“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is the third installment in the “Sonic” film franchise. Following up on the success of the two previous installments and the Paramount Plus event series “Knuckles,” director Jeff Fowler returns to the helm to deliver what’s easily the franchise’s best film yet.
Picking up where the events of 2022’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” left off, “Team Sonic” is called into action when Shadow the Hedgehog (voice of Keanu Reeves) escapes from containment outside Tokyo, Japan. Not even a camping trip with his companions gets him a reprieve from stopping cataclysmic events.
As Sonic is pushed to his limits by the self-proclaimed “ultimate lifeform,” he must make the right choice in order to stop Shadow and an orbital strike beacon known as the “Eclipse Cannon.”
What ensues is a 110-minute science fiction adventure made for and by fans of the long-running Sega video game franchise. The connections to the source material range from big and showy
(A motorcycle chase with Shadow near the beginning of the movie is a highlight) to more out of left field (a Tokyo cafe named for the fan-favorite Chao Garden is as sweet as the cakes it serves). Even Shadow’s backstory is depicted faithfully from 2001’s “Sonic Adventure 2,” including the tragic loss of his only friend, Maria (Alyla Browne). Reeves, whose credits include the likes of “John Wick,” “The Matrix” films and the video game “Cyberpunk 2077” was the perfect choice to portray Shadow.
Of course, the humor that helped make the previous adaptations a hit remains in copious supply. Jim Carrey is a delight in a dual role as Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his grandfather Gerald. A young child in the Chao Garden café addresses Tails as Detective Pikachu (giving a nice nod to a fellow successful video game turned live-action film). Both the live actors and voice cast play off each other well, with this $122 million film being a great foundation for what comes next (A credits scene contains a setup for a fourth film that will not be spoiled here).
Concluding the storyline start from the first film in 2020, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” ends the trilogy with the best film in the franchise yet. If you’re looking to “escape from the city” and into the theater this season, this is your movie.
At a glance:
Directed by Jeff Fowler (Based on the video games by Sega and Sonic Team)
Starring Ben Schwarz, Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba, Colleen O’Shaughnessy, James Marsden and Tika Sumpter with Lee Madjoub, Krysten Ritter, Shemar Moore, Tom Butler, Adam Pally and Alyla Browne
Rated: PG
My Rating: ★★★★★
