Sonic: Christmas Blast

You'd think that the poster boy for mid-90s 16-bit "tood" would have a better Xmas special than this! It seems that every animated hero from the 80s and 90s got to do their own "saving Xmas" story but this is probably the weakest effort I have seen from an established franchise.

Robotnik kidnaps Santa and plans to steal presents, and therefor Xmas, for himself. Sonic comes to the rescue, but not before earning super-speed which can make him zip around the world in no time and meet Santa's tight deadline.

This is generic, auto-pilot kiddie fare all the way. The muzak score is nothing but familiar holiday jingles with an overuse of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (which isn't even an Xmas tune), the animation and locations are bland and forgettable, and the humor crass and slapstick. You're better off trying to appreciate the snowy atmosphere in the Ice Cap Zone in Sonic 3 and forget about this one.

Sonic: Christmas Blast (1996) is a movie my daughter and I recently watched together on Tubi. The storyline follows Dr. Robotnik impersonating Santa and stealing everyone's toys and money. When Sonic and friends find out they decide to take saving Christmas into their own hands.

This movie is directed by Blair Peters (Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series) and the voices are provided by Jaleel White (Family Matters), Garry Chalk (Power Rangers), Tabitha St. Germain (My Little Pony) and Jay Brazeau (Horns).

The Santa retirement opening was hilarious as was Dr. Robotnik's grand appearances. I adored how they took Robotnik's technology and made them Christmas themed. Seeing Tales is always great too. The ending is classic Sonic. He's never the best and most entertaining character, in my opinion.

Overall this is a very average addition to the holiday animated genre that is still worth watching for fans of Sonic. I would score this a 5/10 and recommend seeing it once.

With its simplistic "plot" and slapstick humor, "Sonic Christmas Blast!" is kiddie fare that never aspires to be more than it is. Its humor, surprisingly, is toned down from the series that inspired it, but this is adequately compensated for. Most of the primary cast returns, with Jaleel White continuing to prove that there is more to him than Urkel. A cameo by Princess Sally is also included, a real treat for fans. In addition, "Christmas Blast!" makes other references to the popular "SatAM" series with its inclusion of SWAT-bots and Robotropolis. Beyond that, there's no reason for older fans to watch this but it's inside references are engaging enough. It's a fitting close to the adventures of the speedy blue blur within this particular continuity.