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It wasn’t that long ago that Sonic the Hedgehog arrived in theaters, but thanks to current events shaking up the film industry, the beloved Sega character’s first theatrical movie is now available to watch digitally in the comfort of your own home. As such, you’re free to pause Sonic to your heart’s content to spot various references that you might not have caught on the big screen.
However, for those not steeped in the Sonic the Hedgehog lore, Paramount Pictures has put together the following video highlighting some of the movie’s Easter eggs. Check it out!
The Sonic the Hedgehog video game series launched in 1991, and when combined with the various animated TV shows and comic books, there was plenty of mythology for the movie to pull from. Here we have some simple callbacks and winks that any longtime Sonic fan would notice instantly, but newcomers will be interested to learn.
From the symbol on Sonic’s bandanna being the logo from his first video game, to the Chaos Emeralds being subtly referenced through a drawing of an emerald on Sonic’s map of safe worlds, there’s plenty of Sonic the Hedgehog callbacks in the character’s theatrical debut. The movie even pays tribute to the ‘Sanic’ meme, which is now a decade old, through that freaky artwork that Crazy Carl mocks up to convince the Green Hills townsfolk that Sonic is real.
The five Sonic the Hedgehog Easter eggs highlighted in this video are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, so remember to keep your eyes peeled when checking out the movie. With a cast that included Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden and Tika Sumpter, the eponymous character’s first big screen appearance saw him teaming up with Sheriff Tom Wachowski and clashing with the evil Dr. Robotnik, who, like his video game counterpart, is also called Eggman, albeit for the ship he drives rather than his appearance.
While its critical reception fell into mixed territory, Sonic the Hedgehog did quite well for itself commercially. Made off a budget in the $80-$95 million range, the movie ended up making over $306 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing video game adaptation in the United States. Alas, because its time in theaters was cut short, Sonic the Hedgehog didn’t end up opening in China and Japan, and Detective Pikachu still ranks as the highest-grossing video game adaptation worldwide.
Regardless, Sonic the Hedgehog made quite the impression, and while it hasn’t been announced yet if a sequel is on the way, this movie certainly laid the groundwork for one, and James Marsden has said he’s signed on for multiple sequels. Rest assured, we here at CinemaBlend will keep you updated on any major news concerning Sonic 2.
You can purchase Sonic the Hedgehog digitally now, and for those of you waiting for the Blu-ray and DVD copies, they’ll arrive on May 19. Keep track of all the movies that have recently had their release dates shifted with our comprehensive guide.
