Directed by Jeff Fowler, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is action-packed and absolutely hilarious.
Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (Idris Elba), and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) are back and enjoying their downtime with Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter). Their family time gets cut short when Team Sonic is needed for a special mission: contain the anomaly destroying Japan. When the team arrives they’re met with chaos and destruction. They’re shocked that the figure responsible, Shadow (Keanu Reeves), looks identical to Sonic but much more powerful. Finding themselves outmatched in every way, the team is forced into an unthinkable situation where an unlikely alliance is the only way to protect Earth and stop Shadow. (Enjoy this spoiler-free review).
Shadow is more of an anti-hero than a villain. After his backstory is revealed, his anger and the chaos he brings stems from a personal loss, humanizing his frustration. He uses his power of teleportation to outsmart his opponents and needs no help in the speed department. His first battle with Sonic went overwhelmingly in his favor, eventually referring to our blue hero as “weak”. The film did an excellent job teaching audiences about him through his flashbacks and monologues.
Jim Carrey is Ivo and Gerald Robotnik and gives the best performance in his career. The comedy is Ace Ventura-level but with modern dialogue and outlandish one-liners. The fight scenes were completely unserious and the dialogue between… himself is hilarious. The dance scenes were uncalled for and most certainly welcome. The quips and one-liners came from left field and the wilder they were, the better they landed.
The visuals and designs in the film are breathtaking. A lot is going on when you talk about Sonic the Hedgehog. We’re talking speed, speech, battles, and the effects of making contact with another character. Every element is handled meticulously and it shows, making this the most incredible installment in the series thus far.
For fans of the franchise (this is the third film since 2020), rest assured it was worth the wait. If you’re coming into the series new with a fresh set of eyes, prepared to be blown away. The only thing I can pick at is Shadow’s screen time. He had a decent amount and it was enough to tell his backstory, but was it commensurate with the hype surrounding his debut? I think not. It would’ve been to the film’s benefit if we saw more Shadow battles and more of his powers. Idris Elba was uproarious as Knuckles and fully fed into his thirst for violence. From nods to the early 90s way of troubleshooting (blow on the cartridge) to DC Comics catching strays, this film truly has it all.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 gets a 9.5 out of 10. The film is worth seeing in theaters and even worth the splurge for IMAX if you can. It was fun, mesmerizing, and the complete package of a family film: teamwork, good vs. evil, bad puns, and lots of fun. They threw jabs at lots of entities including Pokemon and Green Lantern and even spoofed a telenovela. A few characters from the past return for some screen time and most importantly, stay for both end-credits scenes.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 premieres in theaters on Dec. 20.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Animation
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1hr 50 mins.
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: Dec. 20, 2024