Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie

Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie is a 2008 American sci-fi action film based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video games by

Sega. The film is directed by James Cameron and Spike Lee with a screenplay by James L. Brooks and Cameron. The film stars Michael Cera as Jeff Balkiry, a 17 year old high-school student who find out about the existence of Sonic the Hedgehog, including using the six Chaos Emeralds and end the war between him and Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who plans to use his scientific creations known as Badniks to dominate the world. The film also stars Bruce Willis as Robotnik, and Christina Ricci, Denzel Washington, and Danny DeVito. Robert Pattinson stars as Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog as well as Tim Curry as the main antagonist, Metal Sonic.

Ideas for Sonic movies were planned before like Sonic: Wonders of the World and Sonic Apocalypse but they were cancelled. Spike Lee approached Sega in 2004 to produce a Sonic movie but was decided on for months. Lee bought James Cameron onto the project and had James L. Brooks write a screenplay and presented it to Sega. The executives hesitated but decided to give it a go. Production was started a few months later, where casting was announced. Cameron eventually had to leave the project to direct Avatar where Lee took his place, but was still credited as director. A teaser was shown at San Diego Comic-Con in December 2007.

Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie was released on June 23, 2008 for Sonic's 17th birthday. It received positive reviews from critics, praising the performances, animation, writing, and characters but criticized the runtime. The film grossed $644 million on a budget of $207 million, deeming it a box-office success. A sequel titled Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble was released in 2010.

Plot
In a flashback, Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Bruce Willis) finds a race of species, on West Side Island called Mobians. Among those Mobians are Sonic (Robert Pattinson), Tails (Anna Faris), Knuckles (Idris Elba), Amy (Emma Stone), and Shadow (Pattinson). Robotnik forms an alliance with them, but his more mechanical creations cause him to go downhill and pollute the island, creating self-conscious robots called badniks. Among these badniks he creates an metal copy of Sonic, Metal Sonic (Tim Curry). Robotnik pollutes the island more and more until it becomes a barren waste land. The group evacuate as Robotnik reveals his plans to dominate the world.

Meanwhile, Jeff Balkiry (Michael Cera) is constantly bullied by other students in his school, being described as a class nerd. Afterschool, he is called to his grandpa Edward Balkiry (Danny DeVito)'s lab under his house. Edward explains to Jeff that he found a species off the side of the Pacific Ocean, scanning footprints and fingerprints, showing that they could be an alien species. Jeff dismisses this and calls his grandpa crazy. His grandpa tries to call him one last time, saying he found three shiny glowing emeralds, pink, red, and green. Jeff's parents (Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Saunders) have separated from Edward and decide not to talk to him as they think he is a bad influence on Jeff.

Meanwhile, Thomas Mackerel (Denzel Washington) is a military general who works at Area 51. A ship crash lands out the site. Inside it, are 8 feet tall robots shaped as crabs and ladybugs, covered in dust and mold. After killing the robots, they scan the robots and find it as property of Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Thomas launches a search investigation for Robotnik and try to arrest him, putting him on the FBI's most wanted list. After looking further in the ship, they find Metal Sonic in there. His assistant Chloe Sanchez (Christina Ricci) finds Metal and brings it to the lab for testing. To be safe, they temporarily trap Metal in a glass container.

Jeff goes to the beach to with a metal detector to find a gold medal, but ends up finding a crashed spaceship. He calls his grandpa to the beach and bring it to his lab in his truck. Inside the spaceship are Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Shadow. They thaw the ice and they all awaken. Sonic explains to Jeff and his grandpa that the six chaos emeralds are stattered around the world, but Jeff's father reveals he has three of them. The pink, the red, and the green. Tails tells them about Dr. Robotnik and his intentions for ruling the world as well as Metal Sonic.

Meanwhile, Dr. Robotnik releases more badniks into neighborhoods, injuring many. The U.S. government take note of this and send several space aircrafts but Mackerel and Sanchez declines, not wanting to hurt any injured people, but they decide to release military forces. Jeff's parents become worried about Jeff and try calling him but he doesn't pick up. This being in Jeff's neighborhood Sonic and Shadow go out and defeat the badniks, themselves, along with Knuckles' help. In the process, Shadow gets injured, getting a cut on his shoulder, but they manage to defeat all the badniks. When the military arrive, they see all the badniks destroyed. The group decided to temporarily hide in Jeff's attic.

At Area 51, Sanchez and Mackerel get news of three emeralds, white, blue, and orange being found. They take the emeralds to the site. However, Sanchez protests thinking that the emeralds might be dangerous, but her claims do not apply to the military. On a news report of the neighborhood badnik invasion, they warn people to stay inside and lock their houses. While the military scan the neighborhood, they find radioactive energy reading from Jeff's grandpa's house. They invade his house to find the other six emeralds. The F.B.I then come to Jeff's house and arrest Jeff, his parents, and Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Shadow.

They take all of them to Area 51 in Nevada for testing and questioning but Mackerel decides to show them Metal Sonic and the chaos emeralds. While held in captivity, Amy uses her hammer and breaks through the door, freeing the rest of them. Tails goes into a seperate room and hacks into the computer system, unknowingly freeing Metal Sonic in the process. While Jeff is shown Metal Sonic and the emeralds, the vault to Metal Sonic's capsule opens and Metal wakes up breaking free from his captivity. Sonic and the others arrive in time but Sonic is knocked unconscious by Metal after he used a blaster on him. Metal Sonic breaks out from the facility. Along him are several badniks. Before they can escape, they run into Dr. Robotnik, who Sonic, now conscious, battles off in his mech. Amy destroys the badniks with her hammer while Shadow and Knuckles both take them on. Jeff escapes with the help of Tails and Robotnik flees to Las Vegas, a few miles near.

Metal Sonic and Robotnik, along with their badniks, make it to Las Vegas and wreak havoc, releasing several badniks, drones, and bombs explosions. The group make it there. Jeff is instructed by Sonic to put the six emeralds in his backpack he bought with him, because Metal Sonic can track down the emeralds using x-ray vision. Sonic runs down the streets of Las Vegas to battle off Metal Sonic, who sends Sonic flying far away to go after Jeff. After trying to kill Jeff, Sonic saves him from falling off the building. Sonic tells Jeff to send the Chaos Emeralds somewhere safe. Mackerel and Sanchez help the military soldiers battle off badniks, with Mackerel killing one by himself in the process. The military launch missles at Metal Sonic, trying to damage him. In the while, Dr. Robotnik destroys tanks until his mech is destroyed by Tails and Knuckles and the military.

Sonic and Jeff are cornered by Metal Sonic, but Jeff takes one of the chaos emeralds and puts it in Metal Sonic's chest, sending the emerald into Metal Sonic's chest, destroying the emerald, and killing Metal Sonic in the process. Dr. Robotnik is able to use a teleporter to escape from the government, ultimately leading to his unknown fate. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Shadow all thank Jeff and they earn the trust of the military, while Jeff reunites with his parents. Metal Sonic's body is dumped onto Point Nemo, the most remote island on Earth. Sonic, Tails, and Amy live in Jeff's attic with his parents' approval while Knuckles and Shadow work with the military, being the strongest members of the group. And his parents reunite with his grandpa, now let go by the FBI.