The live-action Sonic The Hedgehog films have come a long way in such a short span of time. After all the controversy with ‘ugly’ Sonic delayed the first movie to 2020, we’re essentially getting a trilogy of Sonic The Hedgehog live-action movies in only four years, which is an incredible feat. The franchise has kept gradually improving with each movie and while I wasn’t a fan of the first movie (check out my scathing review of that here), I’m pleasantly surprised to find myself growing to love the franchise and Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is the best of the trilogy so far.

Shadow’s Show

Let’s not mince words here, from the start, the biggest highlight and draw of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 was always going to be the live-action debut of Shadow The Hedgehog. I don’t claim to be the master of all Sonic lore but Sonic The Hedgehog 3 does a great job of depicting and simplifying Shadow’s origin and backstory. There are some obvious changes, of course, but the essential accuracy is there, though they’re probably saving some other aspects of the lore for future movies (sorry, no Black Doom, and no, this is not a spoiler because it was confirmed by director Jeff Fowler himself). The relationship and friendship between Maria and Shadow form the emotional backbone of the movie, while Keanu Reeves delivers a great nuanced performance as Shadow; he’s both badass and capable of showing emotion.

The biggest improvement of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 over the past two movies is how it feels more like it’s embracing the spirit of the games; we’re finally seeing Team Sonic (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles) properly working together. Sonic fans will definitely be happier with this movie than the other two, as the universe finally feels like it’s adapting more from the games (as it should be). The fight scenes in Sonic The Hedgehog 3 are the most epic yet in the entire franchise, with Dragon Ball-like brawls between Sonic and Shadow being the absolute best parts of the movie.

As a whole, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 also feels like it has the tightest focus of the entire trilogy. Director Jeff Fowler puts the focus more on Team Sonic and Shadow The Hedgehog instead of wasting time with the human characters. The worst parts of the previous movies have always been when the movie shifts focus to the annoying hijinks of the human characters when all we really want is more of Sonic and his friends. The pacing is also strong in the beginning, as the movie starts out with a bang and ends with an explosive third act, though the middle might feel a bit draggy waiting for the characters to plan for the final act.

However, the biggest flaw with Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is its overuse of Jim Carrey’s Dr. Ivo Robotnik. He practically plays two characters this time around, including Ivo’s father, Gerald Robotnik. Since this will be his final movie, it sort of feels like the director gave Jim Carrey more free rein and a lot more screen time compared to the first two movies. Trust me, he’s in this so much that some scenes feature just both characters played by himself. This will likely prove to be divisive and it very much depends on how much you like or hate Jim Carrey’s unique brand of comedy. It’s a weird choice, though it doesn’t bring the rest of the movie down; unless you find Jim Carrey to be too annoying.

Gotta Go Fast

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is a prime example of how a studio can properly build a live-action video game cinematic universe. Sure, it’s not perfect, but it’s miles better than any other attempt so far. Shadow The Hedgehog alone is enough of a reason to watch this movie. I’m genuinely looking forward to what the Sonic Cinematic Universe (or whatever it’s called) will potentially grow into in the future. There are still so many characters and stories from the games ripe for adaptation.

P.S. There are two post-credits scenes in Sonic The Hedgehog 3, so wait until the very end of the credits.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

We attended a press screening of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 courtesy of United International Pictures Malaysia. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 26 December 2024.