The Internet was ablaze with the long-awaited redesign of Sonic the Hedgehog's title character. In stark contrast to the first reactions, comments about the new look were much better, with fans praising the more source-material-driven design and the fulfillment of director Jeff Fowler's promise. In response, Fowler voiced his appreciation for the fans."Thank you for the last 24 hours Sonic fans," he wrote, "it's been EXTRAORDINARY. (and there's much more to come)"

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The first trailer for the live-action/CGI Sonic the Hedgehog adaptation was released in April and garnered immediate and explicit backlash for its ultra-realistic depiction of the iconic Sega character. In an unprecedented move, first-time director Fowler vowed to postpone the release of the film in order to create a more faithful look. "The message is loud and clear," he said. "You aren't happy with the design & you want changes. It's going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be."

This decision has been controversial among the film community, with some industry professionals fearing this will begin a trend of fan-led filmmaking decisions. Nonetheless, fans appear to be very happy with the new look and will hopefully show their appreciation when the film hits theaters.

Opening Feb. 14, director Jeff Fowler's Sonic the Hedgehog stars Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, with James Marsden, Neal McDonald, Tika Sumpter, Adam Pally and Natasha Rothwell.

KEEP READING: Sonic Creator Has One Problem with the Hedgehog’s Movie Redesign