The New Rescue Rangers Movie Brings Back 'Ugly Sonic'
Although Paramount Pictures overhauled the Sonic the Hedgehog movie to remove 'Ugly Sonic', the abomination has found a new home in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
20th May 2022 13:06
Paramount Pictures | Disney
The New Rescue Rangers Movie Brings Back 'Ugly Sonic'
Although Paramount Pictures overhauled the Sonic the Hedgehog movie to remove 'Ugly Sonic', the abomination has found a new home in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
20th May 2022 13:06
Paramount Pictures | Disney
Like rumours of a Silent Hill reboot, more from Gearbox's Tiny Tina's franchise, or Bobby Kotick's place at the head of Activision Blizzard, some things in the gaming world just refuse to die. Now, a grim shadow from the past has reared its head and raced into action. Did anyone catch that blue blur that just whizzed past?
If you'd asked us 10 years ago whether a Sonic the Hedgehog movie would've worked, we'd likely have laughed you out of the room and written it off as just another DOOM or Pixels. Thankfully, the likes of Detective Pikachu gave us new hope and have given the game-to-movie scene a much-needed kick up the backside. It wasn't always this way though.
How Is Ugly Sonic Back?
Following the success of 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, things went from strength to strength with the release of Sonic 2 in 2022. However, it could've been completely different if we'd gone for the original design that appeared in the OG Sonic's trailers. Paramount presumably spent a small fortune redesigning Sonic, and while he's largely been erased from the internet, he's back for Disney's Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
Already being dubbed some people's film of 2022, Rescue Rangers is a modern-day Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, as the dynamic duo reunite once more. Rescue Rangers is a sequel to the animated series from the '80s/'90s, but picking up in 2022, Dale has CGI surgery. It's a who's who of cameos that includes the likes of Scrooge McDuck, characters from My Little Pony, and even the CGI monstrosities from 2019's Cats. Judi Dench's cat butt isn't the only horror you have to contend with though.
One scene features the titular Chip and Dale meeting Ugly Sonic. Appearing at a comic book convention, Ugly Sonic is making the most of his infamy. "They’ll like me for who I am, not like last time when the internet got one look at my human teeth and burned the place down," says the downtrodden Sonic. After signing an autograph for some laughing kids, he says he's got a TV series on the way, accompanying the FBI on ride-alongs for Ugly Sonic: Uglier Crimes. At least he still has work coming in.
What's Next For Sonic?
Sadly, Ugly Sonic is left to haunting our nightmares and Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. The character had a complete overhaul to give us the more cartoonish and game-accurate version we have today. Given the backlash Ugly Sonic got when the first trailers started doing the rounds in 2019, we doubt the Sonic series would be the success it is today if Paramount has stuck with its original design.
This is just the start of the Sonimatic Universe. As well as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - that we hope will feature Keanu Reeves - there are confirmed plans for Paramount+ series with Idris Elba's Knuckles, as well as continuous reports Colleen O'Shaughnessey's Tails could get another spin-off. For Ugly Sonic, it's back off to the trash heap where he and his freakishly humanoid legs belong.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.