While I did enjoy Paramount’s first foray in the Sonic film franchise for its humour and heartwarming story, I felt it played the plot way too safe. What I wanted was for the screenwriters to lean more into the wacky world of the Sonic series: the vibrant locations, eldritch monsters and colourful cast of anthropomorphic animals. In 2022’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it felt the series was now heading in that direction with the introduction of Tails, Knuckles and a more game-accurate Robotnik. This was accompanied by various set pieces such as a snowboard chase, an Indiana Jones-style temple raid, and a battle against the Death Egg Robot that were all directly inspired by stages from the original video game trilogy.
If Sonic 2 was where the series grew more comfortable with the hedgehog’s roots, Sonic 3 is the film that embraces them with open arms
If Sonic 2 was where the series grew more comfortable with the hedgehog’s roots, Sonic 3 is the film that embraces them with open arms. The film holds a near-full main cast of super-powered mammals alongside a double-serving of Jim Carrey. Sonic’s parental figures Tom and Maddie are the only other human characters who receive significant screen time, but their involvement never feels forced, serving as supplement to a Sonic and Shadow-centred story.
When it came to casting Shadow, Keanu Reeves was one of the first names to pop up around the fanbase for his performances in the John Wick series. He was ultimately given the nod by Paramount Pictures to play the ultimate lifeform, and brings the darkest, most menacing portrayal of the character ever. Whereas Shadow in Sonic Adventure 2 appeared detached as a result of his grief, Keanu’s variant is completely overcome with it, unable to handle the loss of his sibling Maria: “I can’t get her out of my head. The pain… it’s too much.”
Coming to terms with loss is the driving theme of this film, and a struggle that both Sonic and Shadow have faced. These parallels between our opposing hedgehogs are everywhere in this film, and although the two may seem entirely antithetical at first, it’s actually their striking similarities that put them at odds with one another. Shadow sees in Sonic what he wishes to be: a hedgehog with family, friends and freedom. He loathes how Sonic was given the chance to start anew after fleeing from his home. Unlike him, Shadow was imprisoned by the government after an accident at a research facility killed Maria, viewed as too dangerous to walk free. He spends fifty years in stasis, lamenting her death, and wakes up in the opening scene with a heart full of vengeance.
In action, Shadow is easily the coolest character these movies have seen yet, rivalling Sonic on so many levels and surpassing him in others. Unlike Knuckles in Sonic 2, who focused on power rather than speed, Shadow matches Sonic in almost every statistic. Their fights truly feel like two equals going head-to-head, providing an incredible sense of speed as they zip through locations in the midst of battle. Much of his combat style feels inspired by 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog, from his teleportation technique and chaos energy to his use of weapons and vehicles – a key element of Shadow’s game.
After the events of Sonic 2, the classic trio are finally a team in the movie universe, and watching Sonic, Tails and Knuckles work together is one of the most enjoyable elements of the film. Many fans, including myself, were worried that Tails and Knuckles would be sidelined in order to focus more on Shadow, but Jeff Fowler and his team did a great job at balancing the screen time enough to give both of these characters the spotlight they deserve.
Watching Sonic, Tails and Knuckles work together is one of the most enjoyable elements of the film
Colleen O’Shaughnessey reprises the role of Tails she’s held since 2014, voicing one of the most humorous and heroic depictions of the two-tailed fox to date. And Idris Elba is even better here as Knuckles than his last time out. He steals the show with some of the best moments in the movie, but also experiences some incredible character growth, learning the values of humility and selflessness that are so crucial to the Knuckles we’ve come to know.
As for Ben Schwartz’ Sonic, he doesn’t quite experience the personality change most of us were hoping for. The blue blur is weirdly the character that feels the least like his game counterpart, with writing that comes across as cheesy and, in some cases, downright annoying. He’s still incredible to watch in action, from his antics around London to his battles with Shadow. And his writing does get better towards the end of the film, which provides me with some hope that the development he undergoes will lead to a more game-accurate adaptation in 2027’s Sonic the Hedgehog 4.
Jim Carrey returns to the franchise for the last (?) time, acting as both Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his grandfather, Gerald. The former completes the final phases of Eggman-ification he has undergone across the trilogy, with a beer belly and a brand-new suit to match. Gerald feels far less serious than in Sonic Adventure 2, but the change feels necessary in order to match the wackiness of Carrey’s Eggman, who share some of the funniest moments in the film.
My main problem with Sonic 3 is that the pacing can feel far too fast at times. The runtime of this film is 1h53 – a near 20 minutes less than the previous film. And with an additonal character on both the hero and the villain’s side, the film simply doesn’t have enough time to execute all its amazing ideas. Having that extra third of an hour could’ve helped in so many areas: to flesh out Shadow’s backstory; to spend more time in locations like London; to have those Sonic and Shadow fights go on just a little bit longer.
If anything though, this problem proves how much more comfortable Paramount are becoming with adapting Sonic’s source material. There are so many little moments that just feel made for fans of the series. From poses and animations the characters are given to adaptations of famous Sonic songs in the soundtrack, the movie is jam-packed with references to the games we know and love. And with the CGI receiving a huge upgrade, it’s the best-looking film of the three, with almost every shot of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles or Shadow being a worthy screensaver for any Sonic fan.
The Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise is at top-speed now, and doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon
The Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise is at top-speed now, and doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon. The movie universe is slowly expanding, with iconic characters and locations being introduced in every release. The team have so many options to explore when it comes to the world of Sonic, and based off what was teased in the two post-credit scenes, it’s safe to say fans have a lot to be excited about for the future of the franchise.