Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Review: Sonic Threepeats With A Great Sequel
The "Sonic the Hedgehog" franchise is solid family-friendly fare. Not only does it boast three pretty decent movies (including this one, but we'll get to that in a moment), it also has a fantastic TV show in "Knuckles," with the voice of Idris Elba as the red echidna. So what makes this franchise tick? The number of alien animals that have made their way to our planet is ever-growing, and they never tire of learning life lessons while kicking a lot of butt. Plus, Jim Carrey is there as Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the larger-than-life genius who is out to rule the world — or something. Whatever this bunch of humans, hedgehogs, echidnas, and foxes have in store for the future, I wouldn't bet against them at this point, as it seems to be working for both kids and adults.
In "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," we meet the powerful Shadow (Keanu Reeves), another hedgehog. This one is far darker than Sonic (Ben Schwartz), both in terms of his fur and his attitude. See, Shadow has been trapped in a secret prison for 50 years. He's finally managed to free himself, and all he wants to do is be left alone, but, of course, the agency in charge of aliens (G.U.N.) won't let that happen. They send Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) to get him after their agents have been wiped out. Unfortunately, they fail too, and they end up at a restaurant in Tokyo where Dr. Ivo Robotnik's drones try to blow them away. However, in a welcome twist, it turns out that it wasn't Robotnik who sent them, and Robotnik teams up with Sonic and friends to find out who stole them.
The uneasy alliance between Robotnik, Sonic, and the rest of the gang is broken when they discover that Robotnik's grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, is responsible. Ivo, an orphan, is delighted to discover that he has a grandfather, perhaps the first real parental figure he's ever had. He's even more excited to leave Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails behind in pursuit of his grandfather's grand plan to blow up G.U.N. headquarters. That's something Shadow wants, too, because G.U.N. not only imprisoned him, they also took out Maria (Alyla Browne), the only friend he ever had. Of course, the plan gets complicated, alliances shift, and things change, but by the end, all is set right, and you can go home with a warm lesson (and a killer post-credits scene).
Funny moments abound for kids and adults
Almost everyone in the cast of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" is great at banter, but the star has to be Jim Carrey, who this time plays two characters. He actually comments on this fact in a moment of meta humor. Yet, he still manages to keep both Robotnik and his grandfather fairly distinct. It's an impressive feat, especially in a kids movie where he's also seen dancing ridiculously down a hall — twice. Carrey doesn't work much anymore (he actually came out of retirement for "Sonic the Hedgehog 3"), but when he does, he seems like he really enjoys what he's doing, and it shows here. Even though he has some lines that will have adults rolling their eyes, there's enough here for both kids and grown-ups that the character(s) work. Some of his best moments are when he's playing off his assistant Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub), who gives great reactions, making Carrey look even more brilliant.
On the flip side is Keanu Reeves as Shadow. Though Reeves is playing a hedgehog, he still manages to make him fairly serious: This isn't Duke Caboom in "Toy Story 4." As Shadow, Reeves plays it mostly straight, and it works. But that doesn't mean he doesn't get in the odd joke, like the whole bit about "revenge guac," a dip best served cold, I guess. I remember when Keanu Reeves wasn't the beloved movie star he is today, and I don't think he's actually changed that much. A combination of good choices and good will have done a lot for his reputation, and the fact that he's chosen to do this kind of movie as a result makes it all the more special.
Perhaps the only letdown is Krysten Ritter, who is either underutilized or poorly cast as Director Rockwell (perhaps a bit of both). Why they needed to have an actor of Ritter's caliber in this fairly small role is anyone's guess, as it seems anyone could have played this one-note character.
The action is better than it has any right to be
The action in this film is honestly better than anything in the recently released "Kraven the Hunter." The sequences toward the beginning of the movie are particularly impressive. There's one scene that features Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and Shadow, which looks surprisingly realistic (or at least as realistic as anything involving two anthropomorphic hedgehogs can be). And there's another sequence that features some impressive motorcycle work by Agent Stone, which makes him look cooler than I ever thought possible. These sequences are great additions that make the film feel more grown up (Shadow even gets a gun that he even briefly uses against Sonic) while still adhering to the franchise's family sensibilities.
As time goes on, though, the action gets increasingly ridiculous. In particular, in the last third of the movie, I had a lot of questions about how the rules might be different in space for Sonic and his pals versus us humans, as they seemed to be able to race around anywhere, including the moon. But, overall, the sequences are solid enough that you mostly buy them — or at least accept them — even when you know they're silly. That's the magic of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" movies. Even when you know the premise is patently ridiculous, you simply go with the flow and even root for these CGI aliens. As director of all three movies, Jeff Fowler has figured out a winning formula. These films are great comfort food that the whole family can enjoy, and long may they continue.
"Sonic the Hedgehog 3" hits cineplexes on Friday, December 20.