Sonic the Hedgehog 3: A High-Speed Adventure Awaits

Earlier this April, Sega announced 2024 as the Year of Shadow, honoring Sonic’s rival from Sonic Adventure 2. We have witnessed Lego merchandise, mobile game activities, a bike tour, and, of course, the impressive Shadow marketing blitz in Sonic x Shadow Generations. However, all of that has been building up to this moment: Keanu Reeves as Shadow in Sonic 3.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is quite similar to Sonic x Shadow Generations, indeed, in that it represents the pinnacle of the Sonic film series thus far, yet the cobalt blur has once again been eclipsed. Shadow the Hedgehog is Sonic’s more somber, edgy, and enigmatic counterpart first introduced in the Dreamcast sequel. He exhibits a cooler demeanor, not just because he is voiced by Reeves, but also because he rides a motorcycle and executes the Akira slide down the side of Tokyo Tower. Meanwhile, Sonic is left behind, indulging in chili dogs.

The director, Jeff Fowler, quickly establishes Shadow as the film’s villain. Where the initial movie introduced Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) as an extraterrestrial now residing in the American town of Green Hills, the second installment featured Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) to better showcase the classic Mega Power dynamics (specifically Sonic 3). Sonic 3 (the film) continues down this path, as Shadow’s inclusion brings the narrative even closer to the realm of the games, with a plot heavily influenced by Sonic Adventure 2. Tokyo, for example, serves as a fitting nod to Radical Highway, blurring the lines between film and video game.

In summary, Fowler has masterfully achieved his momentum with this third installment. Appropriately, the narrative flow is fast and succinct: Shadow is an apparently malicious hedgehog who has escaped from a research facility after 50 years of confinement, and only Sonic and his friends – the Sonic Heroes – can stop him. Robotnik, or Eggman (Jim Carrey), makes a return too, despite Carrey previously indicating his intention to retire from acting. This particular snazzy script was evidently sufficient to bring him back, and he is clearly enjoying himself – he delivers his performance in a delightfully outrageous style here, and whether you love or hate him, his newly shorn head accentuates his cartoonish persona even more closely aligned with the games.

Shadow introduces a darker, more mature tone, with an extremely poignant backstory presented in flashbacks to maintain the pace. He’s the stoic counterpart to the spirited young girl Maria, and their friendship (according to his standalone game) is portrayed with care while also providing Shadow with relatable anti-hero motives. While previous games have struggled to illustrate the relationships between humans and hedgehogs (looking at you, Sonic ’06), here it feels more believable thanks to clear and natural writing. The film even introduces a touch of melancholy amidst the action scenes drenched in rain at the midnight hour, providing a refreshing contrast to the film’s heroes’ comedic antics. Shadow serves as a fitting, calm elder-brother figure in contrast to Sonic’s impatient whimsy.

Yet, this remains very much a family film – indeed, it centers on the theme of family. It strikes a solid balance between cheesy, heartwarming storytelling and dynamic, anime-inspired action for fans of Sonic, both young and old. As for the humor, there are certainly some cringe-inducing dad jokes that lean heavily into the fourth wall, alongside fun puns and nods directed at the audience – such as the Detective Pikachu reference in the trailer. There are definitely more hits than misses.

While Sonic 3 functions effectively as a standalone film, it also provides a delightful game of spotting references. Sonic Adventure 2 elements are woven in, with its iconic “Live and Learn” theme looping into the soundtrack on several occasions, and even direct quotes from the game had me smiling in recognition. I won’t spoil anything else (let alone the post-credit sequences – there are two of them!), but there are hints towards a multitude of games from the hedgehog’s history, just as in the previous films.

Sonic 3 appears true to the games, and as a result, the human characters from the previous two films have been largely relegated to the sidelines. These characters contributed significantly to the films’ unique identity, avoiding the territory of a mere live-action remake of the games. However, it feels as if the scriptwriters ran out of ideas for them. Tom (James Marsden) and his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter) make barely an appearance, while Maddie’s sister Rachel (Natasha Rothwell) and her husband Randall (Shemar Moore) are relegated to their humorous wedding scenes from the previous film.