In four years, we’ve gotten two big, loud, messy Sonic the Hedgehog films with an extremely game Jim Carrey giving unhinged rubber-limbed performances we haven’t seen from him since the 1990s. Both films managed to be rather sweet, good-hearted experiences that had children leaping out of their seats and some parents thanking the gods that there were no Minions in them. The films’ success would’ve been surprising in the ’90s, let alone in the 2020s.
As such, Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s very existence feels surreal, less in terms of maintaining the same base level of hyperactive, good-natured vibes as its predecessors than the fact that we’ve gotten to the point where Shadow the Hedgehog—a character introduced to Sonic canon long after most grown-ups would’ve been expected to still be paying attention—is our main baddie. The series has survived and thrived long enough to start adapting Sonic Adventure 2.
Shadow (Keanu Reeves) falls to Earth on a meteor that’s recovered by a government agency, and after the girl (Alyla Browne) he befriends in the lab where he’s studied is killed, Shadow swears revenge before being placed in stasis and locked away deep underground. That is, until he’s broken out by Gerald Robotnik (Carrey). Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles (Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessy, and Idris Elba, respectively) are tasked with stopping him, with the dubious help of Gerald’s grandson—and Sonic’s old nemesis—Dr. Ivo Robotnik (also Carrey).
These films are surprising for how they keep their cheapest, most ridiculous elements under control and worth investing in against all dramatic odds, largely thanks to a cast that understands their assignments. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s case, that means, in addition to Carrey being in fine comedic form as Gerald and Ivo Robotnik, Reeves being 100% dialed in as a grim anime villain version of Sonic but still finding the character’s broken heart in a few scenes.
Carrey’s commitment is evident and impressive to watch as a physical and technical showcase, even while the humor never rises above trying to elicit giggles out of 12-year-olds. Then again, these films have never argued for aiming for drama or comedy for anyone older than that, and it’s in Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s favor when it gets down to business as a hyperkinetic kid-friendly action film. The third act, in particular, makes a hard-hitting, mountain-destroying argument for the filmmakers to cut to the chase and just make a Dragon Ball Z movie.
Aside from the two Robotniks, the film does mildly let down its human characters. Where even the Knuckles-centric Sonic the Hedgehog 2 had a hilariously over-the-top subplot involving Natasha Rothwell’s Rachel on a rampage over her ruined wedding, the humans here only shine above their CG counterparts in a comedic take on a Mission Impossible stealth operation. Even then, there’s a clear understanding from everyone involved of the sense of play that a Sonic the Hedgehog film should embody. The hedgehogs are the stars here, and after three delightfully breezy good times at the theater, it’s no longer a surprise as to why that is.
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