Sonic the Hedgehog reviews: Jim Carrey movie branded ‘dull’, ‘joyless’ and ‘forgettable’ by critics

Fixing Sonic’s terrifying face could not save this film, it appears

The reviews for Sonic the Hedgehog are in – and they are not looking good.

When the film’s trailer was released last May, it was met with extensive criticism after the character appeared with creepily human eyes and teeth, elongated legs and a human-like torso, leading to a redesign.

Now that it has been released, critics are saying that fixing Sonic’s face has not made the film “any less of a nightmare”.

Jim Carrey, James Marsden and Tika Sumpter star in the video game adaptation, with Ben Schwartz voicing super-fast Sonic himself.

IndieWire critic David Ehrlich called the film a “dull misfire”. He wrote: “We’re left with a joyless ride that has the stir-crazed energy of a bored kid who’s been stuck in a car for too long, and the fact that Sonic literally personifies that vibe only underscores the problem.”

Sean Keane at cnet, meanwhile, said: “It's a shame Sonic the Hedgehog's forgettable jokes don't live up to its visuals."

Empire’s Amon Warmann states in his two star review that while the film’s “hero and villain are note perfect”, when Carrey isn’t on screen, Sonic the Hedgehog “underwhelms”.

“Even as they fixed his face, the filmmakers strove so hard to make him ‘likeable’ that they never figured out a way to make him cool,” added Variety’s Owen Gleiberman.

The Guardian’s Steve Rose, who gave the movie two stars, calls it a “derivative caper” and says the messages of the film – the true meaning of friendship and being happy with what you’ve got – are “trite and familiar”.

Negative reviews aren’t the only bad press the film has received, with Carrey recently criticised for his “creepy" response to a female reporter’s question about his “bucket list” during a promotional interview for the movie.