Real Talk by: Steph-O (Stephanie Owens)

This Sonic the Hedgehog fan film by Blue Core Studios (also the creators of this Megaman fan film) is overall very well done for what it is. Not only is not for profit, but it is a combination of live action and 3D animation, which is rather ambitious for a small team with a smaller budget. Blue Core was even able to secure Sonic’s original English voice actor, Jaleel White (most well-known for his role as ‘Steve Urkel’), as the voice of Sonic in the film. The crew obviously had some very talented 3D modeling, texturing, and lighting artists too as the CG characters in the film blend in surprisingly well with their surroundings. The 3D animation, however, is a little sub-par. No matter how real a CG character looks, the animation is what is going to bring it to life. Fortunately, Jaleel’s voice acting brings out Sonic’s personality. He is the friendly daredevil hedgehog we know and love from the video games, comic books, and cartoons. But unlike those mediums, this film has strong dramatic undertones, which make Sonic’s cocky personality seem one-dimensional.

Like any vigilante story, there needs to be a scene where the hero suffers, or at least struggles to succeed against the enemy, to make the audience care about the character.

The live action parts of the film were also high quality overall, although few small fixes in the makeup and costumes could have made a big difference. The bright colors of some of the props and costumes may have been adhering to their cartoon counterparts, but toned down colors would have made them seem more realistic. But these are small complaints. The film brings planet Mobius to life, and the story’s cliffhanger ending leaves you wanting more. Video game elements are sprinkled in throughout- Dr. Robotnik holding a chaos emerald being one of my favorites -and there is a lovely scene that takes place in a 3D version of the Green Hill Zone. If you are a Sonic fan of any kind, definitely check out this movie. It is under twenty minutes as it is a spec film- intended to show what a live action Sonic movie could look and feel like -but hopefully there is more to come!

Sonic The Fan Film Gets

3.5 Out of 5

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