“Sonic the Hedgehog 3”
PG/Action/Adventure/Comedy/110 Mins
Directed by: Jeff Fowler
Written by: Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington
Starring: Ben Schwartz (“Parks and Recreation”), Colleen O’Shaughnessey (“Sonic Boom”), Idris Elba (“The Suicide Squad”), Keanu Reeves (“John Wick”), Jim Carrey (“Kidding”), James Marsden (“Jury Duty”), Tika Sumpter (“The Underdoggs”), Lee Majdoub (“The 100”), Natasha Rothwell (“The White Lotus”), Shemar Moore (“S.W.A.T.”), Krysten Ritter (“Jessica Jones”) and Adam Pally (“Knuckles”)
Review:
“Are the Sonic Crocs a bit much?” I asked my girlfriend after putting on my Sonic shirt before heading to the screening of “Sonic 3.” After a small debate, the Crocs (and Tails & Sonic plushies) stayed home and I went out the door. What? I’m a fan…
After two hilariously fun-filled adventures in the previous films, the entire gang returns in a third go-around with “Sonic 3.” In this entry, we find Sonic, Tails & Knuckles having to team up with the military organization called G.U.N. (Guardian Units of Nations), in order to stop a new hedgehog adversary who goes by the name, Shadow. After an initial first battle, they find this to be a difficult task and must reluctantly partner up with their old enemy, Dr. Robotnik, in order to save the world.
Genuinely, I find the first two “Sonics” to be a pair of very silly and heartfelt family friendly films with highly entertaining action. Ben Schwartz is pitch perfect as the titular “blue blur” as well as Colleen O’Shaughnessey and Idris Elba as Tails and Knuckles. I also love the heartwarming family dynamic with their live action co-stars, Tom and Maddie Wachowski (played by James Marsden and Tika Sumpter). Add Jim Carrey as the deliriously silly Dr. Robotnik in these films and you have movies that entertain the kiddos as well as the parents who grew up on this beloved video game series. Bringing in a darker character like Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves), an alien hedgehog with a tragic backstory and a more serious personality, I was curious to see if the third entry would evolve to better suit this more mature character. Good news: it does and it “1-ups” this franchise to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
Don’t worry, the silly off-the-wall humor from Robotnik (and now his Grandfather Gerald, also played by Carrey), the witty and heavily referential one liners from Sonic and friends is all still there. Even though it did cut down screen time for some of the more comedic characters from previous movies (Wade and Rachel). Yet, this film takes on a new more mature, life or death type of high stakes that starts to evoke feelings of an MCU “Avengers” movie. We are not staying in Green Hills anymore…
The stakes are so high, I never thought I’d be worried about a character dying during a SONIC MOVIE?! And believe it or not, not everyone makes it out of this one alive. Taking this heavier tone makes this series feel even more fresh and harder to believe we are already on number 3 when it feels like the series is only getting started.
Every aspect in this film seems to be enhanced and improved. Jeff Fowler’s direction and cinematography by Brandon Trost, made “Sonic 3” one of the most visually spectacular blockbusters I’ve seen this year. From the neon landscapes of Tokyo, the sunshine skies of London and the vastness of outer space, there are these huge action sequences that are dazzling to the eyes and shock the senses. The VFX artists absolutely killed it from the video game accurate character designs (and fight sequences), the detailed Robotnik’s inventions to the destroyed battlegrounds. We’ve come a long way from “Ugly Sonic.”
What I love about these films is how each one is centered on a specific theme. The first one is about finding your place in this world, the second is about what it means to be a hero and this one is about the choices one must make. Tackling this theme causes these child-like characters to mature and grow, shaping them into better heroes and deeper characters. It also applies to Shadow’s character arc. I won’t spoil his backstory, but it makes him one of the more interesting characters in this universe. Taking inspiration heavily from the character’s video game spin-off, “Shadow the Hedgehog,” Reeves tremendous voice work makes his interpretation very accurate to the games and the character itself. You can hear the pain and heartache in his portrayal and his relationship with a young girl named “Maria”, adds a whole emotional dimension that we’re not used to seeing in a “Sonic” movie.
Going forward I expect that this series is only going to get more grandeur in scale and more mature in tone. I’m perfectly happy with that direction if they choose to take it. I can see this series reaching “Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame” level of storytelling (and judging from the amount of cheers from my audience during key moments, we are close.) In terms of family films, this is top tier entertainment for all ages and is highly crowd pleasing. This is the best “Sonic” film yet and I had an absolute (Sonic) BLAST! For its third outing, it just feels like the beginning of a whole new chapter and after that INSANE mid-credits scene, I will be RUNNING in my Sonic Crocs (sports mode) to the theater for the next one.
Score: 8/10
“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is out in theaters December 20th.
