Sonic The Hedgehog: Jim Carrey steals the show!

When it comes to video game films Hollywood has a poor track record of delivering a decent adaptation to the fans. Sonic the Hedgehog is a live action movie based on the game of the same name. As a kid I played sonic day in and day out for the longest time and when this movie was announced I was excited to say the least. That is however until the first initial pictures and trailers came out. The design team on this film had tried to bring sonic to life and based on the reactions of every fan and non fan alike they were displeased.

As you can see the image on the left is from before the redesign. And that is not the sonic I grew up playing. One thing that I will give the studio credit for doing is listening to the fans. More often than not when something like this gets bad press the studio does nothing to change the problem. Paramount listened to the audience and made the necessary changes and because of this I believe it changed the movie in a dramatic way.

Sonic The Hedgehog is a good, fun family film. Like all films it has its problems which I will talk about later on. However there is more to love about this film than there is to dislike. This movie delivers a nostalgic feel without hammering you over the head with it. For all the adults who grew up with sonic you will enjoy this film because it stays true to the source material and it doesn't try to be anything its not. There are many laugh out loud moments, it was not a quiet theater for me all of the children and adults were laughing throughout the entire film. 

While the character sonic was very funny it is Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik that steals the show.  This performance feels like a throwback 90s Jim Carrey who is over the top but in the best ways. This is great for the movie because it is easy for the kids to love the character and also the adults who remember the old Jim Carrey movies like Ace Ventura and The Mask. It can be difficult for children's movies to reach the older audiences but Sonic hits the nail on the head.

Now I did have a few issues with this film. For instance during the middle of this film the pacing gets a little slow when the two main characters go on a road trip. While there are still fun moments this part of the film felt off when watching it. It is also around this part of the film that the writers tried to put a conflict between the protagonists. The problem with this is it felt very forced like the only reason they put it in the film was because they had to. The conflict was not very unique in fact it was a bit contrived. However I enjoyed the way they resolved it towards the end of the film.  The End of the film was one of if not the best part of the whole movie. And make sure to stick around after the credits for a universe building moment.

Overall Sonic is a good movie that the whole family will enjoy and in my opinion has a high re watch ability factor. Is it the best video game adaptation no but it is one that I greatly enjoyed. I suggest you watch the film and see for yourselves. Out of 10 I rank this film 7.7, comment below and tell me your thoughts on the film, what were your favorite parts and performances?

The Batman 2021 Test Footage!

Matt Reeves 2021 film The Batman has been getting  lots of attention after test footage was released of Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader. This footage was released in similar fashion as the Joker. As you may remember when the Joker was first announced many were weary about what they were going to get from the story but as from the performance by Joaquin Phoenix. Once the first test footage was released it helped ease the minds of the fans and also create more excitement leading up to the release of the film.

One of the more interesting aspects of the footage released was the music featured. The music is dark and eerie and makes me think of noir style films. It may seem like a bit of a leap but based off the music and comments the director has made I believe this batman film will be a much more crime focused film. Showing us the detective side of batman that we have only been able to see in the comics. As a fan of both the comics and the previous renditions of batman, I am excited to finally see a batman film were his crime solving talents are on full display.

There are a few other pieces of information that have been released that have given us a more in depth understanding of what kind of batman we are going to get. The first is that this film will take place within the first 2 years of Bruce Wayne as batman. we can infer then that this batman will be less experienced which is the opposite of the batman we got from Ben Affleck, who was a seasoned veteran having battled many of his notorious Gotham enemies already. Also it is said that his bat symbol is made out of the metal from the gun that had been used to murder his parents. This idea was taken right out of the comics. Although this is a small detail it is a nice touch to show they are taking their ideas right from the source material.

One of the aspects of the test footage that seems to be catching the eyes of the fans is the batsuit. Over the course of batman's long film history there have been many different styles and designs of the batsuit. Obviously the new footage hasn't shown us the full suit but from what they have let us see it looks like the suit is similar to the suit from the game Arkham Knight. This idea could change drastically once the full suit design is released but for now that is the closest comparison I can make. It seems as if The Batman is off to a hot start making batman fans worldwide excited and compelled to see this film.

Comment below your thoughts on the footage and if this makes you more excited to see the film!

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Once upon A Time In Hollywood had lots of hype when it first came out but for some reason it took me quite a while to get around to seeing the film. When it comes to Quentin Tarantino his movies are usually either a hit or miss for me. There are certain elements that he implements which I believe are fantastic and game changing from a film standpoint but at other times after watching a few of his films I leave feeling confused or unsatisfied. In the case of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood I feel that all the hype is well deserved.

This film takes place in the late 1960s and follows a rough actor trying to keep his career alive and his stuntman turned driver who tags along with him. I am young having been born in the 90s so I cannot understand how accurate this film portrays the 1960s but based off of the music, the scenery, the language and the famous characters who appear in small parts it makes me believe I am in the 60s. One of the most creative elements Tarantino implements is taking Leonardo Dicaprio's character, Rick Dalton and using some creative technology to put him into real films and TV shows like The Great Escape, Bounty Law and FBI. It adds to the realism and allows all of us as audience members to believe that Rick Dalton was a real actor of the time.

Online it seems as though there are two major gripes with the film which I believe are both unwarranted. The first is the way he portrays Bruce Lee. Growing up and still to this day I am a major Bruce Lee fan thanks to my father. Some of my fondest memories are watching movies like Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury together. For those of you who have not seen the film SPOLIER ALERT. While on the set of a movie Brad Pitt's character is watching and waiting for his time to fill in as the stuntman. On the set Bruce Lee is talking about how great he is and how he could defeat the great Mohammad Ali in a fight. To make the story short Bruce and Cliff Booth end up in a fight where Cliff wins. Many people had problems with this because it makes Bruce Lee look like a cocky jerk and the fact he gets kind of beat up by Brad Pitt. The reason this doe not bother me as a Bruce fan is that Tarantino is known for making a parody of different real life people and events. Also the reason Cliff Booth can beat him in a fight is because he isn't actually a real person. Tarantino can make his character win or lose any fight he wants.

The other issue some had with the film is the seemingly small role Margot Robbie plays as Sharon Tate. On this topic I do not understand the displeasure people had at all. This film is not about Sharon Tate or trying to tell her story. Tarantino uses the character as an uplifting piece that helps the film flow better and it also helps set up tension and context for the Charles Manson cameo. All of the actors did a fantastic job throughout the film which is why Tarantino tends to work with the same actors.

As Tarantino does he sets up the movie so with hints and clues that cause suspense, in this instance we are shown Charles Manson who shows up at Sharon Tate's house. By the end of the film it seems as if we are going to see real events unfold. Instead Tarantino does what he does best and changes history a bit. What would have happened if the loudmouth actor Rick Dalton and ex military stuntman Cliff Booth lived next door to Sharon Tate. History changes and we get some amazing performance from our main characters which really shows why this movie was up for so many awards at this years oscars.

After watching this I realized how sad it was that I was so late to watching this film. This film was fun, exiting, suspenseful, creative and had one of the best soundtracks I have heard in a while. For any of you who were like me and hesitant to watch the film I tell you now watch it when you can. The almost 3 hour films fly's by and by the end you will wish you could see more. I give this film a 9.0 out of 10 not just because the film is well done but also for its re-watch ability.

Comment how you felt about the film, favorite parts etc and did you have any feelings one way or the other regarding the Bruce Lee scene