On December 26 (and in some theaters even earlier), the release of the sci-fi adventure comedy «Sonic the Hedgehog 3» kicked off, based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series from Sega. In the third installment of the adventures of the relentless alien hedgehog and his friends, audiences will witness the mighty rival of the protagonist, Shadow, who is voiced by none other than Keanu Reeves himself. In the review below, we discuss how interesting it is to watch the world being saved again in this story.
Genre adventure action, sci-fi comedy
Director Jeff Fowler
Cast Ben Schwartz (voice), Colleen O’Shaughnessy (voice), Idris Elba (voice), Keanu Reeves (voice), James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Kristen Ritter, Jim Carrey
Premiere theaters
Release Year 2024
Website IMDb, official site
Once upon a time, Cyclops, Colonel Stars and Stripes (or The Riddler?) and Jessica Jones met. Okey, let’s get serious, especially since there will be another reason to talk about superheroes.
Once upon a time, Sonic the Hedgehog, Fox Tails, Echidna Knuckles, and also Tom and Maddie Wachowski became an inseparable family. On the anniversary of Sonic’s arrival on Earth, his friends throw the blue speedster a nice surprise. However, hardly having time to properly celebrate this significant date, they are visited by the stern director of the G.U.N. (Guardian Units of Nations) organization, Rockwell, who informs them of a great danger in the form of the hedgehog Shadow. Having managed to awaken after many years in suspended animation and escape, he is now determined to take revenge on his oppressors.
Before the motley squad stands the task of stopping the evil hedgehog, who is already pulling off a «Tokyo drift» in the Japanese capital. However, the encounter with Shadow does not end very well for the trio, and in attempts to counter the unstoppable enemy, the main heroes surprisingly form a shaky alliance with Doctor Ivo Robotnik. The latter has noticeably let himself go and reminds one of Thor during his post-Thanos depression, except he prefers Mexican soap operas over video games. The former villain has his interest in the matter, so he gladly joins the battle against the red-and-black menace.
«Sonic the Hedgehog» should also be counted among successful game adaptations — it’s noteworthy that this is already the third film about the iconic character from the Sega toy series recently, and each of them at least performs decently in theaters. Where there’s demand, there will inevitably be supply. It’s now hard to believe that initially, audiences rejected the first design of Sonic, and the creators had to face difficulties and urgently redesign the title hedgehog before the movie’s release.
The third film takes the path of least resistance regarding what kind of story to offer the audience. It’s the same standard high-speed adventures that we’ve seen repeatedly in many other colorful and loud blockbusters.
Here we have another world-saving scenario, the importance of teamwork, a deal with an unlikely ally, and so on, although this time it turned out to be a bit more emotional. However, the creators manage to diversify the plot template with respectful treatment of the source material and spice it up with fine humor, making it quite appealing.
As expected, Jim Carrey carries the humor, bringing the appropriate comedic energy and appearing before the audience in two roles — actually, the familiar Ivo Robotnik and his crazier and even more villainous grandfather Gerald. So you get a double dose of silliness on screen, jokes, signature contortions, and, ultimately, authentic beer bellies and indecently lush mustaches. The only thing better than Jim Carrey is two Jim Carrey, and that’s for the price of one ticket! Good thing the distinguished comedian needed the money.
Apart from the usual action-packed action, some episodes, and numbers deserve special mention. For example, the joke about Pikachu, shaving young Robotnik to the fiery «Firestarter» by «The Prodigy» (shoutout to the generation of Sega game fans), references to «Green Lantern», and — undoubtedly the best scene of the film — a remarkable dance of the two Carreys among lasers to «Galvanize» by «The Chemical Brothers». It seems Vincent Cassel is no longer the champion of this screen sport. And that’s not to mention the unobvious context when Keanu Reeves-voiced Shadow lays into a character named Wachowski.
Overall, cruising with Sonic and his crew is smooth, breezy, and totally chill. No surprises here, even on sharp turns; it’s smooth sailing. But it’s comfy enough to take a break from the daily grind. And while the local adventures might just blow away from your memory moments after leaving the theater, you’re guaranteed a solid 100-plus minutes of good escapist fun.
