People dream of having superspeed–the ability to dash through streets, run on water, and climb up buildings. As you enjoy your power to the maximum, you notice something odd. You aren’t the only one with this power.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 brings these dreams to life, but not in the way that you would imagine. Usually, when imagining super speed, the Flash comes to mind. However, these characters are fuzzy hedgehogs from a different planet. Weird, right? Released on December 20 by Paramount, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the third sequel to the Sonic movie series (first released in 2020) and a rendition of the classic SEGA games made back in the late 20th century. It is a versatile movie, both kids and adults alike can enjoy it.
Enter Sonic, chilling with his ‘parents’ and fellow hedgehogs Tails and Knuckles. Knuckles and Tails, similar to Sonic, have superspeed, but not as fast as Sonic himself. Instead, they have other powers, such as Tails having supernatural gadgets and Knuckles with extreme strength. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has a completely different spin on the conflict left off in the last movie. Although it features similar characters, how the conflict is introduced is completely different.
Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails go back into battle after figuring out the existence of another hedgehog: Shadow. He is powered by a different energy than Sonic, making him the strongest villain we’ve seen yet in the movies. Shadow has an ominous plan to take out the world itself. To save the world, Sonic must do what he vowed never to do again: utilize a forbidden power and attempt to stop the planet from being destroyed.
Although the plot is scattered, it’s not completely difficult to follow. The directors don’t focus on a single part of the movie at a time; instead, they introduce the audience to bits and pieces of different parts, and it all comes together near the end. The plot, although broken up, is mostly understandable. I would rate this movie as the second-best out of the trilogy. On the contrary, many fans say this movie is the best out of the trilogy because of the plethora of comic, game, and pop culture references. However, for people who haven’t watched the previous movies, the plot is extremely confusing. I would recommend watching the prior two movies before coming to this one.
Even though I watched the last two movies but didn’t read the comics, the jokes and references were easy to understand but didn’t make me laugh. Additionally, the main villain from the past two movies is completely overshadowed, making him feel like a side character. On the positive side, Shadow’s detailed backstory helps people understand his hatred for humanity. His previous human bonds and the destruction of those bonds later on show his reasoning behind his actions as seen in the movie. Along with this, the animation and CGI usage was top-notch and added a realistic effect to scenes. Finally, the moral dilemma that Sonic had during the movie with his father’s lesson is a key moment that we can take away from the movie and incorporate into our lives.
Although Sonic is known to be funny even in serious situations, there was a lot less comic relief than expected. Even when there was humor, it was typically tailored towards kids, making it relatively unfunny for older audiences.
The filler parts of the movie were dragged out for way too long, which took time away from the final conflict. The anticipated climax barely even lasted 15 minutes, and it felt like the directors were trying to clog the storyline in the allotted time without going over budget.
Although being projected as a top-notch movie, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 wasn’t the greatest. The positives barely outweigh the downsides; I give it a 3.5 out of 5. The plot was enjoyable and so were the backstories, but the movie was too targeted towards kids rather than focusing on the broader audience that enjoys the Sonic franchise. While it might be fun for the younger population, this movie doesn’t deliver the enjoyment or nostalgia I hoped for with the introduction of an iconic character like Shadow.
