Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Who would have thought, back when the initial discourse for an upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog live-action film first took place, that it would become such a wildly beloved franchise, complete with box office success and critical acclaim? When the first poster dropped and the trailer revealed the chosen design for the iconic game character, there was so much backlash and discontent from fans that it led to a complete overhaul in the film’s visual direction. Now, the franchise reaps the reward of listening to its audience, basking in the back-to-back success of this video game to film adaptation, one that embraces the cartoony idiosyncrasies of its source material while maintaining layered and compelling storytelling, and exploring deep and complex characters. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the perfect culmination of this delightful surprise of a trilogy, presenting more familiar faces for long-time fans of the games to revel in, and providing a wonderful completion for certain character arcs to those religiously following the movies.

The feature sees Sonic, Tails and Knuckles working as a team to take on the mysterious Shadow, another powerful hedgehog with a long and painful history with G.U.N. As they navigate this new dynamic of working together, Shadow also faces struggles of his own, trying to reconcile with his past and the death of the one human who truly cared for him. As Sonic and Shadow’s paths cross continuously in battle, parallels between their relationships with humans and the immense loneliness they’ve experienced as extraterrestrial individuals on Earth draw them closer to understanding each other. Meanwhile, Ivo Robotnik also goes on a journey of self-discovery, one in which he begins to learn the meaning of family, loyalty and companionship.

Heartfelt and charming, this third instalment is an excellent showcase of how films don’t need extreme violence, dark topics and divisive political discussions to tell compelling stories and create nuanced characters. Sometimes, all a movie needs is a story of love and family. The dialogue is full of puns and the occasional fourth wall break, but the script leans into the wacky nature of its source material rather than take itself too seriously. Even Shadow, a typically dark and rugged character, is well-balanced and fits seamlessly into the colourful chaos of this world. There’s also something very sincere in the back and forth of the earnest performances of Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba as Shadow and Knuckles respectively, riffing with Ben Schwartz as Sonic. The vocal combination of these three actors is electric, continuously bringing colour, texture and life to the film on top of the already vibrant visuals and excellent use of computer graphics. Voice acting veteran Colleen O’Shaughnessey also keeps up with her endearing performance as Tails.

The true star, however, is Jim Carrey who dons the role of two Robotniks this time around: the very familiar and loveable villain of the past two films, Ivo, and his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. Carrey’s performance is over the top – as it should be – but he also applies a soft vulnerability to Ivo this time around, one that beautifully works with his arc of searching for and discovering family. He’s no longer just funny, ludicrous and somewhat evil; Ivo is now a sympathetic figure. The way the script wraps up his story is quite cathartic and is the most emotional beat of the entire film. While the overall feature creates excellent contrasts between Sonic and Shadow to enhance the development of both these characters, the true gem of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is this subtle parallel between Ivo and Shadow. This link that they have and their connection to Gerald is the true emotional backbone of the piece.

While some parts are lacking, mainly in the development of Shadow and Maria’s relationship, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is an overall wonderful experience. With stunning visuals, an excellent soundtrack and a genuinely good story with lots of loveable characters, this picture is a treat for the whole family, for all the Sonic the Hedgehog longtime fans, and for anyone just looking for a fun time at the cinema.

Mae Trumata

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is released nationwide on 21^st December 2024.

Watch the trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 here: