Movie Review - Sonic the Hedgehog

I love classic video games and think they could make great movies and TV shows if someone would just do it right. Someone? Anyone?

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2020 action comedy film based on the Sega video game of the same name. It is rated PG and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Solid Story. The story is fairly simple and straightforward, but for this kind of movie and the younger audience it's targeted to, that's okay. It's solid, logical, and for the most part makes sense even if it's not the most compelling or original.

Characters. While most of the secondary characters were very flat and generic, the main characters were very likable and fun.

Action. The action was great! It was fun, fast, and lots of it. It did a good job mimicking the action and feel of the video game.

Comedy. This film had some pretty good jokes, although most of them were aimed at and would only be appreciated by a younger audience.

The Bad

Young Audience. This film is definitely aimed at a younger audience and feels a little juvenile with much of it talking down to the audience, which was unnecessary. The core audience will be adults who were kids when Sonic came out on the Sega who loved the game and are adults now with a lot of nostalgia. There's no reason it couldn't have been a little more intelligent and appeal to all ages.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish this film hadn't been mainly targeted at a young audience, but instead had something for all ages.

Overall

Sonic the Hedgehog is an entertaining flick with great action and visuals and a few pretty funny jokes. The main characters are likeable and do a good job. The story is solid. The main flaw is the movie is targeted for a young audience with a overly simple story and many jokes only youngsters would laugh at. The core audience will be adults who were kids when Sonic came out on the Sega who loved the game and are adults now with a lot of nostalgia. There's no reason it couldn't have been a little more intelligent and appeal to all ages, especially considering that is the trend right now. I give this film 4 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

    

 

Video Game Review - E.T. on the Atari 2600

E.T. for the Atari 2600 has been called the worst video game in history and has been blamed for single-handedly destroying the video game industry of the mid-1980s and ending Atari's long run as king of electronic entertainment. An urban legend about a mass burial of unsold cartridges dumped in a New Mexico landfill in the middle of the night later proved to be true. But was the game really that bad?

E.T. is a quest game for the Atari 2600 based on the popular movie of the same name. It is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Story. For an Atari game, this had a rather elaborate story and mission. You are E.T. and you have to assemble a communicator, find the right spot to call home, then find the landing spot all while dodging FBI agents and scientist. Along the way you can float out of pits, collect Reeses Pieces, and get help from Elliot.

Powers. Unlike most games of this era where you can on do one thing like shoot or move, this game gives you multiple powers from flying to calling Elliot to repelling FBI agents and scientists. You have to be in the right spot to use your power, which can be frustrating to some.

Quest. This game is a quest with a timer and a clear set of objectives. Most games didn't have an ending or such a linear story back in the day, instead being level after level of the same kind of game play. This was so different and so fun.

The Bad

Game Play. The game play can be a little sticky at times between controlling E.T. to finding the right spots to call the ship and get on it.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I love this game and still have no complaints. I even bought a new Atari emulator so I could play it again.

Overall

Overall, E.T. for the Atari 2600 is my favorite Atari game of all time. It was the first quest game I ever played, and after all these years is still just as much fun. Yes the graphics are primitive, but the game is over 30 years old so that's to be expected. Yes there is some frustrating game play, but none of it is unfair or impossible to overcome. I give it 4.5 out of 5 joysticks.