Sonic the Hedgehog is racing into theaters imminently, but is it a film for kids or adults? The blue speed merchant began life as a SEGA video game character on 1988's Genesis console and immediately rivaled Nintendo's Mario for brand recognition and popularity. Unlike the stout plumber, however, Sonic failed to capitalize on its early success and none of its subsequent releases on more advanced consoles have lived up to the original 3. Nevertheless, Sonic the Hedgehog has branched out into TV, comic books and, finally, cinema.
Starring MPC Vancouver, the effects studio behind the second design, has since shut down.
Sonic The Hedgehog comes with a PG-13 rating, which can often be a little ambiguous for parents deciding whether or not a movie is suitable for children. Rest assured, Sonic The Hedgehog is a movie that very much caters towards its younger audience. The action is of the cartoonish kind, and the gags are mild. A solitary fart joke is as risque as Sonic the Hedgehog gets, so old-school Sonic fans looking to introduce their kids to an old favorite and parents looking for something to watch in theaters this weekend are well covered here.
Pitching Sonic the Hedgehog to a younger audience is a curious decision, since the majority of the franchise's modern audience consists of older fans who grew up with either the early SEGA video games or the cartoon TV series. A lot of tickets the Sonic the Hedgehog movie shifts will be thanks to the nostalgia factor, but it appears Paramount are instead hoping to draw a fresh generation to the high-speed madness. Certainly, the bright visuals and fun characters will appeal to that demographic, but fans of classic Sonic might be hoping for something more.
Given both franchises' video game origins and cute mascots, Sonic the Hedgehog has often been compared to last year's Pokémon movie, Detective Pikachu had older fans in mind throughout, delivering a select few darker moments, some brilliant old-school Easter eggs and Ryan Reynolds' trademark humor. It'll be interesting to see whether Sonic the Hedgehog's lighter, kid-friendly approach will prove a winning format, or whether the film would've been better served prioritizing Sonic's grown-up geek following.
