I should say upfront that I’m biased in favor of the Sonic the Hedgehog movies and I always will be. I barely played the games as a kid, so it’s not a nostalgia thing. It’s because of my youngest son, who went through a big Sonic phase that culminated with him wearing his Sonic costume opening weekend for the first Sonic movie. We took him five or six more times in the month or so between the film’s opening and COVID shutdown. The memories of him dressed up, striking poses, telling us everything about the movie…I’ll cherish those forever. That was the peak of his enthusiasm for Sonic, but he gets excited for the new movies and toys. On the final day of the fall semester we took a family trip straight from his class Christmas party and went straight to the theater for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (henceforth Sonic 3).
The movies themselves are fine, dripping with Easter eggs, deep cuts, and committed performances from series stalwarts Schwartz, James Marsden, and Tike Sumpter, Jim Carrey, Lee Majdoub, and Natasha Rothwell. They have gotten better with each installment, with Sonic 3 being the best one so far. The key to the film’s success is its humor. It’s silly without condescending to its audience, and mixes in just enough irreverence to occasionally catch you off guard. Add in Keanu Reeves as Shadow and Carrey pulling double duty as Dr. Robotnik and his grandfather Professor Gerald Robotnik, and Sonic 3 has its winning formula in hand.
This time out Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), is recruited by the government to help catch Shadow. With the help of Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (Iris Elba), the trio embark on a globe-trotting adventure. As the series shepherd, director Jeff Fowler keeps the film moving at a brisk pace, hopping from one action set piece to the next. Fowler brings a deft touch to these sequences by making them fun and exciting, without overwhelming the film’s core demographic. It’s cool when you can hear a theater full of excited kids go through each beat of a chase or fight without getting lost. Watching the film at home doesn’t hold quite the same charm, but it feels unfair to knock the film based on a crowd’s reaction. The movie plays just fine either way.
By any objective measure, Jim Carrey is the MVP of Sonic 3. His performance as Dr. Robotnik has been delightfully silly in the previous movies, as one would expect from Carrey, Maybe it’s the double duty he’s pulling here, but he feels completely unhinged. The physicality Carrey brings to bear continues to defy his age. No one will mistake Sonic among Carrey’s best work, but it does serve as a reminder of what made him so special. The report between Dr. Robotnik and Agent Stone (Majdoub) is stronger than ever. Basically, what I’ve come to realize is that Carrey is my favorite part of these films. Despite growing up in the 90s, I have very little knowledge of the Sonic universe, so I have no idea what’s coming up next. As long as we’re getting more Carrey hijinks (a triple role???), count me in.
Sonic 3’s home release comes packed to the gills with bonus features. The version Paramount sent out for review is a Steelbook 4KUHD that also comes with a Blu-ray disc, with both options featuring the film and bonus features. Most of the features are bite-sliced (under 10 minutes) behind the scenes bits and interviews with the cast and crew. The best bits across the board occur whenever Carrey shows up. Everyone else is tends to hit on the same notes, but Carrey is borderline unhinged and completely silly. But the best feature is the commentary track with director Fowler and Schwartz. The track appears to have been recorded shortly after finishing the film and well before it’s release and accompanying press tour. Fowler and Schwartz are loose and entertaining. It’s an informative listen, but mostly it’s just a good hang. They’ve been working on the Sonic films for almost a decade and there are some endearing reflections on their journey, which is set to continue with the release of Sonic 4 in 2027.
