Bring your inner child. SONIC 3 goes full on kid mode!
* THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW & ALL IMAGES ARE APPROVED BY PARAMOUNT.
Back in 2020, I wondered just how Paramount Pictures would be able to bring SONIC the Hedgehog into a live action universe, staying true to its original spirit while also maintaining some sense of plausibility. Early previews didn’t instill confidence, but after cooking a bit longer, they pulled it off, bringing the blue blur to the big screen in what was a decent first outing. Of course, there were things that could use some adjustment, but SEGA fans were just happy & relieved that it didn’t look like the early previews.
SONIC 2 raised the stakes and focused heavily on maintaining high action, while not spending too much time on exposition or explanation. When you have only 2 hours to tell a story, you gotta go fast… Sonic 2 definitely felt like SEGA & Paramount were embracing the absurd and asking moviegoers to ‘just go with it’. That’s okay, though. This is a movie based on a video game after all, and Sonic fans expect things to get a little crazy. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was ‘grounded in reality’, but it seemed like that was at least something the film’s creators were still thinking about…
Well, you can forget about reality. SONIC 3 certainly does…
SEGA & Paramount have gone full on ‘kid mode’ with this bonkers third installment that feels practically like a Saturday morning cartoon with a live-action ‘coat of paint’. The movie is so incredibly ridiculous (in a good way), and it knows it. In fact, there were several self-aware, over-the-top & fourth-wall-breaking moments that had the entire audience practically in stitches. It’s that whacky, off-the-wall type humor (think SONIC BOOM series) that fans have come to love, and Director, Jeff Fowler, leans into this from the jump and never lets off.
A word of warning… If you’re the type of moviegoer who prefers their fantasy films to adhere to some sort of logic or common sense, you just might leave the theater with a nervous twitch… This film does NOT care about common sense. In fact, some moments are just plain asinine, but it’s clear that this is the direction the franchise looks to go in, and I think that may be for the best. In order to fully embrace everything that is Sonic the Hedgehog, from its characters to its universe, you really have no choice but to embrace the absurd.
Jim Carrey easily steals the show, reprising his role as Eggman as well as his long lost ‘grandpap’, Gerald Robotnik. The antics that ensue between these two are absolutely classic and make up some of the best scenes in the film by far. Carrey’s always been known for his over-the-top humor (think The Mask & Dumb and Dumber), and this film is no exception. I imagine he read the completely bonkers script and saw it as a challenge to show the level of on-screen insanity he’s truly capable of…
There were, of course, a few small things that bugged me a bit, like the fact that Krysten Ritter’s Director Rockwell kind of felt like a throw away character after some degree of build up, or the fact that Keanu Reeves’ portrayal of Shadow felt a little stiff and lacking personality (I consider myself a Keanu fan, but this casting just didn’t feel right to me. Perhaps some folks might disagree, though. I remember I didn’t expect to like Idris Elba as Knuckles in Sonic 2, but he managed to change my mind, so there’s that. Sorry, Keanu…)
Folks might also care to check out the recently released Knuckles series to learn what he’s been up to and catch up on his character development (plus a few details) before going into Sonic 3, though, it’s not a requirement. (Definitely give it a watch when you get the chance, though…)
There are, of course, several new Easter eggs for fans to find and a few scenes that exist purely to serve long time Sonic fans, which is no doubt what a lot of us adults ’90’s kids‘ will be looking forward to.
Sonic 3 starts out in Green Hills, but it ends up taking us to Tokyo and even London. I’m surprised it took this long for him to end up there, but it’s nice to see the film represent two major markets where the blue hedgehog is very well loved! Apologies to both of those fine cities for all of the damage he no doubt ends up causing… LOL
Without saying so much as to spoil anything, I’ll say the movie was a lot of fun, but you’ve definitely got to suspend your disbelief at numerous points throughout the film, and I’m not just talking about the standard stuff like shiny gold rings that warp you to other places in the universe. There are so many elements that contradict each other or fall apart under even the slightest scrutiny that we’re really not supposed to think too hard about it… Just enjoy it for the chaotic & reckless spectacle that it aims to be.
Sega Saturn fans should be very pleased with the ending credit sequence. I’ll just leave it at that… 😉
Jim Carrey talks about what it’s like to play 2 characters for the same amount of pay. LOL
Keanu Reeves talks about his casting in the role of Shadow
A Very Sonic Christmas – Stop Motion Short
SHIRO! Media Group would like to thank Brianna Driscoll & Catherine Spillane with AGM for this advanced screening opportunity.
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