Sonic the Hedgehog Rides Santa’s Sleigh in “A Very Sonic Christmas”
Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s marketing is getting in the Christmas Spirit. Today, Paramount released a stop-motion short film called “A Very Sonic Christmas” to advertise the upcoming release of the latest in the video game adaptation series and spread a little Christmas Cheer at the same time. “A Very Sonic Christmas” is one of the “Fill-in-the-Blank Saves Christmas” specials, this one featuring Sonic and his buddies Tails and Knuckles as they help an injured St. Nick deliver presents on Christmas Eve. The voice cast from the film returns to play the characters – Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Colleen O’Shaughnessy as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles – with Adam Pally as Santa Claus. Directed by David H. Brooks and featuring animation from Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, “A Very Sonic Christmas” can be seen below, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 opens on December 20, 2024:
Yeah, it’s kind of corny and silly, and it feels like a truncated Christmas special, but I like the idea of marketing a movie this way. “A Very Sonic Christmas” not only advertises for the film (including teasing Sonic’s dark hedgehog nemesis Shadow, played by Keanu Reeves), but it celebrates Christmas, almost as an acknowledgment that Paramount knows this movie will be playing while everyone is getting ready for Santa. It’s also another indication that the people behind these films are in tune with the audience, just as they were when they saw the fan reaction to the original Sonic design and took the time to fix it, making it look just like the video games. Since we’re on the third film in the series, I guess it paid off. I also appreciate that they didn’t use the word “holiday” in place of “Christmas,” which the modern world would have you believe is in the Geneva Convention. It’s hard not to smile at an iconic character like Sonic unabashedly celebrating – and, of course, saving – Christmas. (Presumably, Santa overlooked that Sonic caused all the trouble to begin with.)
I also appreciate that they used stop-motion animation for “A Very Sonic Christmas.”It gives it the feel of the old Rankin/Bass Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. There’s something comforting about those programs; they remind you of childhood Christmases, especially since everyone is now at an age where they’ve been passed down from older generations. I always used to watch them at my grandparents’ house on Christmas Eve, along with How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the like. The stop-motion doesn’t look exactly the same, but the Stoopid Buddy Stoodios guys (who have worked on things like The Simpsons, The Mandalorian, and Robot Chicken) manage to capture the feel while putting a bit of a modern spin on it. Invoking that with your advertisements is a smart way to take advantage of releasing the movie during Christmastime, and I’m sure it’ll make kids want to see it even more. This seems to be a niche director David H. Brooks is carving out for himself; in addition to one of those “Saturday TV Funhouse” sketches on an episode of Saturday Night Live, he’s directed a bunch of animated shorts and specials, most of them related to Christmas. (Considering Stoopid Buddy Stoodios’ work on The Simpsons, I looked him up to see if he’s related to Simpsons producer James L. Brooks; it doesn’t look like it.) I’ve never heard of them, but I’m inspired to seek out “The Predator Holiday Special;” based on the images on the IMDb page, it’s exactly what you’d hope it is. I’d love it if this sort of advertising became the norm in Hollywood.
Let us know what you think of “A Very Sonic Christmas” in the comments!
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