With the holidays approaching and two family films competing against each other—Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King—my focus is on the third installment of the Sonic series, which is based on the popular SEGA games. And it’s obviously the right choice to make the trip to the movies. When it comes to video game adaptations, the Sonic franchise knows how to deliver fun experiences. It feels like only yesterday when we all feared it would be a colossal disaster, especially after seeing “Ugly Sonic.” Fortunately, the creators listened to the fans and provided a design that was much better received. The 2020 original and 2022’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 may not be the most remarkable films, but they are decent enough to please fans who’ve played the games since childhood. The sequel’s post-credit stinger, teasing the appearance of fan-favorite Shadow, has certainly piqued our interest. Director Jeff Fowler and his team seem on the right track to make it the best of the three. While these films may not be Oscar-worthy, the anticipation for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is palpable and will likely be the most fun yet. For that reason, it’s probably my favorite one.
What’s the Story: Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) continues to live on Earth with his adopted family, Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter), and his friends Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba). But their time to relax gets interrupted when they’re informed that a new threat, Shadow the Hedgehog (voiced by Keanu Reeves), has escaped from the facility at the G.U.N. (Guardian Units of Nations) base after someone mysterious awakens him after 50 years. Unable to stop him with his powerful powers of teleporting about the state of humanity, Sonic and his friends will have to form an unlikely alliance with their old enemy reluctantly, Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey).
Since the same creative team has been involved from the beginning—director Jeff Fowler and writers Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington—it’s likely that this consistency in humor and adventure is why Sonic the Hedgehog 3 continues to maintain its established tone with each new film. Although it’s designed for kids and often comes across as silly, there are numerous Easter eggs and references that adults can appreciate. This makes it engaging even for someone who didn’t grow up playing many of the games. The core formula is present, but the story doesn’t overlook the deeper themes of heroism and teamwork. The characters jump straight into their first fight with Shadow without wasting any time.
As always, Ben Schwartz doesn’t disappoint when he voices Sonic, the lovable blue hedgehog I now see as a family-friendly Deadpool that loves going fast but has this appreciation for the people around him now that he has teammates to help out on his adventures. The energy he puts into this character is perfect. O’Shaughnessy continues to portray Tails as the clever and lovable fox we grew fond of in the last film. Meanwhile, Elba effectively brings humor to Knuckles with his stoic line deliveries. However, the true standout in the third movie is undoubtedly Shadow. Additionally, having Reeves voice the character adds an extra layer of excellence that audiences have come to expect from his work in voice acting. So far, he’s the darkest character compared to his fellow fast anthropomorphic counterparts whenever we glimpse his past when sharing a friendship with a young girl named Maria. I heard his backstory was crucial in the games and might be accurate. Shadow takes what he does seriously when his vendetta for what happened to him is reasonable, even when power and vengeance shouldn’t resort to violence when it can change someone on the inside.
Who doesn’t love Jim Carrey? Only those with poor taste in comedy, that’s who. Seeing this character mark a comeback for his career four years later has been fantastic. He doesn’t just return as one character but plays two roles for the price of one. He also portrays Dr. Robotnik’s long-lost grandfather, Gerald, and there are so many hilarious moments thanks to him. Having an actor playing two roles could’ve been overkill, but it worked out seamlessly. How could anyone resist, mainly when it includes a breaking-the-fourth-wall moment? The only projects we’ve been seeing him in the last few years are these movies, which is sad, knowing he probably won’t be in other comedies in the future. Give me a dance sequence of Eggman and Gerald set to The Chemical Brothers’ “Galvanize” with lasers, and it’ll be the funniest thing in the world for all I know. He might’ve come back for the paycheck, but he’s committed.
But this sequel stepped up in the action department since more of them were generally exciting to watch, especially a motorcycle chase through Tokyo and a thrilling third act between Sonic and Shadow that surprisingly made the stakes even higher. The visuals never looked better than what we got in the first, but they improved to make it visually cool as time passed.
At times, the expository flashback sequences that develop Shadow can disrupt the pacing and affect the overall tone of the story. It can become unclear whether the next scene will be dramatic or lighthearted, often with a joke that doesn’t land. Aside from Robotnik, the villain, the series struggles with its human characters. They decided to have Marsden and Sumpter more supporting characters, even though this doesn’t give them much to do outside of helping the team on their latest mission. Also, it was cool to hear Krysten Ritter was part of the cast, but she was wasted with having probably four scenes. But overall, I walked out glad I had a good time with the type of entertainment to sit back and enjoy, even when it’s not aiming to be any masterpiece.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 stands out as the best installment in the series, successfully pleasing fans once again. If you enjoyed the previous two films and approached them with an open mind, you will likely enjoy this one as well. I’m definitely looking forward to a fourth movie, which is already in development, especially considering the exciting way this film concludes, leaving the audience eager for more.
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