Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was directed by Jeff Fowler and continues the story of Sonic and his friends on the big screen, this time taking on Shadow the Hedgehog and Dr. Robotnik’s grandpa. After being imprisoned for over fifty years, Shadow is back with a vengeance. The live-action cast stars Jim Carrey, James Mardsen, Tika Sumpter, Lee Majdoub, and Krysten Ritter. The voice cast stars Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey.
The Sonic the Hedgehog movies have been a pleasant surprise these last four years. After the first trailer back in 2019 for the first movie sent fans into a frenzy with Sonic’s original movie design, no one knew what to expect from this franchise. It didn’t help that video game movies most of the time aren’t good. The first movie even got delayed to 2020 to fix Sonic’s design. Despite that, the first two movies are fun, enjoyable family movies everyone will enjoy. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 not only continues that, but it also takes the franchise up a notch.
The best part about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the character Shadow. First, Keanu Reeves is the perfect actor to voice him. He did a terrific job voicing him. Second of all, Shadow pushed Sonic during their confrontations. From his first appearance, Shadow establishes himself as a force to be reckoned with. His history is explored in flashbacks that help the audience understand why he feels so much hate and vengeance.
Once again, Jim Carrey playing Dr. Ivo Robotnik is a scene-stealer and hilarious. No matter how crazy or bizarre his role is, Carrey pulls it off so perfectly well. Carrey also plays Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Ivo. Carrey does well in playing both roles. Gerald was the head of Project Shadow back when Shadow was originally discovered.
Sonic and his friends are still charming and fun. The dynamic and banter between Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails remain fun and strong. Ben Schwartz continues to do well voicing Sonic, as do Idris Elba and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Knuckles and Tails. One noticeable change is that there is more focus on Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails than the human characters except for the Robotniks. The first half barely had Sonic’s adoptive parents Tom and Maddie. They do return in the second half to help Sonic.
Another noticeable thing is the movie is darker and more serious. It feels similar to how a few years ago Spider-Man: No Way Home was darker and more serious than the other MCU Spider-Man movies. The stakes in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 are larger and have more emotional moments. Shadow’s past is the perfect example of the shift in tone in this movie. Despite that, the movie is still a lot of fun, and the humor is funny.
The action in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also improves. The fight scenes between Sonic and Shadow are fun to watch. The third act goes all out with the action. At times, it almost felt like I was watching a live-action Dragon Ball Z movie at how hard Sonic and Shadow were going at one another in their fight. It puts the 2009 Dragonball Evolution to shame with its action. There is never a dull scene in this movie.
Overall, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a great family movie to see this holiday break, as well as the first few weeks of January when nothing else is in theaters. The cast, both live-action and voice, are great. The action is exciting and fun to watch. Along with being funny and entertaining, it’s also the most serious movie in the franchise. My final grade for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is an A-. The franchise continues to get better and has come a long way since that crazy first trailer back in 2019. If you want to see a fun movie for everyone to enjoy, I recommend you check this one out.
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