Sonic is blue, furry, and the fastest thing around. In the new movie Sonic the Hedgehog , he comes to Earth from another planet. When he gets here, he makes friends with a human named Tom. Together, they set out to stop the evil Dr. Robotnik from taking over the world.

Ben Schwartz voices the role of Sonic. “This is a fun, fast character with a little bit of attitude,” he told TIME for Kids . The movie’s based on the video game of the same name. Schwartz loved the game as a kid. “When I got the chance to voice [Sonic], I knew I would have seen this movie even if I wasn’t in it. I really wanted to make that fan community proud."

Sonic and Tom’s friendship is a big part of the movie. “Tom and Sonic have this fun buddy vibe. Tom protects Sonic from Robotnik,” Schwartz says. “Sonic doesn’t really have a place to go or fit in, and he finds a person he looks up to. They teach each other.” The movie’s in theaters February 14.