Sonic the Hedgehog 3

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 marks the third instalment in the movie franchise that kicked off in 2020. In this story, a new hedgehog with motives for revenge against mankind appears on the scene: Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog was once an experiment for G.U.N. but when someone he cared for was killed, he was placed in suspended animation for decades. Now that he is free and seeking vengeance, it's up to Team Sonic to do what they can to stop Shadow and...TWO Dr Robotniks!

This film is a full-throttle adventure, particularly from the second act onwards. In other films from this series, the light bonding moments or the witty humour lifts things up, but it's great to see the main narrative take a dramatic turn. The film is a race against the enemy, first to the control key for a world-ending weapon. Everything comes to a head with Team Sonic fighting Shadow in a great introduction moment at Tokyo; there's a lot of set-up here for a brilliant confrontation as we go along. It builds all the way up to the villain team forming together and both teams going through intricate heist hijinks to secure the control key. When Tom is injured in the ensuing battle by Shadow it sets Sonic down his own path for revenge, using the Chaos Emerald against the wishes of his team. The whole third act is an epic moment of confrontation unlike anything we've seen from this series thus far, the heated battle between Sonic and Shadow is a good one. It allows Sonic to reaffirm his good nature after almost falling to a darker way, while also allowing Shadow a moment of redemption from his own darkness. Shadow's storyline is such a high point of this film; we get to see him go from being a lab experiment to someone who feels loved through the friendship he forms with Maria. The moment of tragedy inflicted upon Maria, and by extension, Shadow and Gerald is a real heartstrings tug. I also loved that amongst the big action sequences and comedy antics led by the two Dr Robotnik's, there is still room for some great dramatic moments. The cold and compassionate betrayal by Gerald in service of his goal to destroy Earth is a tough blow, while watching Ivo sacrifice himself to save Earth and more specifically, Stone, is quite a beautiful end to the film.

Jeff Fowler has only gotten better at capturing special effects imagery with a fast-moving blockbuster piece. The focus on character interaction, high-speed moments and gorgeous action sequences speaks to the real passion for a continued strong Sonic adaptation. The special effects look as solid as ever with the designs of Sonic, Knuckles, Tails and Shadow all looking consistently good across the film. I also thought the final act space station and attack robots stood out. The score for this film has plenty of action beats to provide, but it was the score that really stood above for me. 'Galvanize' by The Chemical Brothers being used for the Robotnik dance number is my favourite scene of the film.

Ben Schwartz, who voiced Sonic, has always been phenomenal as the energetic and comedic protagonist of these films; Schwartz also nails the darker turn Sonic takes in that final act. Keanu Reeves, who voiced Shadow, has a harsh stoicism about him that fits the pain Shadow is carrying around; those quieter moments of reflection and hesitation where Shadow works his way to the light is where Reeves really fleshes out the character. Idris Elba, who voiced Knuckles, might have had his best run with this character yet; Knuckles was so entertaining in this that Elba almost eclipsed Carrey as my favourite performance. Colleen O'Shaughnessey, who voiced Tails, got to just be a part of the fun this time which suited the character more; O'Shaughnessey brings a genuine enthusiastic spark to Tails that makes the character so loveable. Lee Majdoub, who played Agent Stone, really plays off Carrey well as the loyal henchman; Majdoub has some very emotional farewell moments in this film that hit home. Alyla Browne, who played Maria, is the heart of the best sub-plot of the film; Browne carries the emotional weight of Shadow's backstory with range and talent.

However, the best performance came from Jim Carrey, who played Ivo Robotnik and Gerald Robotnik. This is a role that Carrey clearly enjoys letting loose in a bit, it feels like a role that lets him comedically adlib and improv like some of his classic roles. Watching him wallow and hurl insults as Ivo at an all-new low is a great reintroduction to the role. Yet as the film progresses, we see that unmatched ego and flair for the grandiose return. This pairs neatly with his work as Gerald, a more parental (or grandparental) figure who comes off as much more sinister than Ivo. Yet the pair are both comedic powerhouses with a multitude of side-splitting scenes. Carrey's dance with himself is the most memorable scene of the film for me as mentioned previously, but there is some dramatic weight here too. The betrayal of Gerald comes hard and heavy at Ivo and cements him as our lead antagonist. While Ivo's final world-saving speech directed at Majdoub's Stone is a beautiful departure for Carrey. The Sonic movies wouldn't be what they are without Carrey's Robotnik and this film proved that.

I'm almost surprised I wound up considering Sonic 3 to be the best in the series thus far, especially given the first act. The first act of this film is quite a cheesy affair of family birthday parties, poor use of human characters, generic military types and some of the worst humour the series has had to offer. It almost made it difficult to focus on the introduction of Shadow, a fight scene that was the singly good thing about the first third of the film. The entire first act is just playing it for the young demographic and knows full well the story is barely moving. For the opening twenty-five minutes, it feels like the film is really just waiting to start and come to life.

 James Marsden and Tika Sumpter, who played Tom and Maddie respectively, finally feel like the films are starting to move on without them; Marsden's emotional beats with Sonic just don't feel sincere like they used to. Krysten Ritter, who played Director Rockwell, is quite a bland new addition to the main cast; Ritter enters as another point of conflict but isn't very well realised. Adam Pally, who played Wade, doesn't really feel like he has a place in this one; Pally's cameo just doesn't make the mark and it would've been better to leave him behind on this one. Natasha Rothwell and Shemar Moore, who played Rachel and Randall respectively, are comedic cameos that come off as a bit too over the top; Rothwell in particular is crudely inserted back without much need at all. Tom Butler, who played Commander Walters, always feels a bit over the top in these; he just doesn't quite fit the military role nor the world of talking coloured super powerful animals.

This franchise went from a family-friendly blockbuster outing to a blockbuster entry that really rivals some of the most major releases of 2024. I would give Sonic the Hedgehog 3 an 8/10.