Sonic Live Action Movie Thread (Read OP for topic rules) "Trailer 2 on Page 482)

[caitash]

It seems not that farfetched to reach 200mil in 14 days. I don’t know what school holidays are like in the USA, but here in the UK our schools are on a week’s half term holiday and a few parents will be taking their kids to the cinema as something to do for a morning/afternoon, so I reckon this is good timing for the film to bring in some extra money simply because school’s out.

 

I am hoping (almost expecting) that they will re-do the character models for any sequel to bring them closer to Tyson Hesse’s redesign. The models in the film were decent given the timeframe they had to work with, but I think they could be revisited and tweaked/tightened up somewhat for any further outings.

[DryLagoon]

15 hours ago, Wraith said:

The Sonic movie is built off of tried and tested Hollywood tropes for family movies that have been popular, consistently, for over 20 years. There's nothing risky about it outside of the bubble of online Sonic discussion. 

The funny thing is the unreleased 90s movie plot honestly wasn't that different at it's core. The details definitely were different (iirc Eggman was supposed to take over an amusement park to make Eggmanland) but Sonic popping out of his world (in the 90s case his actual game) into ours was the same even back then. They even described this 2020 version as a buddy cop roadtrip movie, that's like two cliches together. Tropes are not bad by itself, but I must admit it's safe in that sense. I've seen tons of kids movies, so if this was a bad movie I'd be the first to complain about it as I know pretty well what the formulas are. It's probably one of the better takes on this plot cliche, I'd certainly watch it over Smurfs or Alvin again. I think for what they were given to work with they did fine, considering how long a Sonic movie has been in development hell, even getting it to release at all is kind of good. I hope it's a case where they can do more with the sequel, as they already set up some smaller hints in this one.

tl;dr: I think some parts of it are safe, but other parts are a miracle it even got to release

[DryLagoon]

14 hours ago, Whatever the WhoCares said:

This movie kind of makes me want to see the official Sonic design change to the separate eyes. 

I tried a very quick attempt.

Spoiler

 

[PeterPancake]

6 hours ago, caitash said:

It seems not that farfetched to reach 200mil in 14 days. I don’t know what school holidays are like in the USA, but here in the UK our schools are on a week’s half term holiday and a few parents will be taking their kids to the cinema as something to do for a morning/afternoon, so I reckon this is good timing for the film to bring in some extra money simply because school’s out.

 

I am hoping (almost expecting) that they will re-do the character models for any sequel to bring them closer to Tyson Hesse’s redesign. The models in the film were decent given the timeframe they had to work with, but I think they could be revisited and tweaked/tightened up somewhat for any further outings.

Huh? I thought it was a 1:1 translation of his concept art. As close as you can get in 3D live action

[caitash]

21 minutes ago, PeterPancake said:

Huh? I thought it was a 1:1 translation of his concept art. As close as you can get in 3D live action

Maybe ‘re-do’ was the wrong word, I didn’t mean start again or anything. There were definitely some parts of the film that looked slightly off, but I still would expect them to revisit and enhance the existing models before any sequels  they seem to do so in most films, or maybe I’ve just been spoiled by Pixar/Disney films as standard  

[AdventChild]

$1 Billion? Eh, that's a bit of a stretch especially when in a couple of weeks when Pixar's Onward hits theaters on March 6, being a truer box office contender than Birds of Prey at the very least, and I'm sure ticket sells for Sonic probably run its course sorta speak.

[Gabz Girl]

So I finally saw the Sonic movie tonight! After that horrible teaser trailer from last year, it was...certainly not bad. Pretty good actually! o_o 7/10 movie? 

First the negatives! Some of the humour fell flat for me (toilet humour, Sonic flossing...) and the product placement made me roll my eyes. I also felt that the middle of the film was the weakest part as it seemed like a very short journey to San Francisco for a “road trip” movie. Music was meh as well...
 

The rest was enjoyable enough though! Visually the movie looks nice, and what little action scenes there are, are done well enough. The human cast of characters were decent, of course Jim Carrey was great and super OTT as Dr Robotnik and Sonic was really good, probably the best thing in this movie actually along with Robotnik (except for some cheesy pop culture references!). WAY more personality than the current games and his voice has grown on me too, in fact I love Ben Schwartz’s take on Sonic and I want to hear him in the games next! XD Oh and Sonic’s design in this is so so SO much better now. GG Tyson Hesse. And the mid credits scene!! Unlike Detective Pikachu I really want to see a sequel now, and knowing how well it’s doing at the box office currently I hope it’ll be announced soon! 
 

Also, it was an awesome surprise to see

 

echidnas in the opening! I really hope they expand on this in the sequel, as well as Longclaw’s fate. I hope she didn’t die, because she has a great design and I’d love to see her in more Sonic media like the comics. Maybe an IDW comic about her origins? Otherwise Longclaw’s appearance here seems like a waste. =(

[Jango]

Just saw the movie. 

It was fine. I didn't thought Jim Carrey stole the show like most people, I actually thought he was pretty annoying for the most part. James Marsden was funnier IMHO. Jim/Eggman last scene was perfect tho'. 

Sonic was animated brilliantly, very expressive, bad ass and cute. Amazing job about the once worst part of the movie. His personality on the other hand... A little too much. I liked it, but there were times were it was too much. Jesus Christ, breathe goddamn it. There was one scene tho', right before the last chase sequence, were Sonic says: "Oh right, Eggman. You wanna go fast? Let's go fast". That line sounded really good in Ben's voice, it felt serious.

It was an okay distraction overhall, but this movie in particular could've used more shameless fan service. Everything was very subtle.

I don't know if it was worth the trouble of watching in the theater late at night when I have to work early in the morning, but I'll be damned, seeing the freaking SEGA logo with all of their games inside in the big screen was priceless. Major goosebumps. That shit was epic, so was the music during this intro.

The sequel will probably shake things up more. 

[CaptainRobo]

New storyboards.:

Found this set photo of some mushrooms.:

Also found this.:

 

[AuroraRedwinters]

Saw the movie tonight as well. It wasn't as terrible as it could have been. But it didn't feel like a Sonic movie to me. The ending credits was probably my favorite part.  I'm curious to see what they will do with a sequel because you know it is happening. I'm surprised they haven't announced it already TBH.

I don't see this movie reaching 1 billion worldwide, but I could be wrong. In a way I want to be proven wrong because what a mind-blown moment that will be.  Sonic the freaking hedgehog is more successful as a movie star than in a video game. 

 

 

[batson]

Saw the movie yesterday. It was exactly how I thought it would be, without any surprises. The only surprising thing about it is that it is actually getting decent reviews despite it's predictableness...

Also, I have to say that I don't think they got the character of Sonic even remotely right when compared to the video games. Sonic's defining character trait is that he is cool, but this version felt more like a naive child than a teenager with attitude. It also felt strange seeing Sonic being sad and upset so often, since in the games he is known to keep his composure no matter what.

[Gabz Girl]

There’s no way this movie grosses 1 BILLION at the box office. No other video game movie adaptation has done that before, with Warcraft currently being the highest grossing worldwide closely followed by Detective Pikachu. It’s still going to do well, especially considering its fairly low budget (which the former two did not have!) and the lack of movie merchandise which probably saved them pennies, but not THAT well lol

59 minutes ago, batson said:

Also, I have to say that I don't think they got the character of Sonic even remotely right when compared to the video games. Sonic's defining character trait is that he is cool, but this version felt more like a naive child than a teenager with attitude. It also felt strange seeing Sonic being sad and upset so often, since in the games he is known to keep his composure no matter what.

I think that’s the point though since this is Sonic’s origin story. This is before he meets Tails, Knuckles etc. so he’s still like a young hyperactive teenager with no friends, and naturally because he has no friends he’s lonely and sad. Hey, at least he’s not crying like in the Archie comics..!

This also makes him way more animated and personality driven than the games, especially the recent ones. Sonic is such a bore in Sonic Forces! 

[King Scoopa Koopa]

On 2/19/2020 at 6:15 AM, caitash said:

 

 

I am hoping (almost expecting) that they will re-do the character models for any sequel to bring them closer to Tyson Hesse’s redesign. The models in the film were decent given the timeframe they had to work with, but I think they could be revisited and tweaked/tightened up somewhat for any further outings.

Ooh, not too much, if they do. I love this version.

[SatAMhog]

1 hour ago, Gabz Girl said:

There’s no way this movie grosses 1 BILLION at the box office. No other video game movie adaptation has done that before, with Warcraft currently being the highest grossing worldwide closely followed by Detective Pikachu. It’s still going to do well, especially considering its fairly low budget (which the former two did not have!) and the lack of movie merchandise which probably saved them pennies, but not THAT well lol

I think that’s the point though since this is Sonic’s origin story. This is before he meets Tails, Knuckles etc. so he’s still like a young hyperactive teenager with no friends, and naturally because he has no friends he’s lonely and sad. Hey, at least he’s not crying like in the Archie comics..!

This also makes him way more animated and personality driven than the games, especially the recent ones. Sonic is such a bore in Sonic Forces! 

Yeah, I expect it to do at least $500,000,000 and SLIGHTLY exceed what Detective Pikachu did overall and get a sequel unlike the former.  Paramount is doubtless going to make a sequel considering I think they realized they've got something good on their hands.  I want to see more echidnas. lol

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

On 2/18/2020 at 5:00 PM, Wraith said:

I've never agreed with the "settling for mediocrity" sentiment

Well, now that's a relief to hear. Given how common, such a salty opinion is becoming.

[Sega DogTagz]

Really need to pump the brakes on the billion topic. Let's not forget the biggest international market of China is on movie lockdown right now thanks to the medical scare. Who knows when those theatres will reopen and even when they do they will be looking at a serious backlog of movies to release which translates to fierce compition. 

 

The Sonic movie proved it's point in it's domestic opening. Everything past that is gravvy at this point 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

I just realised another possible easter egg, a really obscure one at that.

Spoiler

During the pixel recreation of the film's events during the credits, one of the things Sonic ends up doing is picking up a guitar and playing it, something he didn't do in the movie proper.

It's a potential reference to Sonic's origins of playing in a band in Sonic 1 (Although he was a singer there). But it references several other places at once. Not only is there several albums for Adventure's OSTs where Sonic's playing a guitar, but he also plays a guitar in Sonic Underground, and plays it as a hobby a few times in Archie Sonic.

 

[therealfalconpawnch777]

3 minutes ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

I just realised another possible easter egg, a really obscure one at that.

  Reveal hidden contents

During the pixel recreation of the film's events during the credits, one of the things Sonic ends up doing is picking up a guitar and playing it, something he didn't do in the movie proper.

It's a potential reference to Sonic's origins of playing in a band in Sonic 1 (Although he was a singer there). But it references several other places at once. Not only is there several albums for Adventure's OSTs where Sonic's playing a guitar, but he also plays a guitar in Sonic Underground, and plays it as a hobby a few times in Archie Sonic.

 

Except he did. 

Spoiler

During the scene of him messing around before he knocked the rings over he has an inflatable guitar like what you'd find at a fair ground.

 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

1 minute ago, therealfalconpawnch777 said:

Except he did. 

  Hide contents

During the scene of him messing around before he knocked the rings over he has an inflatable guitar like what you'd find at a fair ground.

 

Spoiler

I don't remember, so if he did, fair enough.

Point still stands though that it's an easter egg.

 

[AuroraRedwinters]

15 hours ago, batson said:

Also, I have to say that I don't think they got the character of Sonic even remotely right when compared to the video games. Sonic's defining character trait is that he is cool, but this version felt more like a naive child than a teenager with attitude. It also felt strange seeing Sonic being sad and upset so often, since in the games he is known to keep his composure no matter what.

14 hours ago, Gabz Girl said:

I think that’s the point though since this is Sonic’s origin story. This is before he meets Tails, Knuckles etc. so he’s still like a young hyperactive teenager with no friends, and naturally because he has no friends he’s lonely and sad. Hey, at least he’s not crying like in the Archie comics..!

This also makes him way more animated and personality driven than the games, especially the recent ones. Sonic is such a bore in Sonic Forces! 

And I think that is a big reason why it doesn't feel like a Sonic movie to me because....

Spoiler

The sequel teaser at the end of the movie shows Tails who looks to be his age in the video games. I'm not sure I fully embrace this version of Sonic as a hyperactive, talkative, childish hedgehog that acts like he is maybe 10 at most. For the most part, Sonic's personality has lent himself to being at least a little short-tempered, cocky, and quick to react. 

Anyone remember this?

[

In this movie, Sonic didn't come across (to me) as confident, competitive, adventurous, or chill. He did have flashes of heroic deeds, especially at the very end, and you could make a case for mischievous, sarcastic, and perhaps likable in the right situation. 

I get that this is meant to be an origin movie for Sonic and Robotnik/Eggman primarily. But what would have felt like more of a satisfying ending is Sonic realizing he can't keep running forever and making the decision to go back to his home planet. Staying home with the Wachowski's, while admittedly a touching moment, doesn't really speak to Sonic as a character that thrives on adventure.

Maybe Tails coming, presumably to convince Sonic he's needed back in his home world, might trigger that adventurous side next time. I will be really curious how their dynamic works in this movie setting and whether more of the action will take place away from Earth. 

 

[SSF1991]

I think this film was risky for one reason and one reason alone. They did a live-action/CG hybrid Sonic the Hedgehog movie.

There is nothing about that sentence that rubs me the right way at all. Whenever they've taken this brand into a realistic and/or live-actiony route, it had never ended well. They took a big risk by going that route for the movie anyway. And for once, it paid off, I think this is actually the very first time in the history of this franchise that Sonic was put into a realistic non-cartoony environment, and they managed to do it right.

The movie has proven, beyond my wildest expectations, that the Sonic brand is perfectly capable of being ambitious and taking risks on this scale. You'll be just fine, as long as remember is to give it some love and care. That's what gives Sonic the heart and soul that has kept this franchise going for nearly 30 years. Never forget that, and you'll see the little blue hedgehog shine. And you can't help but be proud of him. Just like I am right now.

[JezMM]

Regarding the risk thing, I think the fairest compromise between the two sides of the argument would simply be that the answer is more complex than a straight blanket yes or no.

Was the movie risky in terms of Sonic's brand identity?  Yes - Obviously Sonic needed no more bad press, and the live action animation hybrid had risk of alienating fans.

Was the movie risky in terms of execution of the concept?  No - As said, the movie's humour goes for broad appeal and is rarely very clever, the plot is a pretty basic good vs evil, "real power of friendship" deal, the film does not challenge audiences in any way whatsoever (that's fine of course, not every piece of media has to be challenging to be enjoyable).

Was the movie risky in terms of budget?  No - or at least, my understanding is no.  The scope of the film was influenced by it's budget anyway and we know Detective Pikachu was much higher, etc.

 

The 2 x "No" and 1 x "Yes" here doesn't infer an overall "No" by the way, I think these three categories are fairly seperate from one another.

[Leebo4]

Saw it last weekend and I loved it

 

for a sequel I think they could do a combined sort of adaptation for both sonic 2 and 3

 

Wish they explained Robotnik’ a name, I thought they would say he had it legally changed from his old surname

 

 but he did say he was an orphan so maybe he picked it up himself

[CaptainRobo]

I know this probably doesn't mean anything, but it's seems that Neal hinting that the sequel is already in development and the Rock is in talks to be in the movie.:

Spoiler

However, that doesn't mean he hasn't been in talks with director Jeff Fowler. Neil McDonough, the actor who played Major Bennington A.K.A. "Major Nobody Cares," in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie recently suggested that Johnson is already in talks to feature in the sequel (via Gamefragger).

"What I saw in the trailer, the first trailer, I thought it was fine," McDonough said at FAN EXPO Vancouver. "But what I saw in the movie was amazing." The actor went on; "I’m looking forward to part two. Literally, part two, I’ve already heard rumblings that The Rock is going to be [in it]. The Rock is in part two of everything, by the way."

Source

 

[Leebo4]

What other pitches of the sonic movie w9uld you have been interested in seeing

i loved the movie we had but I was wondering what the ken penders pitched darker Satam like movie could have been like