Like Sonic 2, the third film too banks on a narrative fuelled by grudges. Surprisingly, it’s the antagonists that draw you more to this film.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 / 5)
By Mayur Lookhar
It’s fascinating how popular video games from the 90s, once confined to pixelated screens and arcade cabinets, have transformed into cinematic spectacles. These adaptations breathe new life into nostalgic classics, blending cutting-edge visuals with beloved characters to captivate both longtime fans and new audiences. The journey from console to celluloid showcases the enduring appeal of these gaming icons, reimagined for a whole new medium.
Never quite a gizmo geek, this reviewer was, however, familiar with Ataris, Nintendos, and Segas. Sonic the Hedgehog was created by Naoto Ohshima, a Japanese video game designer, and developed by Sega. The character was conceived as part of Sega’s effort to compete with Nintendo’s Mario, which made its celluloid debut back in 1993. Sega joined the bandwagon much later in 2020. Four years later, director Jeff Fowler, writers Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington have teamed up to deliver the third film in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Also returning is the principal voice cast – Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles. Keanu Reeves joins the franchise as the voice of Shadow the Hedgehog. Among its live-action cast, Jim Carrey returns not in one, but two Eggmen avatars, while James Marsden and Tika Sumpter reprise their roles as Tom and Maddie Wachowski from the earlier films.
Like Sonic 2, the third film too banks on a narrative fueled by a sense of grudge. Confined to a high security prison, Shadow the Hedgewog (voiced by Reeves) wakes up after 50 years and seeks revenge for the death of his young friend Maria (Alyla Browne). Shadow must be stopped at all cost. G.U.N (Guardian Units of Nature) entrusts Team Sonic for the task. And in a rather surprise development, the anthropomorphic trio team up with the supervillain Ivo Robotnik aka Eggman (Carrey). Tails, Knuckles don’t approve of this unusual tag team, but Sonic believes that Ivo would leave behind the bitter past. The hunt for Shadow also brings a huge surprise for the supervillain Ivo. Instead of one, Sonic and co. now have to battle two Eggmen, along with the dangerous Shadow.
Fans would welcome another Eggmen, but Shadow’s journey isn’t too dissimilar to Knuckles, as we saw in Sonic 2. Vengeance forms the core here too, but it’s the two characters – Shadow and Gerald Robotnik, who captivate your imagination. Reeves is no stranger to voice cast roles. He’s voiced for his popular Matrix character Neo in the animated anthology The Animatrix (2003). Who would forget his larger-than-life Canadian Stuntman from Toy Story 4 (2019). Or the turtle Sage from The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020). The action hero effectively portrays the intense, grieving nature of Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. His voice work captures the character’s thirst for revenge, adding emotional weight and intensity to the role.
Honestly, we haven’t seen the earlier films in the franchise, but Jim Carrey is a favourite among 90s audiences. He’s hilarious as both Ivo Robotnik and his grandfather Gerald. Apart from their age and hair colour, it’s hard to separate the grandfather-grandchild duo—they’re equally eccentric and funny. The first meeting, and the joy in Ivo’s eyes when he finds someone as sinister as him, is hilarious. Physical resemblance alone isn’t enough; it’s intellect that convinces Ivo that Gerald is indeed his grandfather. The Ivo-Gerald conversation also brings up a question about the velocity of the train in Keanu Reeves’s Speed (1994). More than just a grandfather-grandchild relationship, the duo come across like lovebirds meeting after ages. But hey, never trust a Robotnik, even if you are one. That scene where the duo gatecrash into the high-security G.U.N. headquarters, with Ivo not hesitating to put his granddad in the firing line (laser attacks), is a reminder that a Robotnik can’t even trust a Robotnik. Rather than being incensed, Grandpa is proud of it. After delighting audiences with his comic acts in films like The Mask (1994), Ace Ventura (1994), and Dumb and Dumber (1994), Carrey’s performances began to feel monotonous. He brings similar idiosyncrasies, but the character design and Carrey’s performance make the Robotniks fun to watch. Though he plays two supervillain characters, it’s no surprise that Carrey is the first name in the credits.
Did Carrey outshine the leading voice cast in the preceding films? Given the cheers and laughter that the Robotniks evoked at the special screening, largely attended by mommy bloggers and their children, we believe Jim Carrey is the one who truly draws the audience to the Sonic action-comedy films. What does that say about Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic? While the character design is appealing, we weren’t moved by Schwartz’s voice. Similarly, Colleen O’Shaughnessey and Idris Elba didn’t convince us as Tails and Knuckles, respectively. James Marsden and Tika Sumpter also didn’t impress much.
Take out Shadow and the Robotniks, and the protagonists were really beginning to bore us in the first hour. Fowler and his writers made up for it in the final act with a visually stunning battle of the hedgehogs that spanned continents and eventually reached space. It’s here that Schwartz also ups the ante. Brace yourself for a few surprises from the Robotniks as well.
Walking into the screening, knowing little more than that Sonic is Sega’s most popular cartoon superhero, we walked out intrigued by Sonic’s world—thanks largely to the theatrics of Jim Carrey. We can’t wait to watch the previous films. The sight of little children dancing at the close is a clear sign that Sonic and co. are truly popular in India as well. A family entertainer is the best way to start your new year.
