NEWS
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Review
23 Dec 2024 By Lucas Allen (Web correspondent)
With the previous two films plus the TV spin-off “Knuckles” that aired last year on Paramount+, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise continues to (pun intended) boost the sagging video game movie genre to an all-time high. Not to mention, it gives one of Hollywood’s funniest superstars a legendary comeback in what could be his final great character role. Now comes Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which aims to up the fun factor as well as introduce a new threat with the stakes bigger than ever. With the return of director Jeff Fowler plus writers Josh Miller and Pat Casey with John Whittington, things are certainly going fast, funny, and fun for everybody in the family.
At a prison island near Tokyo, a powerful hedgehog named Shadow (Keanu Reeves), who’s been locked up by G.U.N. for fifty years suddenly escaped and looking for revenge for the death of his friend Maria (Alyla Browne). Director Rockwell (Krysten Ritter) quickly recruits Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (Idris Elba) to take care of the problem. However, they proved to be no match for the vengeance-seeking hedgehog, who can go faster with his teleportation powers. That’s when our heroes were saved by Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub), who then takes him to Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey) currently not looking at his best.
Soon enough, the unlikely group traces the source of Shadow’s power to an abandoned G.U.N. laboratory that was destroyed fifty years ago. It’s there that Robotnik meets his long-lost grandfather Gerald (also Carrey) the man responsible for Shadow’s existence and is also Maria’s grandfather. Quickly, the heel turns and the two Robotniks team with Shadow with a plan to decimate humanity with Gerald’s world-destroying device. Now it’s up to Sonic and his friends including Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) to stop the evil plan and save the world.
As you might expect, this movie zips on by with humor, action, and effects galore. It’s junk food entertainment that could please both kids and adults especially the latter when watching with the right mood. Like the other two films, the jokes can be hit-or-miss especially with the pop culture references courtesy of the title character. Thankfully, they don’t overwhelm the whole story and the writers seem to learn better on how to handle such comedy on a massive scale.
However, what you’ll also get is some unexpected drama and character stakes that pushes this franchise further than ever before. It helps that Shadow becomes the latest and greatest addition with a very sympathetic backstory and you can understand why he would turn out that way. Combine that with a world-ending plot and some very creative action in the final act, and you’ll get a wild rollercoaster ride you would want to take again and again. The finale taking place in outer space can be a bit too overlong, but the movie’s commitment to keep in tune with its overall message is still clear as day.
On the comedy side, there’s no one doing more funny business than Carrey this time pulling double duty. As Ivo, he’s once again dominating the proceedings with an extra fat belly to boot. As Gerald, he struts to the same beat with his old man makeup and a voice that’s a cross between Count Olaf and his Ebenezer Scrooge. Putting two Carreys in the same funny scene is like a comedy atom bomb exploding in your mind.
While the other human characters are fine, the main CG characters still put themselves well into the spotlight. The chemistry between Schwartz, Elba, and O’Shaughnessey remain vibrant and colorful as ever. Not only Shadow is a great addition to the series, but Reeves inhabits his dark, slick voice to perfection like a furry John Wick also bringing precision to the fight scenes.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a great way to end the old year as well as ringing in the new one. For the fans and families alike, you could not miss the spectacle, the laughs, and the love for the video games that the filmmakers brought to these movies. It’s no surprise they’ll make another one (thanks to some post-credit scenes) and you can be sure that things are going to get crazier.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG (for action, some violence, rude humor, thematic elements, and mild language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)
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