Verily, I haven’t enjoyed a Jim Carrey movie since The Truman Show tried to make him a serious actor when comedy feels like his natural calling. Yes, it’s typecasting and just as certain thespians can master the moods between villainy and heroism, some should stick to the groove which pleases best. I mean what was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? A mess which desired the Being John Malkovich equivalent. Fail.

Although probably not the worst film to enter and exit 2020 with nary a whimper, Sonic the Hedgehog might only work for those around six years old. While I could hear parents laughing at the cliched gags, I bet half of them wished it had been a Netflix release.

Based on the Sega video game because most productions these days must spring from the eternal ether of imitation lest the bean counters lose their beans, I had trouble understanding why Sonic the Hedgehog had to exist. If the cringe-inducing turn from James Marsden wasn’t enough, we have Jim Carrey. Frankly, the screenplay by Patrick Casey and Josh Miller misses the chance for those sight gags the comedian was famous for. Don’t expect The Mask or Ace Ventura. So he's left in the unfortunate spot of having to make the best of jokes which fall flat upon delivery and rarely hold interest in terms of build-up. There’s no character to play in Dr. Robotnik (Carrey). He’s eccentric, cares only about machines and has a dodgy moustache. It’s a gimmick fostered by the marketing department and exploited by nincompoops.

Guess it comes back to the audience. Indeed, I have fond memories of playing the Sega game when I was six. Did the movie inspire a return to this pastime? Not for one moment.

Forget about the plot unless you consider a lot of running around, a goofy buddy scenario and an extra dollop of cringe worth talking about. In fact, the more I think about Sonic the Hedgehog the less I want to remember it. So, let the blue demon stir, run a few miles into the wilderness and never return… until the sequel.

(Released by Paramount Pictures and rated "PG" by MPAA.)