Films for Breakfast

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 gives a jolting punch of freshness to what would be expected from a final installment of the trilogy. Having seen the first two films, I was nervous about this film falling into certain tropes such as “sequel escalation,” but Sonic begins with the team as it was the last scene in Sonic 2. With Sonic’s (Ben Schwartz)  silly self-deprecating jokes, Tails’s (Colleen O’Shaughnesse) sweet-natured cuteness, and Knuckle’s (Idris Elba) serious, determined nature along with Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) being the picturesque found family parents full of love and commitment to teaching these “aliens” about the abounding love of friendship and how important it is to stay true to your heart. 

Shadow (Keanu Reeves) quite literally casts a shadow onto these themes by showing what happens when love is not at the forefront of one’s heart. I was not anticipating contemplating the idea of nature versus nurture for this film. Still, Shadow and Sonic’s relationship embodies the debate as we learn of Shadow’s past, present, and future. However, Sonic and Shadow illuminate that it is not a debate but a choice of who you want to be. The plot continually presents the characters with these choices of who they are, which could be redundant if the action sequences had no zest, but thankfully they do.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 stays true to its desktop screensaver-esque shots, slow-motion action, and meta jokes, which, in my opinion, is a mixture of fan service and a modern reinterpretation. Although it jumps around many pitfalls of being a threequel, it still relies on the knowledge of the previous Sonic film to progress the plot. There are homages to the earlier films, which certainly had the audience roaring, but as someone who is not a mega Sonic fan, I was more entertained by the character developments, comedy, and plot.

Bringing exciting voice actors such as Keanu Reeves to voice Shadow adds to the already fabulous ensemble of Sonic. The voice actors genuinely change their voices to embrace their characters, and it’s so fulfilling to experience ingenuity and accuracy. Especially Jim Carrey, who continues to deliver some of the best physical comedy through his performance as Doctor Eggman, who truly elevates the entirety of the film. With the fantastic laughs, squeals, and screaming at post-credit scenes, I was smiling from ear to ear because the fans genuinely love this saga with all their hearts.

If you are one of these fans or even someone who has seen the first two Sonics, I recommend going to see this film opening weekend to experience the fun of going to the cinema whilst watching a sequel that lives up to the first two installments.