Finally, after so many on-and-off rumors and the fiasco of the horrific reveal (plus subsequent re-design) of its star character, we have a Sonic movie in theaters! It certainly is an event of historic importance, at least if the reactions of the rabid online fanbase of Sega's long-championed mascot has been anything to go by. But for others -- myself included -- it was hard to feel the hype. Not even the online sigh of relief that came with Sonic’s panic-driven CG re-package was enough to hide the nagging feeling that the final trailer still felt mediocre. Plus, the build-up to the film’s release had enough ups and downs to be a blockbuster in and of itself. So if you still had any level of anticipation going into opening weekend, then congrats -- you’re certainly a more optimistic person than I.

But perhaps we should commend Sega and Paramount for coercing viewers, by complete fluke or otherwise, into going into theaters to see this movie with low expectations. Because as it transpires, this movie is not terrible in the slightest. In fact on the most part, it’s actually good, brainless fun. It’s also extremely predictable, tries way too hard to be funny and feels pretty damn awkward in parts. But at no point does it ever feel like a truly bad movie. And for all the negative reception its early PR disasters got, that’s a surprising and valid achievement, considering.

It’s also an achievement that, even with the major backtracking that went down with Sonic’s on-screen visage, has also come with playing it remarkably safe in other areas. Essentially, this movie is for Sega what Detective Pikachu was for Nintendo: a two-hour homage to a critical money-making mascot with a whole bunch of knowing references to contemporary memes, in-jokes and other fan paraphernalia thrown in. It’s also anchored with a solid cast (Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter), all of whom have more than enough craft to bring something out of even the most derivative of works. Perhaps the only real risk taken here when all is said and done was handing the directorial role to Jeff Fowler, whose credits do include work on award nominees like Gopher Broke and Where The Wild Things Are, but not a whole lot else. But even then, he takes the right (and least risky) path here in delivering a straightforward, light-hearted alien buddy movie that merely relies on bending a famous video game to fit these inoffensive, kid-friendly confines.

In a sense then, Sonic the Hedgehog’s unadulterated banality is quite refreshing. In amongst its whistlestop, feather-lite plot of a dimension-shifting hedgehog befriending a rural town cop and running afoul of the U.S government, there’s little in the way of real depth. No Oscar-winning performances, no deep philosophy, no heavy-handedness. And why should there be? Attempting such things in a movie like this would be daft. For all the convoluted intricacies offered up by several other recent pop culture movies (cough, DC, Marvel), Sonic The Hedgehog knows exactly what it needs to be: popcorn entertainment and absolutely no pretense. And for better or worse, it laser-aligns itself to walking that line from start to finish.

Crucially, the cast gets it too -- or at least have had the direction to do so. There’s a distinctly self-aware wholesomeness prevalent in just about every character that turns up in Green Hills -- even the villains. As the Wachowskis, both James Marsden and his opposite number Tika Sumpter (who plays his wife Maddie) are so darn nice, you’d mistake their on-screen scenes together for a Hallmark movie. There’s also a bumbling buddy cop (Adam Pally) who only turns up on-screen for pratfalls and laughs. And even Sonic himself is just this adorable ball of energy. More than just a speedy mammal, he’s given actual personality by Ben Schwartz’s voice work and masquerades here as a hyperactive, mildly schizophrenic tweener with a love for baseball, Fast and Furious quotes and, importantly, chili dogs. Yep, reference from the official American 90s cartoon are indeed present, but thankfully, the wise-cracking Jaleel White-voiced persona definitely is not. (And I mean that -- I hated the cartoon.)

There is also one return to the big-screen here that may even eclipse the Hollywood ascendance of Sonic himself -- that of Jim Carrey. After all, he was the other talking point that rivaled the outcry surrounding Sonic’s initial sewer-mutant look. His casting as Sonic’s long-time nemesis, Dr. Robotnik (or Dr. Eggman if you’re a purist), raised many eyebrows but on his showing here the skepticism is decidedly premature. While Carrey does bring elements of his usual over-the-top comedy routine here, he mixes it in with a little more poise, offering a scheming, acidly sarcastic Robotnik contrary to what initial expectations might suggest. He’s also got a hapless assistant (Lee Madjoub) that he gets to order around, bully and occasionally punch in the gut, and he undoubtedly offers the movie its best moments. If anything, it’s a welcome return to screen for him -- even if it might just be the last movie you’d expect him to show up in.

No doubt then that Sonic the Hedgehog largely succeeds at fulfilling fan expectations and being fun without ever being particularly mind-blowing. But we can’t close this review without at least talking about its derivative, frequently hokey script. The plot development lollops on like so many ‘animal mascot’ movies before it -- Sonic and Marsden even get to bond on a road-trip together, for goodness’ sake (and yes, it’s almost as cringe as it sounds). Plus, there’s its over-insistence on replacing plot cohesion with gag after gag; this film flings out one-liners like Sonic flings rings when he gets hurt in the games. Some of them raise a smile - most of them miss. Did the film really need Sonic waxing lyrical about how he’s always wanted to smash a bottle over someone’s head in a bar fight? Or have him rip a massive fart in a motel room? Was there really even a need for a running gag around Olive Garden? Answers to these questions will likely be varied, but I’m going to wager that most of them will revolve around the word ‘no’, and possibly ‘why would you ever propose that’?

Still, the pace is quick (thanks to the loose plot) and the action scenes -- especially the final, dimension-hopping showdown between Sonic and Robotnik -- are engaging stuff. And Sonic himself actually isn’t annoying. It’s not necessarily a triumphant debut from a critical perspective, but kids will certainly love it. And if there’s one ominous unexpected takeaway to think about, it’s just how closely Sega’s opening logo sequence resembles Marvel’s. The end credits ensure there’ll be a sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog, but is the once-great video game company planning a resurgence via more film-making? And if so, could they start working on a Golden Axe movie, please?