Recap / Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Once upon a time, in San Francisco, California, a young alien hedgehog named Sonic is being chased down by a mad-man scientist, Sonic asks the viewers about why he's being chased by him, Sonic says he's been running his whole life. And decides to back up much earlier...

Many years earlier, on a planet far far away. Sonic (seen as a baby) was gifted with incredible powers, which his adopted parent, the owl Longclaw, warned would make him a target for those that would exploit him. She warned him to keep his powers a secret, but, just like any kid, Sonic did exactly the opposite. One fateful day, a gang of echidna warriors tracked Sonic back to his home with the intent of capturing him. Longclaw gives Sonic a pouch full of special portal-generating rings and warns him to keep his existence a secret: should anyone find him, she advises him to use one of the rings to escape to a new world. She uses one such ring to cast Sonic to a new world, leaving him alone...

Ten years pass. In that time, Sonic has come to a distant planet known as Earth. Taking refuge in the small town of Green Hills, Montana, Sonic ekes out a comfortable living for himself in a cave filled with any worldly possessions he could keep while using his speed to watch the people of the humble town. In particular, he takes a liking to Tom Wachowski, the town sheriff whom he affectionately nicknames "Donut Lord". Even though he is safe and incognito on Earth, he is still incredibly lonely...

One fateful evening, after playing a game of baseball by himself, Sonic dashes around the field, consumed by his loneliness. As he sprints, his body builds up large amounts of energy until, eventually, he unleashes a powerful pulse that knocks out power in Green Hills and across the Pacific northwest. This sudden widespread blackout attracts the attention of the United States military, and an expert is called in to investigate this incident: an eccentric (and insufferable) roboticist, Dr. Robotnik.

Using his drones, Robotnik finds Sonic's footprints and begins to track him down. Sonic, realizing he has been found out on Earth, runs to Tom's shed and prepares to use one of his rings to escape to another planet. Before he can, however, he is found by Tom, who shoots him with an animal tranquilizer. Sonic accidentally creates a portal to San Francisco with one of his rings and drops his pouch on top of the Transamerica Pyramid before passing out.

When he comes to, Sonic begs Tom for help in evading Robotnik. Tom reluctantly agrees just as Robotnik begins to investigate Tom's residence. Finding an energy-infused quill that Tom collected during one of his speed-trap patrols, Robotnik threatens Tom with one of his armed drones. When Sonic appears and begs Robotnik not to hurt him, Tom uses the distraction to cold-cock Robotnik before the two dispense with the drone. The two are then forced to go on the run, with Robotnik determined to capture Sonic and study him while framing Tom as an accomplice to the EMP blast, turning the sheriff into a wanted fugitive. With nowhere else to turn and nothing else to be done, Tom reluctantly agrees to help Sonic get to San Francisco and retrieve his rings.

After a hectic, yet fun-filled, night at a biker bar, Sonic and Tom find themselves pursued by one of Robotnik's automated machines. The two fend off the robot until it is reduced to a tiny helicopter that peels off the roof of Tom's truck. Sonic breaks the robot with his bare hands, but finds the core of the robot stuck to him as it begins to beep ominously, only getting it off moments before it explodes, knocking him unconscious.

Tom brings Sonic to San Francisco, where his wife Maddie was scouting out a new home and visiting family in preparation of Tom's eventual move to the big city as part of his desire to leave behind his small-town roots and make a difference. With Maddie's help, Sonic comes to. Maddie agrees to help Tom and Sonic reach the Transamerican Pyramid, and Tom's niece Jojo gives Sonic a parting gift: a pair of snazzy red sneakers to replace his well-worn trainers.

At the top of the Transamerican Pyramid, Sonic finds his pouch of rings. Unfortunately, Robotnik is not far behind, now at the helm of an experimental hovercraft with an army of drones in tow. Sonic uses his super speed to push Tom and Maddie from the building and into one of his portal rings, sending them back to Green Hills while using his speed to make short work of Robotnik's drones. Unfortunately, Robotnik's hovercraft is powered by one of Sonic's quills, allowing him to keep up as he chases Sonic around the world through his portal rings.

The pursuit eventually leads back to Green Hills, where Robotnik manages to land a laser shot on Sonic, leaving him near-death. Tom fights back against Robotnik, affirming his friendship with Sonic, who reawakens, tapping into his latent powers and glowing with blue energy. Declaring that he would no longer run away, Sonic fights back against Robotnik, eventually destroying his hovercraft and sending the mad scientist through a portal ring to a distant world.

With Robotnik indisposed, Sonic is adopted by Tom and Maddie, and life on Earth becomes much better for him. Robotnik, however, is not ready to give up: even isolated on a mushroom planet and driven mad by isolation, he still has one of Sonic's quills and is ready to use it to return to Earth.

As the crisis on Earth subsides, another portal ring appears, from which emerges a two-tailed fox, named Tails looking for Sonic. Tails comments he hopes he's not too late before taking flight into the sky.