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I forced myself to maintain low expectations for Sonic the Hedgehog (Jeff Fowler, 2020). As lifelong fans of the character and the franchise will know, Sega has managed to produce quality Sonic content about as regularly as Nintendo produces a poorly received Legend of Zelda game. Armed and ready to broker disappointment with this latest money-maker, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the quality of Sonic the Hedgehog.

For some reason, the cinematic Powers that Be saw fit to market this film towards children – given the fact that only one member of the 25-person audience on its premiere night was a small person, I find this decision laughably inept. Not that I begrudge children their Sonic rights just because I own a Sega Mega Drive, but I feel a few more nods to the colourful history of Sonic the Hedgehog would not have gone amiss. If you’re looking for Detective Pikachu-esque fan service, look elsewhere – this is not the nostalgia trip for you.

Furthermore, the side-characters and overall world-building of this film leaves much to be desired. The token supporting female characters, led by Tika Sumpter, feel flat and forced.  Sumpter takes on the role of devoted wife Maddie, who seemingly exists to provide expositional background on her husband Tom Wachowski (James Marsden): Maddie waxes lyrical on Tom’s golden character in the opening scenes before effectively disappearing until the film’s climax. The writers’ desperate need to establish Tom as the hero of the piece comes across at the expense of a real female presence in the film. Relegated to distant San Francisco with her sister (Natasha Rothwell) and niece (Melody Niemann), Maddie remains conveniently absent from the plot until the finale, wherein she is permitted to contribute almost nothing to the proceedings. Rothwell and Niemann themselves were by no means lacking in chemistry, however their relationship and characters received zero development or substantiation. Whilst the presence of these characters ensure that the production isn’t a total whitewash, this film’s cast was about as diverse as a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael coalition government. For an iconic franchise like Sega, the choice to release such a homogenised children’s film in 2020 was a real disappointment.

Less abhorrent flaws included a plot a stiff wind could knock over and performances which entertained at best and mildly bored at worst; the movie’s inoffensiveness is the most consistent thing about it. Otherwise, this film is not the mediocre non-event I expected it to be. Credit where it is due, the visuals were pleasing: following widespread criticism of Sonic’s original horrific design, the studio really outdid itself with the final product. The hedgehog’s new look feels perfect throughout the film, and at no point induces fear or revulsion! The voice of Ben Schwartz gives Sonic a whimsical, endearing quality – vulnerability is not a trait associated with more recent incarnations of this character, so it was remarkably refreshing to watch. The one-liners are on-brand, crisscrossing between too much cringe and just enough tongue-in-cheek confidence. In this way at least, the soul of Sonic has been preserved; Schwartz is himself a huge fan of the character and he certainly imbued his role with the love and appreciation he maintains for the hedgehog.

I’ve always appreciated James Marsden. Cyclops in X-Men, Corny Collins in Hairspray (Adam Shankman, 2007), Prince Edward in Enchanted (Kevin Lima, 2007) – this man is not afraid of hamming it up for the kids. Whilst an ideal choice in theory for the role of local sheriff Tom Wachowski in Sonic the Hedgehog, even Marsden couldn’t completely rescue his character from the film’s lacklustre script. Any scene missing Sonic himself or Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) unfortunately felt limp and lifeless.

Without question, Jim Carrey’s manic portrayal of this iconic villain stole the show. Carrey’s work can be divisive, leaving people cold or angry, but in this instance his particular brand of pomp and circumstance was just the engine required to help this film roll merrily along for 99 minutes. Carrey’s Robotnik is fiendishly entertaining, endlessly condescending and a joy to watch. Sonic the Hedgehog is worth a rewatch simply to appreciate the interactions between the Doctor and his long-suffering optimistic aide, Stone (Lee Majdoub).

Unfortunately for the average adult fan, Sonic the Hedgehog would have, more realistically, peaked about 10 years ago, during the wonder of childhood when one’s enjoyment would have been total and unquestioning.