Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-3005395-20170320231925

So with the upcoming Sonic film in development I wanted to see how other people would go about making the film if they were in charge of the project in addition to getting some opinions and thoughts on how I would handle the project.



Genre - Probably the most important thing to establish first, is genre. Although Sonic has done both the comedy and straight faced adventure thing, I think I can speak for the franchise as a whole in saying that the weakest part of any Sonic media is the story. Continuity is broken constantly and even when maintained, the plots of the games and even the comics and cartoons can get extremely convoluted. However one cinematic quality the series DOES do well are the limited, on rails sections of the games. The action set pieces if you will. If I was in charge of the project I would definitely go for the more Intense, Action approach.

Concept - Storywise the series is so convoluted, to do it real justice I would prefer that the initial film be the second chronologically in a trilogy. This way, fans will be happy of the inclusion of characters like Tails, Knuckles and Amy, with room to explore the origins of some of them meeting and Sonic in a prequel. I also think that this, “not an origin story” approach would be better for just making an enjoyable movie first hand, so if the film flopped it could at least stand on it’s own and be an exciting movie, without sequel baiting too much.

Synopsis -

The film is set in a world best explained as similar in set up to Sonic Chronicles, as The United Federation is the governing body over South Island, where places like Central City and Knothole co-exist not far from the other. The film begins with G.U.N the U.F. military on the losing end of a war with some “guy” leading a robot army (Doesn’t matter who, can’t be Eggman though). The robot army has sieged much of the UF territory and the remaining areas are sectioned off with city wide energy shields.



In an attempt to get a leg up on their enemies they bring in a bizarre and mysterious third party. The creator of the robots, the “guy” weaponized, a man who calls himself The Eggman or Dr. Robotnik. In the film Robotnik will be portrayed as more psychologically manipulative than anything before. He’s essentially a man that knows your every move and has planned ahead to use those choices and actions to his advantage.



<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Robotnik explains that the robots are controlled through a hive mind, by a mother computer (E.V.E). The robots are programmed for only one objective, force masks on any living being, infecting them with the virus and connecting their minds to E.V.E therefore becoming the same mind controlled cyborgs, while destroying everything that get’s in their way. Robotnik continues to explain that the only way to defeat the army is to lure all the robots into a city full of people and have the G.U.N army go to the enemy capital to destroy EVE. Robotnik requests that the city be Emerald City, a bordering city of enemy lines and the UF capital (Central City). This is due to the city’s large animal population and Robotnik’s hatred for animals, wanting there to be a mass genocide of them. The UF refuses, due to the discriminatory nature and crudeness of the request. As Robotnik is escorted out, he promises that they will regret their decision and that, in time they’ll see things his way.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The perspective then moves to Sonic. At this point Sonic is the jaded, sell out hero who not too long ago, saved knothole from some sort of oppressive threat. (could be explored in a prequel). Sonic is now accepted as some sort of celebrity. There’s Sonic merchandise everywhere, plushies, comics, video games and he has his own prodigy in training (Miles “Tails” Prower) who seems more interested in protecting the citizens of South Island than Sonic. Sonic confides that all he really enjoys is the freedom, thrill and adrenaline of action, and hates his new status of being looked up to as a celebrity. However, things start to take an interesting turn when Sonic’s friend Knuckles (Could be explored in prequel), Tails and himself go to Emerald City, for a fan panel to talk about the new video game being released based on Sonic’s Adventures. Still yearning for the mass genocide of the citizens in Emerald City, Eggman hires two bounty hunters, Fang the Sniper and a new human mercenary who doesn’t get along with Fang. The two then quietly release the robot virus into Emerald City per Eggman’s request. Sonic leaves his fan panel to get some water and begins to come across the growing population of robots. As the robots begin to attack, Sonic escapes the building and consequently aims to escape the city.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">During his escape he is stopped by an obsessed, crazy fan girl named Amy Rose, who has followed Sonic in his escape destroying all robots in pursuit of her with a hammer, she keeps handy. She explains that she refused to leave the panel without any autograph from Sonic, however after a quick battle, Sonic outwits her and continues his escape. Just as he is about to succeed, Sonic is contacted by G.U.N to help kill all the robots and try to stop the virus in the city from spreading any further.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">At the edge of the city Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy (despite Sonic’s protests) and a unit of G.U.N. soldiers meet up and begin to wreck the robots and city in crazy intense action. To try and keep this short, eventually the Egg Carrier shows up, wrecks things. They have to try and get aboard it with the Tornado. Omega shows up to battle Knuckles at one point in the city and Fang is sent into the city to raid and retrieve some chaos emeralds. Chaos Emeralds aren’t too important to the plot other than to give power boosts to those that have some (all seven do not show up).

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">However the emeralds are used to explain something. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;white-space:pre-wrap;">The corkscrews and loopty-loops. I’m sure everyone’s always wondered why in places like Speed Highway or Empire City these are co-existing with humans who likely can’t traverse them well. The movie explains that the emeralds are so powerful, if not properly contained they warp space, causing normal structures likes bridges to turn into a corkscrew shape. Eggman uses a little of these powers with the Egg Carrier’s big laser, also used earlier in the film. There’s some more action and the city ends more decimated, and full of robots than saved. Sonic and the group evacuates the city and the UF has to lift the city’s energy shield, now facing the fact that the robots are closer to the capital than ever.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">At this point, the film reaches near its climax. Eggman meets with the UF again and this time threatens to blow up the energy shield and leave the capital (Central City) open to attack, if they do not lower it themselves and take his advice of destroying E.V.E.. Eggman then reveals that he has powers they cannot comprehend, as he was able to endure being trapped in another torturous dimension (not meant for human survival) known as, “The Void”. Eggman shows his red dilated eyes under the glasses he wears and leaves the area after the G.U.N Commander orders his men to get ready and to remove the city’s energy shield. To Fang, Eggman reveals that his plan to get the citizens of South Island to stop trusting the United Federation and stop the robots himself, starting an uprising against them led by himself, so as to have power over the whole island and get his revenge on the fellow citizens of the people who trapped him in “The Void” (Backstory, could be further explored in the prequel).

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy and the surviving members of the G.U.N unit from the previous attack, act as the defensive along with help from Fang, his partner and Eggman. The G.U.N army eventually reaches E.V.E, only to find that it’s not just a computer but rather a giant robot (similar in appearance to Metal Madness.) Many soldiers are killed or infected, and some of the remaining ones accidently end up freeing E.V.E from it’s position in the enemy capital. E.V.E finds it’s way into Central City, where Sonic ends up finding Chaos Emeralds and in a crazy action sequence takes down E.V.E.. After E.V.E is destroyed, Sonic chases after Eggman and corners him in The Egg Carrier with of all things a gun. Eggman has no place left to escape and is vulnerable, giving Sonic the chance to kill him. However as Sonic is about to pull the trigger, Eggman gives Sonic a revelation.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Eggman explains just what killing him would entail. With Eggman dead Sonic would have nobody to fight and take his place, leaving Sonic back in his unpleasant lifestyle of being a boring celebrity like figure. Eggman finishes things off by going into how he knows that Sonic places little importance on saving the people of South Island, choosing to kill or destroy all those infected with the virus instead of trying to find a way to save them or return them to normal. Eggman reveals just how similar the two really are, as they both yearn and lust for destruction, Sonic for the adrenaline of action, Eggman for his pleasure in seeing revenge. In the end, Eggman gives Sonic the chance to prove him wrong by killing him, but Sonic doesn't move. As the two hear G.U.N soldiers approach, Eggman even takes the gun and puts it to his head yelling at Sonic and forcefully urging him to shoot him. Sonic hesitates and Eggman begins to burst in laughter. Sonic remains still as the G.U.N soldiers take Eggman away and place him under arrest. Eggman urges Sonic that he will regret his decision and after they leave the room, Sonic shoots the wall.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The ending of the movie leaves Sonic to think back on his actions and choice of ultimately keeping Eggman alive despite knowing his capabilities to possibly escape prison. Sonic worries that now Eggman will target Sonic and hurt the people he holds dear to him, possibly regretting his selfish decision. The film ends with a shot of Eggman in prison looking up and smiling. <ac_metadata title="How would you do the Upcoming Sonic Film? (+ My Thoughts)"> </ac_metadata>