Sonic The Hedgehog 3 - The Blue Blur Returns

The Blue Blur himself is back in action as Sonic the Hedgehog returns in his third big movie event. Sonic changed the video game movie landscape when his redesign saved his first film in 2020. Now, four years later, Sonic delivers his best film yet with a new villain, music from the games, and a new adventure for the whole family!

Story

Sonic’s life on Earth has never been better. He has his new family in the Wachowskis and trusted friends with Tails and Knuckles. Then, one day, a new black and red Hedgehog named Shadow arrives on the scene, threatening the planet he calls home. Seemingly outmatched by this new foe, Sonic is forced to make an uneasy alliance with an old enemy, Dr. Ivo Robotnik. As Sonic races to save his home, He’ll be pushed to his limits like never before and forced to confront what makes him a true hero.

The main highlight of the film is Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow is a huge fan favorite, and much pressure was placed on the cast and crew to ensure his backstory was done right. While some details were changed, Shadow’s story and journey are well adapted from his debut in Sonic Adventure 2. While the story's second act sometimes feels a little dragged on, the film's first and third acts are well-told and shot.

The film focuses more on aspects fans have wanted to see for a while. The CGI characters (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow) now have more screen time than in the other films. Sonic’s other human characters, such as Tom, Maddie, and Wade, take a bit of a backseat as they are not as integral to the plot as before, which, to some fans, is a blessing.

Visuals and Action

Sonic’s design is still as good as in the other films. Given slight improvements, Sonic and his friends' design is well adapted from the games. Given the budget of the movie and the quality of CGI in other recent films (Looking at You, Mufasa), The special effects in this film are spectacular. The fur and spikes on Sonic and his friends are especially impressive, genuinely embracing the cartoony look and feel of the characters.

The fights are also drastically improved from previous entries, with plenty of fights between Sonic and Shadow to demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses. Some of these fights compare to battles in anime, like Dragonball, and are well-animated and well-shot. These scenes are sure to please any hardcore Sonic fan.

Cast

Ben Schwartz continues to impress as Sonic the Hedgehog, bringing the iconic Video Game character to life. He ups his performance here as the story requires him to bring his A-game when it comes to emotional tones, going from light-hearted and fun to locked-in and serious when needed. Joining him as supporting characters are Idris Elba as Knuckles and Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails. Their performances remain very well done and help to improve their character’s development throughout the film. The newest addition to the cast is Keanu Reeves as Shadow, as he has done his homework to bring justice to the fan-favorite character.

As mentioned, the movie's human characters, Jim Carrey excluded, take more of a backseat in this film than in the previous entries. James Marsden and Tika Sumpter perform well as Tom and Maddie, helping give Sonic a clear sense of right and wrong and giving Sonic a home and family to cherish. Other human characters include Krysten Ritter as Director Rockwell, who, while prevalent in promotional material, is hardly in the movie itself and essentially feels unnecessary.

The real highlights of the human cast belong to Jim Carrey, playing two roles as both Dr. Eggman and his grandfather Gerald Robotnik, as well as Lee Majdoub, as Eggman’s loyal henchman Agent Stone. These two enjoy their roles and remain fan favorites of these films. Jim brings plenty of wacky, 90’s Carrey-era fun to the role as he has fun with the villainous roles of the two Robotniks well.

Music and Humor

Something missing from the films fans have desperately wanted was music from the games themselves being included. Junkie XL, the Film’s composer, has often refused to include these songs in the soundtrack for the last two films. Fans will be pleased to hear the iconic theme from Sonic Adventure 2, Live and Learn by Crush 40, being used in the movie, as it becomes the central theme of Shadow in the film. Other iconic songs from the games are snuck in throughout the film and will be fun to listen to.

Humor has not exactly been the Sonic movies’ strong suit, and if you weren’t a massive fan of the humor before, this film isn’t going to change you by much. While many of the jokes this time around land much more than the last two films, a few just don’t land as they are meant to. Jim Carrey holds the humor together in his double role as Gerald and Ivo Robotnik and maintains the film's humorous tone when needed.

Verdict

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is the best film in the franchise, with outstanding performances, fantastic CGI and fight scenes, and plenty of fun for the whole family. If you enjoyed the last two films, you won’t want to miss this newest entry to this fantastic film franchise. The film will be released on Digital on January 21st and includes two post-credit scenes you won’t want to miss.

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