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Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Bizarre
As family movies go, this SHOULD do the trick. Fun, child-friendly comedy; solid, exciting action sequences full of colour and dynamic CGI. The problem I had with Sonic the Hedgehog were the very bizarre tonal decisions made by the scriptwriters that make me question who they were trying to write the movie for.
One the one hand, a tale about an excitable blue hedgehog seems perfect for an adventure comedy for kids. On the other, a movie about Sonic the Hedgehog will draw in viewers like me, adults who grew up playing his videos all throughout the nineties and early 2000s. That's the only reason I can figure out as to why there'd be jokes about Sonic farting in one scene and others about drug dealers and colonoscopies in the next.
I get the feeling that the writers were trying to go for that Pixar philosophy of 'appeal primarily to kids but slip in some innuendo for the adults'. But in the moments they tried to employ this philosophy they went waaaay overboard, and it ended up being uncomfortable to watch.
Aside from that, Jim Carrey is Jim Carrey, and I can't help but feel that this is another nostalgia tickling money grab. I'd say it was good way to distract the kids for a couple of hours, but, unless you want them running around the house pretending to be a speedier-than-sound hedgehog for the next two weeks, I wouldn't bother.
The Innkeepers (2011)
Most underrated horror movie on IMDb?
I've seen hundreds of horror movies at this point and, while I sometimes disagree with a particular film's rating, I can at least understand why each has been received as well or as poorly as it has. This applied until I saw The Innkeepers, which is excellent and somehow only has 5.4 on this website. I've come to scrutinise horror to a nit-picking degree, and The Innkeepers, while not at all perfect, is a fun, campy, spooky affair with masterful tension building, understated yet effective scares and likeable, believable character writing (something which the genre is woefully hungry for).
The chemistry between the two lead roles is top-notch, and the entertaining back and forth between Claire and Luke really encourages empathy with these characters, and concern for their safety as the hotel's spirits grow ever restless. Sara Paxton, in particular, gives some really fun, quirky line delivery and even offers moments of physical comedy, providing The Innkeepers a levity and sense of humour that serves as something really refreshing for the saturated 'haunted old building' sub-genre.
Of course, the movie comes with its horror starter pack, so there's a fair few clichés, unanswered questions and bizarre character choices, but to warrant a rating under 6? I don't think so. I can only assume the slow-burning nature of the movie turned off those looking for a rip-roaring scare fest following the Paranormal Activity era, but, either way, this is an occasion when I'd advice you to ignore the numbers.