SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 – The Best Sonic Adventure Yet!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 is directed by Jeff Fowler. The film stars Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, Krysten Ritter and Keanu Reeves.

Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails are enjoying life in the community of Green Hills following their defeat of the evil Dr. Robotnik. But the team finds themselves back in the fray when a new threat emerges on the scene. Shadow the Hedgehog, in containment for 50 years and lamenting the loss of the one closest to him, is out for revenge. The Sonic Team must investigate these strange goings-on, engaging in their biggest battle yet, with many unexpected twists and turns around each corner.

Let’s face it. For decades, movies based on video games were terrible. There were a few gems in a sea full of stinkers, but the truly good ones were few and far between. 2020’s SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, while not a perfect film, marked a step in the right direction for the franchise. And while 2022’s SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 suffered from an overlong running time and too many characters and plot elements, it did succeed in introducing more characters and elements from the games. At long last, we arrive at the third film in the series. Is this another one of those “the third one’s always the worst” situations, or do Sonic and company shatter the sound barrier and the law of diminishing returns around it?

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 is not only another damn fine film based on Sega’s classic video game franchise; it’s the best one yet. Emotional with higher stakes than anything that’s come before, it doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but it’s a great performance from these actors and voice actors, with some fantastic additions to the lore and storyline. If this is the future of video game-based movies, count me in.

The returning cast members are as good as ever. While James Marsden and Tika Sumpter get a bit less to do this time around as the Sonic Team’s surrogate parents of sorts, they still shine when they’re on camera and help to build the familial elements. Ben Schwartz is as good as ever as the titular hero, with a mouth as fast as his feet. The highlight of the core cast is Idris Elba voicing Knuckles, the echidna who brings brute strength and a humorless, logical approach to each situation, making him a wonderful foil to his fellow (sillier) heroes. Jim Carrey (thankfully!) returns as the villainous Ivo Robotnik, but gets to play a double role this time around with the arrival of a long-lost relative who’s part of an evil scheme that may go too far even for his sake. The scenes of Carrey sharing the screen with, well, himself, are some of the most hilarious in the franchise, yet it doesn’t come at the expense of character development and worldbuilding.

The newcomer, Shadow the Hedgehog, is voiced by Keanu Reeves, and he’s a fabulous addition to this ever-growing franchise. Serious and brooding, violent and vengeful, yet not without humanity, the man who was once Neo, Ted Theodore Logan, and John Wick pumps fantastic life into an interesting new nemesis. Shadow is prominently featured in advertising for the film, and rightfully so. He may be the best thing this series has done so far.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 is equal parts action-packed, hilarious, and emotional, running the gamut during its run time (which is thankfully shorter than the previous installment). I was never bored in this film, constantly finding myself entertained and wanting more. It’s an ideal family movie, giving the youngsters plenty of colorful characters and big bold action sequences, but having some great meta-style humor and humanity for older audiences. At times the backstory can be quite impactful, though it thankfully never overly veers from a family friendly tone.

Are there any weak links this time around? As interesting as the conflict and worldbuilding are, not to mention the action scenes and humor, the generic government-style characters of the GUN organization are bland and uninteresting. Krysten Ritter of JESSICA JONES fame does the best she can as a higher-up in this agency, but she’s unfortunately been given a lame character that feels like a cliche, which is a shame given that she’s proven her ability to do great things in other works. The movie gets perhaps a bit too big, bloated, and explosive in its climax, but is there any action-adventure epic not guilty of this? With all the character development, humor, and excitement on full display, this can be forgiven.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 is the best movie in the series yet. The series regulars give their best performances yet, the right elements are emphasized, and Keanu Reeves is a powerful new addition to the series who helps to make this entry stand out above even the most recent two. There are sure to be more SONIC adventures; mid-credits and post-credits scenes featured here are all the proof you’ll need. Sonic’s third outing is not to be missed. Highly recommended!