From his debut in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog has remained one of the most recognizable faces in gaming. The way-cool hedgehog’s super speed, cocky personality and cast of lovable friends and enemies has won fans over time and time again, throughout the franchise’s highest highs and lowest lows. The blue blur’s success has branched out into Sonic cartoons, comics and a recent film series combining computer-animated game characters with a live-action environment.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released in theatres on Dec. 20, continuing the video game icon’s cinematic adventure. In this new installment in the Sonic franchise, Sonic faces the fan-favorite game character Shadow the Hedgehog as he breaches containment and wreaks havoc. “With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet,” the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 official synopsis writes.
Keanu Reeves joins the star-studded voice cast as Shadow, joining the likes of Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey, who reprises her role as Tails the Fox from her work with the character in the game series. “One of the things Keanu did, which is really smart, was identify the other characters’ voice performances. When you have four voice actors in the same film, they all want to have their own unique sound. Keanu identified that need and found his Shadow,” director Jeff Fowler said in an interview with CBS News.
The animated cast of characters is joined by Jim Carrey, who returns to the films as the comedic villain Dr. Ivo Robotnik (also known as Dr. Eggman), as well as playing the character’s grandfather, Dr. Gerald Robotnik. Carrey recorded the two performances separately, acting as if his other character were another actor as the characters spoke, danced and ate ice cream together. “It’s a very technically difficult thing to do… Acting these days is a lot of imagination and a lot of pantomime, almost,” Carrey said in an interview with Screen Rant.
Shadow’s inclusion in the film stirred much excitement among fans, as the character is popular for his edgier tone compared to the rest of the Sonic world. The film is sincere in adapting Shadow’s tragic origin story from the games, as he grieves over the loss of a girl named Maria. “I think fans will watch this film and really appreciate Shadow and Maria. A lot of care and a lot of love has gone into telling Shadow’s story and giving fans the best movie version of the character imaginable,” Fowler said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
The movie is heavily inspired by fan-favorite 2001 game Sonic Adventure 2, as the game introduced Shadow and carries a similar plot to that seen in the film. The film takes advantage of the beloved source material and is filled to the brim with references to the game through musical motifs, quotes and classic poses from the game. “I think we’ll make fans really happy,” Schwartz said in an interview with CBR.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the best Sonic movie yet, as fans and critics alike have shared their love for the film. Following the film’s great success, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has been announced with a Mar. 19, 2027 release date. “Every one of these movies almost feels like a different genre. The first one’s kind of a buddy comedy. The second one’s kind of like an adventure, ‘Indiana Jones’ movie. This one brings the darkness in Shadow, and the next one can have a totally different vibe. It’s just heaven,” Schwartz said in an interview with Variety.
