Dr Iron Arc
Into the Unknown
- Feb 10, 2020
- 21,208
Well here it is. After one weekend to stew on it and seeing the movie twice, you're probably all at the edge of your seats wondering what exactly I thought about this movie, no this THING that was the very last thing I felt compelled to live for. If you want the short version I'd say that it's good, great even. At least a 9/10. I am actually very glad that I stayed alive to witness this.
I have seen both of the previous two films many times recently so I know for a fact that this is absolutely the best one. I'll start with all the positives before eventually diving into my gripes and nitpicks and then I'll finish this with my own thoughts about how this can tie to some of the deeper issues that even we on Sanctioned Suicide discuss sometimes. There will also be heavy unmarked spoilers here but I'm sure you expect that. If you still haven't seen it, walk away. I know it's not out in some countries yet but I hope you can hold out before spoiling yourself.
The absolute strongest part of this movie is Shadow the Hedgehog. Every scene he's in you can tell that's where almost all of the animation and VFX budget went. Keanu Reeves does a much better job voicing him here than he does in the Shadow Generations DLC which felt a little phoned in at times. There are a couple lines which I felt could have used another take though. They're not too distracting but I did kind of feel it sounded like he had cotton balls in his mouth when saying some of his lines. Luckily that is not an issue for the heaviest and most serious scenes. Even the few comedic scenes Shadow has are still done very well and one feels like kind of a lowkey reference to one of the funniest memes about Shadow.
As for Sonic himself, he's very annoying but that how he's always been in these movies. When the time comes for him to lock in he still does. Him getting appropriately angry when his adoptive father is potentially killed is when the movie really turns up. Those last thirty minutes are so good man. I was also surprised that Tails and Knuckles actually feel very well utilized here and are given just the right amount of screentime.
I'd say maybe the worst thing about the movie is how they did Gerald Robotnik. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind that he's alive. I also love that he's also played by Jim Carrey. Carrey was the best part of the first movie and he's still good in the second one and this one now he gets to play two Eggmen? Genius. The scenes with them are definitely the weakest parts for the most part though like. I mean there's still some good moments and funny jokes between them and the acting is very impressive when they're on screen at the same time. Near the end when Gerald says to Eggman "Oh Ivo, you're no Maria." I felt that. It's done really really well. But then during later like the big climactic Live and Learn action scene it cut to the two Robotniks fighting childishly which I think was an editing mistake. They should have kept each scene completely separate or maybe shortened the Jim Carrey bits somewhat. Other than that though MAN. That climax! Seeing Super Sonic versus Super Shadow?!? I know they've teamed up a lot but never have they fought directly against each other. The fight scenes and action are all so cool in this movie. I do wish we had more Shadow in it though.
Ah yes, relating this to suicide. You may wonder how this PG-rated movie could even come close to that. Well I'm happy to say that even though this is mostly a movie for kids they do treat Maria's death with all the seriousness it deserves. I actually think it's smart to have her die from an explosion caused by an errant gunshot instead of directly through the guns like in the games. This way, it was difficult for the audience to really get a laugh out of the situation just like so many Sonic fans were planning to do and just like I did during the Sonic Symphony. The way they did Maria was also pretty cool. I was hoping that when she played Live and Learn on the guitar at the beginning that they'd use that as a plot element but I'm also fine with that riff just being a motif for him for the rest of the movie.
Oh yeah, suicide. So after the tragic death of Maria both Gerald Robotnik and Shadow want to destroy the whole world out of revenge. Of course this is a kids movie so that's a bad thing but I wonder how many of us have been driven to similar motivations if we just had the power? There's also the part where Sonic goes Super and right when he's beating the snot out of Shadow he's like really about to kill him. This might also seem out of character for any Sonic but is it? Even Shadow realizes he just wants his pain to end so he's really about to let Sonic just kill him. It's solved when Sonic realizes the theme of the movie which is that we all have to make choices, and we have to do our best to make sure they're good ones. The way I took it is that live, die, whichever, it all has to be the right one. The quiet where Sonic and Shadow are just sitting on the moon. My god. That's cinema.
I think now more than anything I really want to Live, and maybe also Learn what that means for me. I don't know if this is also a formal announcement but let's just say for now my CTB is on an indefinite hiatus.
I have seen both of the previous two films many times recently so I know for a fact that this is absolutely the best one. I'll start with all the positives before eventually diving into my gripes and nitpicks and then I'll finish this with my own thoughts about how this can tie to some of the deeper issues that even we on Sanctioned Suicide discuss sometimes. There will also be heavy unmarked spoilers here but I'm sure you expect that. If you still haven't seen it, walk away. I know it's not out in some countries yet but I hope you can hold out before spoiling yourself.
The absolute strongest part of this movie is Shadow the Hedgehog. Every scene he's in you can tell that's where almost all of the animation and VFX budget went. Keanu Reeves does a much better job voicing him here than he does in the Shadow Generations DLC which felt a little phoned in at times. There are a couple lines which I felt could have used another take though. They're not too distracting but I did kind of feel it sounded like he had cotton balls in his mouth when saying some of his lines. Luckily that is not an issue for the heaviest and most serious scenes. Even the few comedic scenes Shadow has are still done very well and one feels like kind of a lowkey reference to one of the funniest memes about Shadow.
As for Sonic himself, he's very annoying but that how he's always been in these movies. When the time comes for him to lock in he still does. Him getting appropriately angry when his adoptive father is potentially killed is when the movie really turns up. Those last thirty minutes are so good man. I was also surprised that Tails and Knuckles actually feel very well utilized here and are given just the right amount of screentime.
I'd say maybe the worst thing about the movie is how they did Gerald Robotnik. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind that he's alive. I also love that he's also played by Jim Carrey. Carrey was the best part of the first movie and he's still good in the second one and this one now he gets to play two Eggmen? Genius. The scenes with them are definitely the weakest parts for the most part though like. I mean there's still some good moments and funny jokes between them and the acting is very impressive when they're on screen at the same time. Near the end when Gerald says to Eggman "Oh Ivo, you're no Maria." I felt that. It's done really really well. But then during later like the big climactic Live and Learn action scene it cut to the two Robotniks fighting childishly which I think was an editing mistake. They should have kept each scene completely separate or maybe shortened the Jim Carrey bits somewhat. Other than that though MAN. That climax! Seeing Super Sonic versus Super Shadow?!? I know they've teamed up a lot but never have they fought directly against each other. The fight scenes and action are all so cool in this movie. I do wish we had more Shadow in it though.
Ah yes, relating this to suicide. You may wonder how this PG-rated movie could even come close to that. Well I'm happy to say that even though this is mostly a movie for kids they do treat Maria's death with all the seriousness it deserves. I actually think it's smart to have her die from an explosion caused by an errant gunshot instead of directly through the guns like in the games. This way, it was difficult for the audience to really get a laugh out of the situation just like so many Sonic fans were planning to do and just like I did during the Sonic Symphony. The way they did Maria was also pretty cool. I was hoping that when she played Live and Learn on the guitar at the beginning that they'd use that as a plot element but I'm also fine with that riff just being a motif for him for the rest of the movie.
Oh yeah, suicide. So after the tragic death of Maria both Gerald Robotnik and Shadow want to destroy the whole world out of revenge. Of course this is a kids movie so that's a bad thing but I wonder how many of us have been driven to similar motivations if we just had the power? There's also the part where Sonic goes Super and right when he's beating the snot out of Shadow he's like really about to kill him. This might also seem out of character for any Sonic but is it? Even Shadow realizes he just wants his pain to end so he's really about to let Sonic just kill him. It's solved when Sonic realizes the theme of the movie which is that we all have to make choices, and we have to do our best to make sure they're good ones. The way I took it is that live, die, whichever, it all has to be the right one. The quiet where Sonic and Shadow are just sitting on the moon. My god. That's cinema.
I think now more than anything I really want to Live, and maybe also Learn what that means for me. I don't know if this is also a formal announcement but let's just say for now my CTB is on an indefinite hiatus.
