Walking into “Sonic the Hedgehog,” I expected either a children’s movie or a film designed for strong fans of the video game, two categories I do not fall under. To my pleasure, neither of these expectations were met, but the movie still had flaws.

The storyline revolves around Sonic (Ben Schwartz), an alien with next-level speed who is being hunted by Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey). Sonic develops a friendship with the human police officer Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), creating an “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” type plot. 

The character Sonic was very well done. Animation can be a hit or miss and this one was definitely successful. Their second take on Sonic, with newly improved features, looks significantly better than the first one that failed. Sonic really connected to me through his human qualities of love and desire to fit in. Contrary to my misconceptions prior to the film, I think Sonic has the ability to resonate with teenagers, at times taking on a rebellious role. 

The best part of “Sonic the Hedgehog” was Carrey’s performance as the villain Robotnik. Carrey provided a great blend of humor and danger. Unfortunately, the acting was not as strong across the rest of the cast. Marsden’s acting was alright, at times lacking emotion. I thought Tika Sumpter could have done a better job as Maddie Wachowski, Tom Wachowski’s partner — the acting just was not strong.

The movie’s plot was very predictable and cliché. Everything that happened I could see coming. For me, this is something that I don’t find enjoyable, but for others it may be a positive. I personally am a fan of plot twists that leave me speechless and “Sonic the Hedgehog” was not remotely close to satisfying my craving for something unpredictable to happen.

A viewer needs absolutely no prior knowledge regarding the history of Sonic in order to understand this movie, an essential quality in a movie that stems from a character with a deep history. I cannot speak to how accurate this depiction of Sonic was, as my knowledge of Sonic does not stretch far from a couple hours on one of the video games many, many years ago.

Ultimately, the movie fell short in acting and plot, resulting in the two stars deducted.

“Sonic the Hedgehog”: ★★★☆☆