What do The Lord of the Rings, Toy Story, and Sonic the Hedgehog have in common? They all peaked with movie #3. Okay, so Sonic the Hedgehog 3 won’t be winning Best Picture like Return of the King or getting nominated for Best Picture like Toy Story 3. Rest assured, everyone involved can sleep in on Oscar nominations morning. Sonic deserves a blue ribbon for the most improved movie franchise of the past few years, however. When Ugly Sonic popped up in the first movie’s trailer, everyone assumed the speedster would never be done justice on the silver screen. Three movies later, director Jeff Fowler delivers the motion picture Sonic fans have waited years to see.
More specifically, this is the movie that Sonic Adventure 2 fans have waited over two decades to see. After being teased at the end of the last film, fan-favorite Shadow the Hedgehog makes his official debut. Keanu Reeves is perfectly cast as the brooding hedgehog, but the Sonic Adventure 2 connections don’t end with him. This is essentially a full-on adaptation of the Dreamcast classic, incorporating the Eclipse Cannon and a Chao Garden with a Tokyo twist. Even Shadow’s tragic backstory is faithfully depicted without sugarcoating the fate of one character. The film also improves aspects of the game’s narrative, cutting out the case of mistaken identity subplot and Knuckles randomly fighting a ghost.
Knuckles (Idris Elba) is in the film, along with Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey). Paramount has finally realized these are the characters we want to see, downplaying the humans like James Marsden and Tika Sumpter. That said, it would’ve been nice to see more of Krysten Ritter, who’s underutilized as the no-nonsense Director Rockwell. Of course, Ritter is often underutilized in movies. Some of the other human actors look like they’re phoning it in whenever playing off their animated co-stars. Jim Carrey, meanwhile, gives 100% as Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Make that 200%, as Carrey also plays Eggman’s grandfather, Gerald Robotnik.
I admittedly wasn’t thrilled with Carrey’s take on Robotnik in the first Sonic movie. His portrayal has grown on me with each film, although a little of him can go a long way. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 at times overdoses on Carrey, especially during a dance sequence that goes on for too long. Still, for a guy who agreed to do another Sonic movie because he supposedly “needs the money,” Carrey looks like he’s having the time of his life. It’s infectious without becoming grating. Lee Majdoub’s Agent Stone also remains a fun foil for the mad doctor(s).
When Carrey isn’t hijacking the plot, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 wisely focuses on the animated characters. They’re at the center of the film’s color action and dramatic tension. Well, dramatic for a Sonic movie. If you’re not invested in the adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog by now, this film probably won’t change your perception. For anyone who has ever been a Sonic fan, though, the film delivers clever references, iconic set pieces, and clear admiration for the source material. These movies might’ve gotten to a slow start, but Sonic keeps gaining momentum, preserving his title as the fastest thing alive.