The Sonic franchise is a rare film series that has gotten better and better with each subsequent sequel. In this case, the reason is actually very simple: each new one adds at least one new Little Guy. And the filmmakers have absolutely perfected the creation of these Little Guys, translating them from their cartoonish designs to “realistic” designs.
It's a miracle, considering Sonic's initial design was so poorly received that the team went back and redid the entire animation. If director Jeff Fowler hadn't taken the film to the drawing board, it's unlikely we would have seen it. sonic 2much less sonic 3 (either sonic 4which is officially in the works for 2027). The first version of Sonic was downright terrifying. It was overly realistic, with beady eyes, eerily human legs, and, most infamously, a set of individually depicted biters. The reaction was so strong that Team Sonic (Movie) delayed the movie by five months to work on getting the Little One. fair good.
And wow, what a makeover. Sonic is the perfect combination of cartoon and realism. His fur has enough texture that you have a pretty good idea of how it would feel if you touched it, but his eyes and facial features are big, exaggerated, and just plain cute. (Also, their teeth aren't high definition enough to be able to floss.)
With Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba) introduced in sonic 2 and Shadow (Keanu Reeves) introduced in sonic 3That cast of adorable, perfectly calibrated little ones has only grown, each with their own unique personality. Tails' cheerful and cheerful personality is what you'd most expect from a cute talking animal companion, but he never gets irritable. Meanwhile, Knuckles is incredibly serious and thinks with his fists instead of his brain. Shadow is distraught and full of revenge. It's a lot of fun to have a character plan a murder when that character is a 3 and a half foot tall black hedgehog with red locks.
But what makes these movies absolutely wonderful is the fact that these adorable little ones interact with the human world. The sheer comedy of a seasoned general of a powerful military organization sitting next to three brightly colored anthropomorphic creatures and very seriously offering them the launch card for a deadly secret weapon is unrivaled.
As more Little Guys are introduced, there's always a chance the movies could lean also very much into CG creature territory and misses the crackling juxtaposition of the real and the cartoonish. Yes, it has its charm to have a complete animated movie of the Sonic characters. But personally, I think a lot of the humor comes from watching the human characters interact with the brightly colored cartoons. Humor works best when there's contrast, and the sillier elements of the Little Guys and Jim Carrey's quirky Dr. Robotnik stand out even more when the normal people of Green Hills, Montana, have to adjust to having a strange group of alien creatures. walking through the city. . Normal human characters can be boring, but that's the point. It's like the Muppets work best when they can take on some puritanical humans. It's about the balance between the quirky and the mundane.
And so far, Fowler has deftly maintained that balance, and against all odds, each new film has been stronger and stronger. And with the post-credits scene teasing Amy Rose, as well as an army of Metal Sonics, there's even more Little Guys (gender neutral!) to look forward to, with new personalities joining the mix. Cause sonic 4. At this rate, it will probably be a masterpiece.