It’s been a long, strange journey for Shadow the Hedgehog. After a compelling debut in Sonic Adventure 2, the character became something of a punchline among gamers, thanks to his brooding, gun-toting nature. It comes as somewhat of a surprise, then, that the character has become the lynchpin in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the latest entry in Paramount and Sega’s well-performing movie franchise. While the edgy Shadow might seem like a strange addition to the Sonic Cinematic Universe, the character’s arc perfectly connects with the theme of found family that has been building across the first two films.
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When Sonic the Hedgehog 3 begins, our titular hero (Ben Schwartz) has found everything he could have possibly wanted: “parents” in Tom and Maddie Wachowski (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter), and a pair of “brothers” in Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba). As the family celebrates the anniversary of Sonic’s arrival on Earth, the newly dubbed “Team Sonic” is drafted by G.U.N. (the Guardian Units of Nations) to help out with a situation unfolding in Tokyo. After 50 years in stasis, Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) has broken out of confinement, and is making short work out of G.U.N. agents in the area. A battle quickly ensues, in which Shadow singlehandedly defeats Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. What’s more, it seems someone is trying to obtain a powerful G.U.N. weapon that could threaten all life on Earth.
As the movie progresses, viewers are given a glimpse at Shadow’s backstory, and how it adapts the events of the video game Sonic Adventure 2. In the 1970s, Shadow befriended a girl named Maria (Alyla Browne), the granddaughter of scientist Gerald Robotnik (Jim Carrey). Eventually, Shadow was deemed too dangerous, and was put in stasis by G.U.N., but not before a tragedy that would lead both Shadow and Gerald on a path towards revenge. The brooding Shadow is perfectly portrayed by Reeves, and his arc adds a bit of darkness to this world. It never feels too intense for an all-ages movie, and the filmmakers manage to balance the darker moments with plenty of humor.
Prior to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the Sonic movies have stuck to adapting 2D games from the Genesis era. This is the first time director Jeff Fowler and Paramount have adapted a story-heavy Sonic game, and the result is surprisingly faithful to the source material. Some adjustments had to be made to fit the story into the Sonic Cinematic Universe, like tying in the Wachowski family and other movie-exclusive characters, but all of the bones of the story are there. There are even some neat references outside the main story, like a Chao Garden-themed restaurant, or a fan-favorite music track that can be heard throughout the movie. Sonic fans who played the original Dreamcast game are going to find a lot to enjoy.
As the Sonic Cinematic Universe expands to incorporate new characters, there’s a danger of the movies drowning out fan favorites from the first two movies. Thankfully, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 manages to give the newcomers ample screen time, while further developing the established characters. Tails, in particular, gets some nice moments to shine, as he gets to interact with some characters that he didn’t in the previous movie. With Knuckles as the primary antagonist in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, there was a danger that following his story with Shadow’s could have felt repetitive. Instead, the movie does a great job using Sonic’s relationships with Tails and Knuckles as a contrast to Shadow’s own found family, while also highlighting the lonely Ivo Robotnik (also played by Jim Carrey). As a result, the villain gets more depth than we’ve seen in the past two films.
Perhaps the biggest deviation from Sonic Adventure 2 is the role of Gerald Robotnik. The long-lost grandfather of Ivo, Gerald only appeared in flashbacks in the original game. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Gerald is very much alive, and he represents the only living family that the younger Robotnik has left. While the relationship between the two characters is largely used as comic relief, it also sheds light on Ivo’s character, as well as his partnership with Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub). The end credits for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 set the stage for a fourth movie, but it’s unclear whether we’ll see Carrey back again. However, if this truly is the end of Ivo’s arc, the character goes out on a higher note than he did in the previous two films.
If there’s one part of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 that felt undercooked, it’s the role of G.U.N. in the story. Shadow’s motivation for revenge is well established, but it’s never quite clear what to make of the organization. Team Sonic makes the decision not to trust the group early in the movie, including series newcomer Director Rockwell (Krysten Ritter). Ritter’s role in the movie feels largely wasted, as if there was an intended payoff that got left on the cutting-room floor. It felt like the movie was setting up to reveal Ritter as a different Sonic character in disguise, but her role in the movie is abruptly dropped long before the credits roll. It’s likely we’ll see more of the group in the future, but this is one area of the movie that could have used some polish.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 takes everything that worked well in the first two films and trims a lot of the fat away, with a tighter focus on the familiar Sega characters. It’s easily the most faithful adaptation of the games, and there’s a lot of fan service to be found throughout. While that’s great for longtime fans, it never gets in the way of telling a story that will appeal to casual audiences. Instead, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 uses elements from the games to continue building and establishing this separate movie world. The result is something that can be enjoyed by both younger fans, and those that grew up playing Sonic Adventure 2. After three entries, Paramount’s Sonic series hasn’t lost any steam, and this might be the best one overall.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will premiere in theaters on Friday, December 20th.
