Montana named "Green Hills".
• Disproportionate Restitution: As a youth, Robotnik was punched by a bully. In response, he did something that left the bully drinking all his meals through a straw for the next year.
• Donut Mess with a Cop: As "Donut Lord" was the nickname Sonic gave to the cop Tom Wachowski.
• Evil Is Hammy: Jim Carrey, as Robotnik, plays to all of his comedic strengths and enjoys every minute of it.
• For Want of a Nail: The entire plot is set off because of Sonic's Angst Nuke and him choosing to open a portal to the Mushroom Planet in Tom's house.
• Happily Married: Tom and his wife, Maddie.
• Herr Doktor: During the beginning of the film, Sonic assumes the role of a therapist when counseling himself and imitates a German or Austrian accent when doing so.
• How We Got Here: The film begins with the climax of Robotnik chasing Sonic in the city, before Sonic in a voice over explains to us how and why he is being chased and what led up to this.
• Human-Focused Adaptation: ZigZagged. Sonic is still the protagonist but the movie takes place on Earth, with the only characters from the games being Sonic, Robotnik and Tails.
• Interspecies Friendship: Sonic and the human policeman Thomas "Tom" Wachowski.
• MacGuffin: Sonic's quest is to recover his rings so he can open a portal to the Mushroom planet. Robotnik wants Sonic.
• Non Standard Character Design: Unlike everyone else on Mobius, Longclaw is rendered in a manner much like a real owl.
• Paper-Thin Disguise: Sonic's disguise at the bar is just a cowboy hat and a shirt. He even lampshades this when picking a fight with a big angry guy.

Sonic: Pop quiz, hot shot: You just picked a fight with a poorly-disguised hedgehog who's seen WAY too many action movies. What do you do? What do you do?

• Rage Breaking Point: Sonic runs around the baseball field upset that he will forever be alone and accidentally causes a black out around town.
• Reality Ensues:
  • A mysterious blue energy causes a blackout that knocks out all power on the Pacific Northwest. The military wastes no time trying to figure out what caused that.
  • Sonic has been living with the same pair of shoes for ten years. They're very worn out.
  • Sonic tries to smash a bottle over a drunk's head like in the many action movies he's seen. Movie bottles are designed for that. Glass doesn't break that easily.
  • Maddie may be a trained veterinarian but Sonic is an alien whose physiology she knows nothing about. She may be able to poke around to see if he has any obvious broken bones but it takes years of study to learn the biology of a species enough to perform a medical examination.
• Start of Darkness: Robotnik clearly broke up with sanity years ago but the events of the film send him way over the edge.
• Shout-Out:
  • Background elements present in the film are references to various Sonic games, and there is even one to Sanic.
  • Sonic wears a headband with what looks like the Sonic game start up logo.
  • A road sign reading "Hilltop Rd" is shown, an obvious reference to the Hilltop Zone.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Longclaw and the Echidna Tribe. The Tribe's eagerness to harness Sonic's powers causes Longclaw to send him to Earth.
• Super Speed: Sonic, of course.
• Theme Tune Cameo: Robotnik's theme from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog pops up in this movie as the leitmotif of this movie's Robotnik. 
• Video Game Movies Don't Use Codenames: Ivo Robotnik is never called "Doctor Eggman" in the movie.
• Unperson: The government is quite happy to pretend that Robotnik never existed once he's sent to the Mushroom Planet.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Sonic gives one of these to Tom when he announces he plans to leave Green Hills. "I was forced from my home! Your home is perfectly fine and you're leaving it! Why would you do that?"
• Where the Hell Is Springfield?: Green Hills is located in Montana, but the exact location in Montana is unspecified.