Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

[Cyrusso]

I'm going to see it tomorrow morning so I will form my own opinion then. I don't expect to be blown away, I just want to have fun. Damn, I have grown soft in my old age.

[Pak-Man]

I don't expect to be blown away, I just want to have fun.

It should just meet your specifications.

[Pak-Man]

I do feel compelled to bring up what I think might be the most egregious bit of product placement in a movie since Mac and Me. I feel like I shouldn't dignify this with a spoiler tag, but just in case anyone really wants to be kept off-guard for an Olive Garden ad, here you go:

So James Marsden's character is talking on the phone with his wife, who threatens to check his phone for dating apps. The next bit of dialogue is as follows:

"I don't have any apps on my phone other than the ones that came with it. And the Olive Garden App.
"Right. Because when you're there-"
"You're family."

It's framed like a joke, but it's really just the movie pausing to remind everyone of Olive Garden's slogan. There's no ironic wink to the camera. There's nothing about the character or plot that makes that slogan dramatically ironic or appropriate or anything. The only "payoff" comes at the end of the movie where, no joke, he is given a reward for his adventure by the government and it's a $50 Olive Garden gift card. Now it's a callback! It's at least presented to be a bit disappointing as a reward, but Marsden's character is sure to remark that he's looking forward to the never-ending pasta bowl.

Now I get how things work. I expect the occasional Zillow name-check (Also present in this movie) and it wouldn't surprise me to see Sonic chugging a Monster energy drink or something. I remember when the Ninja Turtles were sure to get their pizza delivery from Dominos, but this bit seems particularly invasive to me.

[Darth Geek]

This reminds me of the early teaser poster for Wreck-It-Ralph 2 with the fake company names:



It seems like that would be much more fun. It's still product placement because you can recognize what they are referencing, but it's more interesting than just having the real logos.

[Cyrusso]

It was good!!! I laughed a lot and I only felt things dragging maybe once or twice during the 100 minute(or so) run time. The ONLY thing that annoyed me was the Product Placement for Olive Garden. But I will give them credit, I think they made the movie self-aware and made a great joke out of its product placement. Jim Carrey was good, and this movie would probably lend itself very well to a sequel... and in the end of course it does some sequel-baiting, which I am TOTALLY on board for.

[kunedog]

No other SEGA property has near the name recognition of Sonic, so doing other game movies seems risky unless they can be made with Conjuring-cinematic-universe-sized budgets (and I'm not sure they can).

[Variety of Cells]

It's doing well?  That's good.  I have no interest in seeing the film, but I love Ben Schwartz and wish him the best.

[Pak-Man]

No other SEGA property has near the name recognition of Sonic, so doing other game movies seems risky unless they can be made with Conjuring-cinematic-universe-sized budgets (and I'm not sure they can).

And there are even fewer SEGA properties that would get along with Sonic the Hedgehog. (My dreams of a Phantasy Star movie are forever crushed.) If I were to cobble together a viable SEGA universe, I'd start with:

Sonic
Toejam and Earl
Vectorman
Ristar
Jet Set Radio

[Cyrusso]

I think this is a good sign. One of these days Video game movies will actually be great. Right now though, they are on the same path super hero movies were at one point... very slowly graduating from mostly bad(Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Bloodrayne, House of the dead, Resident Evil, Far Cry, Alone in the Dark, Silent Hill, Super Mario Bros, Hitman, Max Payne, Double Dragon, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Wing commander) to much better(Detective Pikachu, Tomb Raider(2018), Sonic). I don't know if something like Wreck-it Ralph or Ready Player One qualify as video game movies though. Although I guess if I were to expand the definition of VG movies, I could include absolute classics like The Last Starfighter and Tron, unquestionably great movies. The Wizard does NOT count because of five words: old man in a speedo.

The point is this: the graduation from crappy VG movies to good VG movies has almost always been on a downward slope, because for every good video game movie, there's like half a dozen more. One day I think VG movies will be a lot better, but I think writers have a hard time grasping the concept of a video game and creating a story that fits within the parameters of the game world itself without doing something too ridiculous(again, see Super Mario Bros.).

[Variety of Cells]

I think this is a good sign. One of these days Video game movies will actually be great. Right now though, they are on the same path super hero movies were at one point... very slowly graduating from mostly bad(Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Bloodrayne, House of the dead, Resident Evil, Far Cry, Alone in the Dark, Silent Hill, Super Mario Bros, Hitman, Max Payne, Double Dragon, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Wing commander) to much better(Detective Pikachu, Tomb Raider(2018), Sonic). I don't know if something like Wreck-it Ralph or Ready Player One qualify as video game movies though. Although I guess if I were to expand the definition of VG movies, I could include absolute classics like The Last Starfighter and Tron, unquestionably great movies. The Wizard does NOT count because of five words: old man in a speedo.

The point is this: the graduation from crappy VG movies to good VG movies has almost always been on a downward slope, because for every good video game movie, there's like half a dozen more. One day I think VG movies will be a lot better, but I think writers have a hard time grasping the concept of a video game and creating a story that fits within the parameters of the game world itself without doing something too ridiculous(again, see Super Mario Bros.).

The Witcher, while a TV series, I think falls in the 'much better' category.  Technically the show is based on the books, but come on, the look and feel of the show was heavily inspired by the games, and they wouldn't be making an adaptation of it if it wasn't for the popularity of the games. 

[Pak-Man]

We've also got the excellent Castlevania animated Netflix series right now.

I've read think pieces that suggest we might never get really satisfying video game movies because so much of the main character in video games is in our imagination. So if you try to graft an actual personality in there, you get something that doesn't sit right. The Link you see in the movies just wouldn't live up to the Link in your head. (Excuuuuuse me, Princess!) I think a lot of newer games that take a more cinematic approach have better odds. The Resident Evil movies (sort-of, debatably) worked because you were already PLAYING a movie when you played Resident Evil. But then you have the new challenge of creating an experience on the screen that's as satisfying as that time you went in and killed a horde of zombies yourself. The RE movies have their fans, but none of them are going to say they prefer them to the games.

[Cyrusso]

I haven't seen The Witcher but I have heard a lot of good things about the show. I will check it out someday. As for Castlevania, it is absolutely amazing.

[Darth Geek]

I liked the first season of Castlevania, but I only got two episodes into the second season before I gave up. I got frustrated with the new characters. And the building of an army when it seemed from the first season like Dracula shouldn't need one.

[kunedog]

2nd weekend looking anemic at $26M:
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2020W08/?ref_=bo_hm_rw

If I were a Paramount decision-maker, this would make me rethink any cinematic universe, and probably even consider lowering the budget of any direct sequels.

[Henry88]

 Worldwide
$265,493,652
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl4244997633/

Coronavirus fears hit box office as 'Sonic The Hedgehog' rules international
https://www.screendaily.com/box-office/coronavirus-fears-hit-box-office-as-sonic-the-hedgehog-rules-international/5147746.article