Sonic the Hedgehog 3 continues the story of everyone’s favorite speedy spiny blue hedgehog Sonic (Ben Schwartz), who enjoys a serene life with his human pals–Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter)–and as his fellow anthropomorphic bipedal friends,Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba). Life is good until Director Rockwell (Krysten Ritter), a leader of the government’s special military unit, Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.), enlists Team Sonic to combat a new overpowered foe, Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves), who is making a ruckus in Japan. Things look bleak when Shadow thwarts Sonic and joins forces with the grandfather Sonic’s mortal enemy, Gerald Robotnik(Jim Carrey).
Ironically, the weakest character of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is Sonic himself. Despite being the main character, he has no hard decisions to makes and just goes along for the ride from scene to scene. He has no character arc or growth until the 11th hour, which is too little, too late. Sonic has always been the top dog, but Shadow poses a new threat because he’s significantly stronger and faster than Sonic. This should be an easy obstacle for Sonic to overcome, using his brains and friends to help defeat Shadow. But alas, it’s never addressed and Sonic lazily reverts to using a Chaos Emerald to level himself up.
If Sonic feels flat and underdeveloped, then his two sidekicks–Tails and Knuckles–especially take a back seat. Both are very one note (Tails is the smart tech nerd and Knuckles punches stuff) and simply appear from time to time to check off plot boxes (Tails hacks into a computer system and Knuckles punches stuff), then back they go into being NPCs in the background.
Unlike Sonic, who is very one-dimensional, Shadow is the new breakout star, making it apparent why he is such a beloved character in the Sonic videogame franchise. Expertly voiced by Reeves, he has an emotional and tragic backstory, which rationalizes why he makes the decisions that he does. He’s understandably broody and prickly, which is a clear juxtaposition to the bright, chipper, and goofy Sonic. Even his dark, black and red design is in contrast to Sonic, showing you a tale of two hedgehogs. Shadow is simply hardcore and cool, as showcased when he’s speeding through Tokyo on a motorcycle or single-handedly defeating a muster of guards.
Yet again, the star of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the iconic Jim Carrey, who pulls double duty and steals the show performing as Dr. Ivo Robotnik (“Eggman”) and his long-lost grandpappy, Gerald Robotnik. From his opening scene showing Eggman as a lazy overweight couch potato to a synchronized grandfather-grandson dance, he is laugh-out-loud funny in every single scene. While at first glance, the two characters are similar, their differences and quirks start showing through the cracks, allowing for Carrey’s comedic chops to shine in extra ways. It really is double the pleasure, double the fun when it comes to having two Robotnik’s on screen. And while some parents in the audience may not be initially thrilled about sitting through another Sonic film, they will be delightfully surprised that they will thoroughly enjoy themselves, solely thanks to Carrey’s raucous performance.
The other human characters of Tom and Maddie are sadly and expectedly relinquished to the sidelines, essentially just book ending the beginning and end of the film with a minor cameo in the middle. It is a shame because Marsden and Sumpter are both very likable and fun as a couple, but it seems that Sonic series has outgrown them. It wouldn’t be surprising if Sonic flys away entirely from the Wachowski’s nest in future films.
It’s fun to see Sonic and his pals bounce around from different international destinations. He starts off in rural USA celebrating his bEARTH day, then heads off for a brief stint in vibrant Tokyo, then ultimately ends up in London to on a classic spy mission to infiltrate to infiltrate the government before the Robotnik’s get there first. The action and fight sequences are over-the-top, but considering the audience and overall tone of the film, it’s fitting. Also seeing Sonic and Shadow face off was a crowd pleaser and will be a highlight for Sonic fans.
The second half of the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 struggles as it suffers from the Marvel problem, which in each subsequent movie the threat level is escalated. Sonic’s no longer just saving his town, then he’s saving the country, until ultimately he’s saving the entire world. This escalation feels completely unnecessary for the Sonic universe and pulls you out of the film; keeping the threat contained to a smaller scale would have felt more realistic and been more satisfying.
The Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a fantastic family film that offers something for everyone. The kids will enjoy it, the hard-core Sonic videogame fans will eat it up, and even the adults will have a good time due to Jim Carrey‘s comedic performance. If your family can only see one film this Christmas season, Sonic 3 takes the gold ring.
★★★
