Rating: 8/10
As the third installment of the popular video game franchise, “Sonic 3” clearly indicates that with each subsequent film, it understands what audiences are looking for and provides a fantastically fun experience.
The first two “Sonic” movies were hits with audiences due to their balance of goofy humor and genuine heartfelt moments. They also showed a clear reverence for the source material and an understanding of the main characters.
The third film features plenty of silly moments and jokes while not shying away from true emotional beats in its story, using the established video game lore.
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The film features the debut of the fan-favorite character Shadow (Keanu Reeves), who is seeking revenge for his imprisonment in a government lab and the death of someone close to him. Mirroring his backstory in the games, Shadow forces Sonic and his friends to try and stop him before he harms any more innocent lives.
For many fans, Reeves was a completely unexpected choice to voice the iconic Shadow — but a very welcome one. In an interview with Comic Book Resources, the director of the “Sonic” trilogy, Jeff Fowler, explained the rationale behind choosing him for the role.
“He has an ability to channel that complexity and a little bit of that danger and darkness, but still be likeable, because Keanu, in all his performances, he’s just a very likeable actor,” Fowler said.
Jim Carrey returns to the franchise as well, this time playing two roles as both the villainous Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his grandfather, Dr. Gerald Robotnik. As with the previous two entries in the franchise, he brings the perfect level of ridiculousness to the former while embodying a completely different kind of comedic energy with the latter.
Amid rumors of his retirement after the second “Sonic” film, it was a great relief to fans when he announced his intention to reprise his role as the franchise’s main antagonist.
“I never bought that for a second,” Fowler said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. “Jim has too much fun playing this character. If we dangled a really great new idea for him to play with and explore as Robotnik, then I felt that he would be interested in coming back.”
Carrey’s return, along with the rest of Team Sonic’s manic energy, leads to plenty of comedic moments that audiences of all ages will enjoy. Despite this, the comedy is not the main focus of the film, and it doesn’t undercut its more dramatic and emotional moments. Sonic and Shadow’s character arcs and emotional moments were treated with respect and given proper development throughout the film.
The film isn’t afraid of darker moments and higher stakes, either. With the tragedy of Shadow’s backstory, the world-ending threat posed by the two Eggmen and themes of revenge and loss, the story carries emotion that elevates it from being just a silly adventure.
Despite the second film’s success, one of its biggest criticisms was the strange wedding subplot that focused heavily on the two main human characters of the franchise, Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter), and took time away from the action. “Sonic 3” learns from that mistake, only featuring the two of them when it serves the plot or Sonic’s development, making for a more enjoyable adventure.
The highlight of the film is its final 40 minutes, where it cranks up the emotion and spectacle to the max. The final battle against Shadow and the Robotniks is sure to have any fan of the games bursting with excitement. It brings to life beloved moments from the games, and Sonic and Shadow’s character arcs come to a satisfying conclusion.
The movie also has a mid- and post-credits scene that teases more adventures to be had in the “Sonic” universe, proving this franchise has plenty of gas left in the tank for another wild ride.
“Sonic 3” proves to be not only enjoyable for audiences of all ages but also an absolute treat for longtime fans of the game series. With the franchise improving with each entry, it’s almost certain that Sonic and his friends will be delighting audiences and speeding along for quite some time.
