Film Review - Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 opens to the setting of “Prison Island, near the coast of Japan”, and that alone does three things before we’re out of the first establishing shot. One, a dark view of a military facility on stormy seas places us in spy-thriller territory. Two, when fans of the source material see the name “Prison Island” in Hollywood military text, there’s an intake of breath, a tension that takes hold – a palpable absence of murmurs or popcorn-rustling. Nobody needs to say “dude, ssh” – dude already ssh’d.
Three, it sinks in: “near the coast of Japan”. Huh? Why is that in Japan?
Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) breaks free of a 50-year stasis like something out of a creature feature; meanwhile, Sonic, his buddies, and his live-action human family are celebrating his “B-Earth-day” (just go with it) when Director Rockwell (Krysten Ritter) pulls them into the situation-in-progress. The plot kicks off fast, and then it’s gotta go fast, often feeling like an impatient trailer for a longer movie that actually leaves space for its growing cast of characters to catch their breath.
Paramount Pictures’s Sonic 3 takes its core story from Sonic Adventure 2 (Sega Dreamcast, June 2001). Like the first two Sonic films, it uses the video games as inspiration before going its own way. Sonic 3’s soundtrack takes a step up, bringing in several leitmotifs and songs from the game series, including two separate themes for Eggman. Jeff Fowler, who first cut his teeth on the CGI animated cutscenes for Shadow The Hedgehog (released on the PS2, XBox and Gamecube in November 2005), puts his long history with the hedgehogs on full display as director, giving subtle homages one after the other. It should go without saying that Keanu Reeves was the perfect cast for Shadow, but Reeves doesn’t rest on his laurels for a second.
Despite including the guns (pun intended re: the Guardian Units of Nations), the story is heavily sanitised, taking aim at the very edge of a family-friendly vibe. Jim Carrey gives us unforgettably silly sequences of slapstick and verbal repartee between his dual roles (Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik and Professor Gerald Robotnik). These ultimately steal the show from Ben Schwartz’s Sonic, whose loud bravado and stock sugar-high always manage to overstay their welcome just a smidge. Human players Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) get a couple of key scenes, but seem to be there mostly to deliver a few relatable asides to millennial parents. One thing that’s obvious throughout: these actors are having “the fun”.
For those who enjoyed Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 will be a great time for most of the same reasons. For the fans, Sonic 3 remixes and updates one of the most popular Sonic adventures in ways that bring a new speed to a classic narrative. And for those who haven’t, the tone and style are definitely made with the kids (and the 90s kids with kids) in mind – just consider covering their eyes during the “terrible accident”, and remember to stay through the credits.
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.