Sonic the Hedgehog, the Movie

[Peelee]

There's a rather huge difference between those and Sonic though. Aslan is just a straight-up Lion, so there's nothing complicated about getting him right. And Rocket Raccoon is just a raccoon who walks upright.

Sonic, meanwhile, is nominally a hedgehog, but as Reddish pointed out, doesn't actually look like a real hedgehog at all. He doesn't look like anything real, which makes making him look good in a live-action film a much bigger challenge than it is for any random anthropomorphic animal.

The reason it's not complicated getting Aslan or Rocket right is because there are reference images. You can look at Aslan, look at a lion, and say, hey, that looks accurate.

Sonic, despite not being a real animal, has plenty of reference images. In 3d, even! About the only worry is texture, and artistic license (eg different shoes), since there's no reference for texture. See Detective Pikachu for an example of this. It doesn't matter what they look like, it matters that there are plenty of references to check. And, with all those references, someone decided to go with the design that would let them sell more accurate halloween costumes.

It was not a significantly bigger challenge than a real anthropomorphic animal. It was a slightly bigger challenge. And they whiffed hard.

[Rynjin]

Who is the intended target demographic for this movie? Is it people who hate the Sonic franchise but simultaneously love mocking it for its shortcomings?

Yes.

You just described the Sonic fandom, my dude.

[Peelee]

Yes.

You just described the Sonic fandom, my dude.

Also the Star Wars fandom.

[Lord Raziere]

Also the Star Wars fandom.

and any person who still watches the pokemon anime. I know I fit that description. mostly because while I love pokemon, there is a lot of cheesy poorly thought out things in the anime worth ridiculing, in every episode.

[Bohandas]

The reason it's not complicated getting Aslan or Rocket right is because there are reference images. You can look at Aslan, look at a lion, and say, hey, that looks accurate.

Sonic, despite not being a real animal, has plenty of reference images. In 3d, even! About the only worry is texture, and artistic license (eg different shoes), since there's no reference for texture.

His 3d model in the games doesn't translate into a 3d live action world because its heavily stylized. The spikes on his head are supposed to represent quills, but if they stay the way they are in a non cartoony setting it just looks like he has a bunch of tumors. Ergo he ought to look more like this if the setting is going to be realistic

[GloatingSwine]

His 3d model in the games doesn't translate into a 3d live action world because its heavily stylized. The spikes on his head are supposed to represent quills, but if they stay the way they are in a non cartoony setting it just looks like he has a bunch of tumors. Ergo he ought to look more like this if the setting is going to be realistic

Except not because that looks like a horrifying goblin child almost as much as the one they're actually using.

None of the Pokemon designs should translate to a live action world but it turns out that they do if you have competent animators.

This film doesn't. So they stuffed someone in a mocap suit and the shape of their horrifying goblin child comes from the fact they were working with mocap data.

[Bohandas]

Except not because that looks like a horrifying goblin child almost as much as the one they're actually using.

I'm talking specificalky about the quills here

[Peelee]

I'm talking specificalky about the quills here

I agree, but that's more or less texture, which was my point.

[Millstone85]

I'm talking specificalky about the quills here

To get an idea of the classic design with more defined quills:

Spoiler: DeviantArt by Liris-san

Show

[Magic_Hat]

People with money.

I thought that was the MCU.

[Lacuna Caster]

His 3d model in the games doesn't translate into a 3d live action world because its heavily stylized. The spikes on his head are supposed to represent quills, but if they stay the way they are in a non cartoony setting it just looks like he has a bunch of tumors. Ergo he ought to look more like this if the setting is going to be realistic

Except not because that looks like a horrifying goblin child almost as much as the one they're actually using.

I dunno. Looks pretty harmless to me.

[Magic_Hat]

Guys! A thought just occurred: what if this movie is somehow good on a technical and storytelling level?

[Peelee]

Guys! A thought just occurred: what if this movie is somehow good on a technical and storytelling level?

I wasn't expecting that before the trailer.

[Magic_Hat]

I wasn't expecting that before the trailer.

Well if modern movie trailers have taught me anything there's a 25%-50% chance anything in a trailer will not be in a movie. So maybe Sonic is nowhere near as creepy in the actual movie. Maybe Jim Carry's performance is actually good. Maybe this film is better than Citizen Kane.

[Millstone85]

As is often the case, the most terrifying monster lies within.

I am starting to get used to the design.

[Magic_Hat]

As is often the case, the most terrifying monster lies within.

I am starting to get used to the design.

Maybe it is man who is the real monster. And by "monster" I meal "creepy CGI hedgehog." Maybe this film is philosophical. Though I'm not sure what "Gangster's Paradise" is a metaphor/allegory for.

[The Glyphstone]

Maybe it is man who is the real monster. And by "monster" I meal "creepy CGI hedgehog." Maybe this film is philosophical. Though I'm not sure what "Gangster's Paradise" is a metaphor/allegory for.

The movie is a highbrow commentary about how we move too fast through life (Sonic), and those who try to make meaningful positive change in the world (Robotnik) are run over and rushed by the impatience of society's need for immediate long-term commitment (golden rings). Gangster's Paradise is a lamenting retrospect at history and lost opportunities.

[Peelee]

The movie is a highbrow commentary about how we move too fast through life (Sonic), and those who try to make meaningful positive change in the world (Robotnik) are run over and rushed by the impatience of society's need for immediate long-term commitment (golden rings). Gangster's Paradise is a lamenting retrospect at history and lost opportunities.

Dang, that's near sig-worthy.

[Reddish Mage]

The movie is a highbrow commentary about how we move too fast through life (Sonic), and those who try to make meaningful positive change in the world (Robotnik) are run over and rushed by the impatience of society's need for immediate long-term commitment (golden rings). Gangster's Paradise is a lamenting retrospect at history and lost opportunities.

This is missing something...

#explainafilmplotbadly

There we go.

[Peelee]

This is missing something...

#explainafilmplotbadly

There we go.

You misspelled #explainafilmplotgreatly.

[Iruka]

Looks kinda fun. I laught a few times during the trailer. Unlikely that I will pay any money to see it (except maybe with some friends and beers), but will try to see it if it comes to Netflix (preferably with some friends and beers).

See we had Animals of Farthing Wood.

Major named characters are somewhat more likely to survive a season of Game of Thrones than they were in that.

Please do not remind me of that series. I cried so much ...

[Eldan]

Looks kinda fun. I laught a few times during the trailer. Unlikely that I will pay any money to see it (except maybe with some friends and beers), but will try to see it if it comes to Netflix (preferably with some friends and beers).



Please do not remind me of that series. I cried so much ...

That show thought me what a Shrike is when I was ... in kindergarden, I think? I'd like to not be reminded of it.

[Millstone85]

Pretty cool fan edit of the trailer.

[Reddish Mage]

Pretty cool fan edit of the trailer.

We lost it. I'd have been interested in seeing whether a fan could realistically morph Sonic to conform to the dimensions we expect.

[Millstone85]

We lost it. I'd have been interested in seeing whether a fan could realistically morph Sonic to conform to the dimensions we expect.

For some reason, it won't play here on the forum.

But if you click on the title of the video, you can watch it on Youtube.

[Velaryon]

For me, the animation is not even the worst part. I think the only right way to do a "Sonic the Hedgehog in the real world" film is... not to do a "Sonic the Hedgehog in the real world" film.

Then again, I also think Detective Pikachu is hideous, and people seem to like that, so feel free to ignore me.

[Zevox]

Pretty cool fan edit of the trailer.

Well, he does look better, that's true at least. Still very out of place amidst the live action setting, but better. And very obviously less animated and stiffer than in the original trailer, but I suppose that's inevitable with a fan edit versus a professional product.

Too bad his look is just one of many problems with this.

[Keltest]

Well, he does look better, that's true at least. Still very out of place amidst the live action setting, but better. And very obviously less animated and stiffer than in the original trailer, but I suppose that's inevitable with a fan edit versus a professional product.

Too bad his look is just one of many problems with this.

I do think the look is probably going to be the deciding factor in whether people see it to give it an honest chance, or just ignore it entirely though. Its easily the biggest hurdle they need to overcome right now.

[Kitten Champion]

I hadn't seen movie-Sonic for a couple of weeks since the trailer's initial fallout and had actually kind of forgotten it. Seeing it again now, it's somehow even worse than I remember.

I do think the look is probably going to be the deciding factor in whether people see it to give it an honest chance, or just ignore it entirely though. Its easily the biggest hurdle they need to overcome right now.

In retrospect, they're in somewhat the same situation as Godzilla (1998). There are dumber and technically worse Godzilla movies than what Emmerich/Devlin gave us, but when they reinterpret the feature kaiju into merely being an oversized lizard which very loosely fits a similar role as its namesake it becomes clear how ignoring iconography - outside of sparse shallow references - can create a whole different experience.

[DeadMech]

That fan trailer is pretty impressive for the work of a single person. Obviously needs more hours put in but the biggest issue now is the everything else about the trailer. Someone buy them a beverage.