‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Keeps Getting the Gold Rings in a New Entertaining Adventure

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

★ ★ ★ ½

This is the third film based on the smash hit video game series released on the Sega Genesis game console in 1991. In the game, Sonic, a blue hedgehog, runs really fast across the screen, jumping over obstacles and avoiding danger while collecting gold rings.

Sonic (Ben Schwartz) comes from the planet Mobius, which is populated by sapient animals with human characteristics. The first two films were fun, goofy and did a good job of keeping us entertained.

The plot of all three films is essentially the same. Sonic, who’s the emotional equivalent of a teenager, adjusts to life among humans and has been taken in by a young married human couple. He must battle the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey), as he plots to capture Sonic’s powers in hopes of obtaining world domination. Robotnik is a technological genius and has created his own robots and drones in addition to a giant robotic crab that serves as his mothership.

Jim Carrey as Dr. Ivo Robotnik
© 2024 Paramount Pictures

Robotnik is also insane, which makes the role perfect for Carrey. This is a character that allows Carrey to return to his over-the-top comedic antics. They work well here.

In the previous films, the alien humanoid-ish animals from Mobius begin as Sonic’s enemies when they’re teamed up with Robotnik and turn into allies when they discover that he’s a no-good scoundrel.

In this outing, Sonic’s team includes his human friends Tom (James Marsden), his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter) and Mobius allies Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba). The Mobius animals have powers: Sonic can move at supersonic speed, Tails is a fox and uses his tail as a helicopter propeller to fly and Knuckles, in addition to super speed, has super strength and a very strong handshake.

Idris Elba as Knuckles, Ben Schwartz as Sonic, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails
© 2024 Paramount Pictures

Together they work together to stop Robotnik and his new sidekick, Shadow (Keanu Reeves).

Reeve’s character is the most formidable of all Mobius challengers thus far and has a bit of a John Wick vibe. Shadow is a dark, confused and complex antagonist. He’s been the subject of government-funded experiments for the past 50 years. Until the film’s events kick off, Shadow has been in stasis after he caused a catastrophic lab accident. The accident resulted in the death of the lead scientist and his daughter, who had befriended Shadow.

James Marsden and Tika Sumpter
© 2024 Paramount Pictures

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 works because it doesn’t try to be anything more than it is – a film version of a successful video game that does a good job of sticking to the lore of the games. It’s a lot of fun, even when it’s just plain dumb and silly.

Making a successful video game into a hit movie has been darned near impossible for filmmakers to pull off. Here, they’ve not only done it once, but three times – a welcome hat trick.

Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation, Fantasy