A classic video game franchise being brought to life as a live action movie usually turns out for the worst, so pop culture icon and fan favorite character Sonic the Hedgehog had a lot to live up to with his fresh debut on the big screen.

The movie follows Sonic — an inter-dimensional hedgehog with super speed — who lives undercover in the town of Green Hills, until he accidentally exposes himself and his power to the government. He is forced on the run with a cop named Tom after scientist Doctor Robotnik locates Sonic and attempts to harness his power for evil. 

Before the movie came out, it sparked a lot of controversy from the public as the first trailer released featured a grotesque and oddly human looking version of Sonic, completely different from the one everyone knows and loves. The team behind the movie responded to the outrage by pushing the release date out further and reworking the design of Sonic to give the fans what they wanted.

When the movie focuses on the humanity of Sonic, it really shines. Tom the cop, played by James Marsden, gives Sonic an outlet to talk about how he feels and what he wants to do with his life. James Marsden really made the audience understand who Sonic was and let Sonic’s humor bounce off of him. 

The best aspect of the movie hands down is Jim Carrey’s portrayal of Doctor Robotnik. Every time he appeared on screen the energy in the movie is ramped up to an 11 and his charisma really shines and makes one love to hate his character. 

 Where the movie falls flat is in the clique aspects one would expect from a “weird creature comes to our world” movie. The plot is very predictable and features many obvious tropes, such as: characters being shocked every time they see Sonic. It’s a cheesy movie and it was created with being cheesy in mind, but it isn’t for everyone.

It was designed to appeal to children as well as its vast fan base, which was not an easy task, but they succeeded. Although the movie wasn’t some amazing Oscar worthy movie, it was a successful kids movie and the filmmakers tried their best with what they had.

This movie rates a six and a half out of 10.