REVIEW: ‘Sonic Prime’ Alternates Between A Marathon & A Sprint

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Sonic Prime is a Netflix Original series based on the SEGA video games, and created by Man of Action. For years, Sonic the Hedgehog (Deven Christian Mack) and his friends have defended Green Hill from the machinations of Doctor Eggman (Brian Drummond). But that all changes when Eggman gets his hands on the Paradox Prism. In the heat of battle, Sonic shatters the Prism and finds himself hurtling through the “Shatterverse” – a collection of alternate worlds. In these worlds, his friends Tails (Ashleigh Ball), Knuckles (Adam Nurada) and Amy Rose (Shannon Chan-Kent) are wildly different versions of themselves. Sonic must repair the Prism and return his friends to normal, all the while dealing with Eggman and other threats.

2022 has turned out to be “The Year of Sonic”, and for good reason. The Blue Blur’s not only headlined a sequel to his first film adventure, but he’s also been the star of one of the best-reviewed games of the year. It only makes sense that that streak would continue and what better way than an animated series? After all, Sonic has thrived in animation before. The concept of the show is also a great hook. Using a multiverse-spanning journey lets the writing staff explore the bonds between Sonic and his friends, and shows what would have happened if those bonds were severed. On one world, Tails was relentlessly persecuted and transformed into the half-cybernetic mad scientist called “Nine”. On another, Amy is a ruthless warrior known as Thorn instead of the sweet yet confident girl who pines for Sonic.

But while the show has such a great setup, the execution is something that’s left to be desired. This first season consists of eight episodes, and the first three constantly rewind back to the moment where Sonic shatters the prism. It’s clear from the very first episode that his actions have altered reality; revisiting the point where it happened is akin to beating a dead horse. On top of that, a grand total of three worlds are visited within this season which makes things feel disappointingly small. You have a concept that could power a number of episodes and you only choose to visit three worlds? I understand animation is a costly and timestaking affair, but the story and scope called for much more than what we were given.

Another point of contention for me is the animation style. WildBrain Studios, who handled animation services, definitely have the look of the Sonic universe down pat. Sonic and friends look like they leapt from the video games. Eggman’s death machines grow both in size and absurdity. And in perhaps the best stylistic choice the series makes, a series of flashbacks depicting how Sonic met his friends are rendered in a 2D style similar to the original Sonic the Hedgehog games. But too often, there are times where the show feels like a rubbery, incomplete cutscene. A key example comes near the third episode: Sonic leaps to avoid being crushed and his limbs literally seem to stretch as if he’s Mister Fantastic! Though these moments are few and far in between, they are glaringly noticable.

That being said, Sonic Prime excels in its pacing, especially when it hits the second half of the show. It manages to find new challenges for Sonic to overcome, and also explores his guilt in changing the world as well as his bonds with his friends. Mack puts his own spin on the Blue Blur, giving Sonic the cocky attitude we all know and love him for but also revealing hidden layers underneath all the bravado. Likewise, Drummond hams it up as Eggman, giving Jim Carrey a run for his money. But the standout within the voice cast is Ian Hanlin as Sonic’s dark half Shadow. Hanlin manages to tap into Shadow’s loner nature without going too over the top, which underlines just how much of a foil he is to Sonic. While Sonic sounds more impulsive and hyperactive, Shadow is very guarded and methodical in his actions.

Sonic Prime puts a cap on what’s been a solid year for the Blue Blur, even if its story and animation do feel rushed at times. Prime‘s story proves that you don’t need to be a master martial artist or a Spider-Man to wring gold out of the multiverse concept, and the potential for future seasons is limitless. But in the future, Man of Action should slow things down a bit.

Sonic Prime is now available to stream on Netflix.