Saturday, November 8, 2014

SPECIAL REVIEW: Sonic Boom review

SONIC BOOM:
A COLORFUL AND COMEDIC ADVENTURE WITH EVERYONE’S FAVORITE BLUE HEDGEHOG!
By Nico Beland
Show Review: *** out of 4
SEGA
(From left to right) Sticks the Badger, Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic the Hedgehog, Amy Rose, and Miles “Tails” Prower starting up a Sonic Boom

            Everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog from the popular Sega video game franchise returns to television in the new animated series on Cartoon Network, Sonic Boom. Like most of the previous Sonic cartoons like Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog SATAM, and Sonic Underground, the series is more of a spinoff of the games, the characters have a new look but still keep most of the iconic trademarks we all know, the Chaos Emeralds are nowhere to be found, and we have a paranoid badger and an even more cuckoo Amy Rose joining the crew.
            So far the only Sonic cartoon that had the most accuracy to the games was the 4Kids Saturday morning anime, Sonic X and while the setups and situations were familiar to people who grew up with the games (like me), the show’s editing was absolutely dreadful, but I still enjoyed it, because all I wanted to see was Sonic. Unlike Sonic X, Sonic Boom’s editing is much better, new redesigned characters who are extremely likable, and the writing is very witty and leads to some big laughs, everything Sonic X should have been.
            The first episode that aired on Saturday November 8th, The Sidekick follows Sonic (voice reprised by Roger Craig Smith) on the evil genius, Dr. Eggman’s (voice reprised by Mike Pollock) tail, and this time he’s got a surprise for that blue hedgehog, his latest robot known as Burn-Bot, which is funny because he doesn’t burn but instead he has claws. After his two-tailed best friend Tails (voiced by Colleen Villard-Danny Phantom) crashes his plane, Sonic decides to “Fire” him from the duo, so he sets up tryouts and interviews for a lucky resident to become his new sidekick, so Tails can relax and enjoy retirement, the residents included the massive and heavy on fist-fighting echidna, Knuckles (voice reprised by Travis Willingham), quirky pink hedgehog who has the “Hots” for Sonic, Amy Rose (voice reprised by Cindy Robinson), a nerdy beaver…Don’t ask, and of course Eggman.
            Did Sonic do the right thing when he asked Tails to retire and does the mad doctor have an evil plot up his sleeve? Watch the episode and find out for yourself. 
            The second episode, Can an Evil Genius Crash on Your Couch for a Few Days? Is a more comedic episode of the series, the premise is on a cold rainy night, Dr. Eggman and his two robots, Cubot (voice reprised by Wally Wingert) and Orbot (voice reprised by Kirk Thornton) knock on Sonic and Tails’ door and asks them if he can crash for a few weeks because his lair was destroyed. Sonic and Tails agree to let him stay and it eventually turns into the worst time of their lives.
            Eggman is reckless and often very childish, knocking Sonic and Tails with a pillow every now and then and blowing an even more annoying kazoo. Sonic and Tails can’t take it anymore and asks for advice from their friends, Knuckles, Amy, and newcomer, Sticks the Badger (voiced by Nika Futterman-Kim Possible) and Amy suggests a roommate meeting with Sonic and Eggman to try and settle the bitter rivalry between them.
            However Sticks is certain that Eggman may have a secret plot to destroy them, but she is very paranoid and energetic, so maybe she’s just blurting nonsense…right?
            Overall, I’m glad I got up early this morning to experience this new Sonic cartoon; it’s probably my favorite Sonic cartoon, yes I might even think it’s better than SATAM. The setups are funny and exciting, the dialogue and writing itself is very humorous, the animation is very colorful and is sure to appeal to both kids and adults, and the characters still have all the likability we all enjoy from the games and previous cartoons.
            The editing and pacing is very solid and funny, no 4Kids fingerprints in sight, it’s a Sonic cartoon on Cartoon Network and you know what, I’m perfectly okay with that. I always felt Sonic would belong on Cartoon Network rather than 4Kids and now here he is with a Sonic Boom.


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