Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the newest installment in the Sonic movie franchise, has hit theaters. Does it live up to the hype?
by Boris Nusinzon and Jameson Butler
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 finally entered theaters on December 20, and it delivered an exhilarating, action-packed adventure that continued to capture the heart and spirit of the beloved video game series. All three Sonic movies have been extremely popular among fans overall, with each movie scoring over 90% on the Rotten Tomatoes “Popcornmeter.” Building on the success of its predecessors, Sonic 3 raised the story stakes, deepened character development, and delivered an exciting experience for both long-time fans and newcomers alike. While the movie arguably faltered in multiple aspects of its execution, the film ultimately proved to be very well-liked among fans, who profess that it perfectly blended fast-paced thrills and emotional depth.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 picked up where the previous film left off, with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles becoming a closer team than ever. However, the plot takes a dark turn when the mysterious and brooding Shadow the Hedgehog is introduced. Shadow, who is initially an antagonist, becomes an unpredictable force that challenges Sonic’s ideals and the team’s unity. The conflict between the two adds layers to the narrative, as Shadow’s tragic backstory adds much-needed emotional weight to the film. While the plot isn’t overly complex, it generally provided the satisfying mix of action, humor, and heart.
Ben Schwartz continued his excellent performance as Sonic, capturing the character’s cocky yet lovable personality; despite his character not being fully accurate to the games, his evolution from a reckless loner to a more responsible hero was quite smooth overall. O’Shaughnessey–reprising her role as Tails from the games–brought a comforting warmth to the character, who is now more involved in the action of the film; his signature intelligence and bravery was on more prominent display here. Idris Elba’s portrayal of Knuckles remained one of the standout performances of the series as well–his mix of toughness and vulnerability made him a standout. Ultimately, though, it was Keanu Reeves’ unexpected casting as Shadow that stole the show.
Shadow has shifted between a more complex portrayal and a dark, brooding anti-hero in the games; the movie succeeded in taking a more balanced approach to his character, showcasing his inner turmoil and the trauma that drives his actions. Reeves provided intensity and depth to the role, making Shadow one of the most compelling characters in the Sonic movies to date.
Another excellent part of the movie was certainly the animation and corresponding action scenes. Visually, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is absolutely stunning: fight scenes in the movie flow beautifully, as fighting between the characters packs a hearty punch. Watching Shadow blink in and out using Chaos Control is extremely satisfying, and the ending of the movie features a thrilling fight.
The movie still arguably struggles with the execution of the concepts taken from the games. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 often feels like an amalgam of ideas from the games that causes the film to fail at sticking its landing: various concepts are pulled from Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow the Hedgehog, and other titles that end up feeling out-of-place. The issue is not with the fact that the movie takes inspiration from the games, but rather that the movie does not really do enough to be faithful to the games; cohesion and a smooth story pacing is something that the movie is sorely missing overall.
Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik is another point of contention. While his take on the character is as over-the-top and zany as ever, he remains a poor adaptation of the character from the games. The threatening and booming Eggman found in many of the games–including Sonic Adventure 2, a game that served as an inspiration for the movie–is instead an eccentric loner who breaks into dance numbers and acts as a constant source of puns. While this portrayal fits Carrey as an actor, it doesn’t quite match who Robotnik should ideally be; the writing of both him and Gerald Robotnik left much to be desired.
The out-of-place humor is another glaring weakness of the movie. Portions of the movie that felt like they should be handled with tact and a dark lens ended up being accompanied by constant joking. Even in lighter scenes, much of the humor felt like it was being shoved down the watcher’s throat; the movie constantly made unwanted, artificial jokes in order to lighten the mood.
Ultimately, when viewing Sonic the Hedgehog 3 outside of its trilogy, these movies still would have benefitted from being fully animated productions that were largely direct adaptations of the games. Much of the writing across all three films falls flat and makes such an attempt to be family-friendly that it loses the charm of the best Sonic titles.
Despite these issues, most fans will agree that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is an exhilarating, heartfelt, and visually stunning continuation of this movie series. It successfully expands the Sonic universe, introducing iconic characters like Shadow and delving into Sonic’s growth as a hero. The film generally balances high-speed action with emotional depth, resulting in an unforgettable cinematic experience for fans new and old–one that ends with an exciting cliffhanger, leaving the door open for future installments in the series.
Grade: B-