Sonic: The Hedgehog: A Fun Fantasy Film For Fans of Family-Friendly Fare

     Stranded on Earth after losing his protector and mother figure, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), an anthropomorphic hedgehog raises himself in the forests of Green Hills, Montana. He spends the next few years scavenging for food and stalking local sheriff Tom (James Marsden) and his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter). His loneliness and isolation cause him to lash out, causing a power surge that draws the attention of the U.S. Government, in particular the brilliant but demented mind of Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). While trying to use one of his magic rings to escape Earth, Sonic is shot with a tranquilizer dart by Tom, accidentally causing the rings to land on a skyscraper in San Francisco. With Tom's reluctant help, Sonic has to find a way to evade the mad scientist and retrieve his one-way ticket to safety.

     It all started last year with the release of a trailer and the misguided executive decision to show the public a version of Sonic The Hedgehog that looked nightmarish, somewhat realistic and not all that great. While my reaction wasn't as over-the-top as others was, it was universally agreed upon that it could have been better. After months of redesigning, the new look for Sonic was a marked improvement and the artists behind it deserve all the credit in the world.

     With everything being said about the redesign, it was clear that any changes would be cosmetic. The film, as a whole, would be largely left alone. In which case, everything else we saw from the trailers was what we would get. The premise of "normal live-action human interacts with cartoon/CG animal for wacky hijinks/road trip" movies is not exactly breaking new ground in terms of subgenres. See Yogi Bear, the Alvin and The Chipmunks movies, Hop (which also stars James Marsden) and The Smurfs for the more notable examples. However, even if something appears to be yet another in a long line of formulaic, plot-by-numbers movies, sometimes a film can surprise you by being better than you thought. Not spectacular by any means, but not having you leave the theater wanting to punch actual hedgehogs.

     It's all been done before, and it's certainly true here. Road trip movies are a dime a dozen, Live-action/animated mashups are plentiful and family friendly stories about what makes a friend or family or finding a true home. The key to a quality movie-going experience, at least in my opinion, is in how the movie engages with you, if it does at all. While movies like Woody Woodpecker, Yogi Bear, and Alvin and The Chipmunks didn't really do it for me, there's a charm to Sonic the Hedgehog that makes it at least an enjoyable romp for me. Even if they borrow scenes from X-Men when Sonic seemingly slows down time to pull pranks or save Tom from either a bar fight or Robotnik's onslaught.

     Ben Schwartz nails the childlike energy and immature nature of Sonic. He's practically raised himself on Flash comic books, pop culture osmosis, and hiding in the shadows. It's not unlike an introvert wanting to be part of a crowd or community, but always feeling like an outsider. It's different in Sonic's case, as he was instructed by his mother figure to always remain hidden. While he does like to play the occasional prank, Sonic enjoys the spotlight and is naturally outgoing, leading to his mounting frustration.

     Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik is also full of fun, entertaining manic energy. When I saw Carrey's antics, it made me feel young again while he was playing The Mask or Ace Ventura. He fully commits to the insanity of the character, especially at the end. In contrast to Sonic, he is someone who likes to be alone with his machines and finds people annoying, stupid and tedious. Seeing his efforts stymied by those he deems inferior to himself enrages Robotnik. Even when James Marsden's Tom gives us a cliched, "Sonic is more human than you" type speech about friendship, it simply doesn't register to the rabid robot creator. He cannot grasp the need or desire for companionship.

      James Marsden's Sheriff Tom spends the movie dreaming of being a San Francisco cop and being a hero. He dreams of leaving behind Green Hills and getting calls to do seemingly menial work for its townspeople. With Sonic being thrust in his life, he learns the typical lesson one does in these situations about where one's home truly lies. A more cynical mind will think that the message of the film is "have no ambitions beyond your stations" but honestly, the character suffers mainly from being bored with his career and thinking he needs a change. And, as in life, change comes from an unexpected source.

     Sonic The Hedgehog is a fun, entertaining way to kill ninety minutes, especially if you happen to have kids or are a fan of the character. While it's true, the story is ground that has been tread before many, many times, it still can be an enjoyable ride, a lot like when you go through Green Hills Zone's first level. It feels familiar, but it's still a good time from beginning to end.
    

Birds Of Prey And The Groin-Kicking Of The Patriarchy

     After a horrible break-up with the Joker, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) is on her own. After blowing up Ace Chemicals as a symbolic middle finger to her former puddin', the Gotham underworld are now after her head to pay her back for past grievances. One of those is the sadistic crime boss Roman "Black Mask" Sionis (Ewan MacGregor). Caught in the middle are Detective Rene Montoya (Rosie Perez), a lounge-singer/martial arts badass Dinah Lance/Black Canary (Jurnee Smollet-Bell, assassin Helena Bertinelli/Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and pickpocket Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco). As all these paths converge, wacky hijinks, brutal bone-snapping battles and more outrageous splashes of color than a crayon box in a wood chipper ensue.

     I didn't like Suicide Squad. It looked like try-hard, disjointed, horribly edited, "look-at-us-we're-so-punk-but-in-a-safe-marketable-way" garbage. Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jay Hernandez are three of the only good parts about it, but it still didn't do it for me. This time around, however, I'm glad to see a movie that is a good kind of crazy, wild, and in-your-face with its themes and aesthetic. It felt like the movie that Suicide Squad tried to be but couldn't quite nail down because it was so busy trying to cram ten different origins into one movie. While one could make the argument that the pacing of events may appear jumbled, but actually does its job of fleshing out the characters and makes sense given that the point-of-view of the overall narration is provided by Harley Quinn.

     Birds Of Prey is something of a punk feminist manifesto without being either subtle or explicit about it, and I don't say that as a bad thing. These are awesome, strong, capable women who have ambition, drive and tenacity. Such traits are evident, even to the male figures in this film. But it's shown, again and again, they only accept a woman's strength so long as it benefits their goals. There's a very pointed scene with Jurnee Smollet-Bell singing "This Is A Man's World" in a slow minor-key number while Harley stews in her post-break-up depression and Roman parades around like the cock of the walk. The power dynamics between men and women are at the heart of this story.

      Each main character deals with breaking the stifling and, in most cases, abusive control that men or male dominated fields exert over them. Renee Montoya tries getting Roman/Black Mask off the streets despite male cops stymieing her progress not just with the case, but her entire career. Helena Bertinelli/Huntress seeks bloody vengeance on the mobsters that murdered her family. Dinah Lance wants to be out from under the murderous controlling thumb of Black Mask, all the while keeping her head down but never really breaking from her good-hearted nature. Cassandra Cain hopes to escape abusive foster parents through pick-pocketing. Harley begins the struggle of being more than just "Joker's girl" and realizing she doesn't need him anymore.

     The fight choreography is fantastic, giving each character their own distinct style. Montoya brawls, Harley incorporates gymnastics and blunt objects, Canary and Huntress are martial arts masters though Huntress tends to also shoot and stab with crossbow bolts just as often. Their chemistry as a combative unit is, sadly, only given one scene to truly shine, but the climactic final battle is exciting, fun and worth the price of admission by itself. What also shines is the fact that they can push through pain, both mental, emotional, and physical. Getting thrown around and punched in the face doesn't slow them down in the slightest. They get right back up and start snapping (a LOT of) legs and kicking ass.

     While I can certainly understand the notion that this is, first and foremost, a Harley Quinn movie, it's not to say that none of the other characters aren't developed or have arcs to go through. Their chemistry as characters becomes apparent much too late in the film, but there's smatterings of it here and there when two characters would interact on occasion. I wish there could have been more with the entire team, but hopefully with a sequel (box office pending) that can be explored a bit further.

     I really dug the art direction and tone of this film. The color schemes were just right without being gaudy or over-the-top, but still dynamic enough that I wasn't watching a grey, drab, miserable mess.The editing knows when to be frenetic and when to slow down and let the action play out. The cinematography is excellent, one of the highlights being a slow, almost fetishistic look at the making of a breakfast sandwich.

     Finally, there's a villain you love to hate in Ewan MacGregor, who was having the time of his life as Black Mask. He chews the scenery with aplomb and gusto. While there were reports that the character of Roman Sionis was portrayed as gay, it isn't made explicit in the film. There are some intimate touching here and there with his right hand man Victor Zsasz, played by Chris Messina, which is about as close as it gets. It isn't a complaint so much as an observation, really. I also liked that they kept the fact that Renee Montoya is a lesbian by confirming her past relationship with a female District Attorney, as well as Harley's bisexuality in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it animation of college flames. One, in particular, bore a striking resemblance to one Pamela Isley a.k.a. Poison Ivy.

     I cannot recommend Birds Of Prey enough, it's fast paced, action-packed, with great characters to get attached to and root for. It's the kind of girl power film that isn't insincere, cheesy or hokey about it. It's a fun time to be had that'll put a fantabulous smile on your face.