3.5 out of 5 colorful hedgehogs (Above Average
The Sonic The Hedgehog franchise has proven to be one of the most venerable of the 2020s. Family-friendly humor, fun, creative action, and an exceptionally well-chosen cast and crew have made these movies solid family hits and gained decent reviews along the way. I’m pleased to report that Sonic The Hedgehog 3 continues that trend, providing more of the goofy antics kids love while tempering it with a surprisingly darker story that suggests the series wants to grow up with its audience. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 darkens its quills while still being a speedy good time for franchise fans.
Sonic (Once again voiced by Ben Schwartz) has found a family in humans Tom (James Marsden) and his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter) and alien friends Knuckles (Voiced again by Idris Elba) and Tails (Voiced again by Colleen O’Shaughnessy). Their peace is interrupted by Director Rockwell (Krysten Ritter), the head of a shadowy government agency who wants them to neutralize Shadow (Voiced by Keanu Reeves), a hedgehog with teleportation powers who recently flew the coop and has a nasty thorn in his side about the organization. However, after Shadow wipes the floor with our heroes, their only option lies in enemy and Sonic-obsessed supergenius Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and his lackey Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub). With an uneasy alliance formed, Team Sonic sets out to stop Shadow, with all parties discovering there’s more going on than initially perceived.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is the darkest entry in the series so far, but that darkness is well-balanced by its leads’ kid-centric quips. There are several callbacks to jokes from previous movies and the expected pop-culture references, but Carrey (now in 2 roles) provides most of the adult laughs. Marsden and Sumpter’s roles are reduced, but they remain solid audience surrogates when present. Ritter does well playing this insanity straight and Reeves is a surprisingly perfect voice for Shadow, providing unexpected humanity and nailing the character’s angst. I also appreciate the themes of teamwork, recognizing who truly cares about you, and not allowing one’s rage to consume them. The action is bigger and gamier than ever, but the film’s sincerity for its characters remains its greatest asset. It’s not Shakespeare, but as far as movies based on games go, this is one of the stronger ones.
A 4th entry is currently set for release in Spring 2027 (set up by 2 post-credits scenes), and if it maintains this quality, I’m up for it. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 tempers a more serious story with goofball antics, heart, and exciting action that should have families speeding to their nearest cinema. See it!
Rated PG for Action, Some Violence, Rude Humor, Thematic Elements, and Mild Language (some minor swears)