Keanu Reeves

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the Movie Fans Have Always Wanted

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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Review

From the moment people saw the mid-credits scene for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, fans knew what was coming. The next Sonic movie would be adapting Sonic Adventure 2, widely considered to be among the best Sonic games ever made, if not the best. With the way that the Sonic films had managed to defy the curse of video game movie adaptations, combined with the rumors of Keanu Reeves playing Shadow, expectations were sky-high. And while it doesn’t follow the game’s beat-for-beat, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 still manages to meet those expectations, and then some!

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Live and learn! If you beg or if you borrow!

Sometime after the events of the previous film and the Knuckles miniseries, Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform, escapes from imprisonment by G.U.N. As the edge lord alien carves a path of revenge across the globe, Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles are called in to stop him. When they prove no match for him, though, they’re forced to team up with a very much alive Dr. Eggman. But then, things take a turn when it’s revealed that Eggman’s grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, is alive (and sprightly for a super-centenarian) and pulling the strings behind Shadow’s quest for revenge.

And that is only the start of things.

They got Keanu Reeves as Shadow. THEY GOT KEANU REEVES AS SHADOW!!!

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While the game doesn’t always hold up to modern standards in terms of graphics, there’s no denying that Sonic Adventure 2 was a high point for the franchise. The 2000s anime Sonic X had already adapted the story for itself, but any attempts to bring it to the big screen would be held to high standards by the fandom. While the source material being a video game meant that creative liberties had to be taken, they do nothing to detract from the overall story. For example, while Shadow’s revealed to be an alien like Sonic in the film, it doesn’t change his backstory. He still has that tragic past where G.U.N. killed his only friend, Maria. And he’s still the bitter, angry, and vengeful edgelord that the fans know, love, and love to make fun of. Except this time, he’s voiced by Keanu Reeves.

For years now, fans who wanted to see a movie version of Shadow the Hedgehog said that Keanu Reeves was the best choice. Given his roles as characters like Neo and John Wick, it’s not hard to see why they wanted him so badly. While he’s been memed as this ultimate edgelord, Shadow is, at his core, a character whose origins were marked by tragedy. And while his lines feel a little stiff at times, Keanu brings all of that angst to bare as Sonic’s famous rival. If anything, the film does a good job of explaining why Shadow talks the way he does. When you see how happy he was with Maria as his friend, and how heartbroken her inevitable death was, you understand why he’s filled with so much anger. He’s one hundred percent done with the world that took his happiness away from him, and he spends most of the film wanting to punish it for the injustice he suffered.

What really makes Shadow work here, though, is that he becomes even more of a direct foil to Sonic than he is in the games. Both are aliens who came to Earth, both have extraordinary powers, and both suffered great loss early in their lives. The film is very direct in saying how Shadow is how Sonic could’ve turned out if he never found friends and family. In anime terms, they become Naruto and Sasuke. But it’s so entertaining that you can’t help but enjoy seeing them banter and battle!

Double Carrey Trouble!

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Speaking of banter, we have the other standout of the film, Jim Carrey as he plays double-duty as the Robotniks. Despite saying he planned to retire from acting on a high note after Sonic 2, he wound up coming back to play Eggman again. Apparently, director Jeff Fowler wanted him back so badly that he agreed to the actor’s previous jokes about wanting a “golden script given to him by angels.” So they delivered a copy of the script printed in 24-carat ink to his doorstep. That’s how serious they were about wanting him back, and it was the right call. Bringing Dr. Eggman to life has proven to be Jim Carrey’s best performance in years, and now he got to play not just Eggman, but also Gerald Robotnik. In the same scenes, no less!

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It can be hard to play a role opposite of a character that has to be CGI’d into a film as they have to be added in later. However, Jim now had to play opposite of himself, and he did a phenomenal job of it while also making the Robotoniks feel like two distinct characters. While Eggman has always been unhinged, his repeated losses against Sonic have brought him to new lows. While he largely remains as evil as ever, Sonic 3 shows how he’s hit rock-bottom, living in hiding and eating junk food while watching telenovelas. When he meets his grandfather, someone who’s not only family, but on his intellectual level, he becomes gleeful at getting to enjoy the childhood he never had. It would honestly be heartwarming if the Robotniks weren’t villains.

As for Gerald Robotnik, having him appear alive in the film is, by far, the biggest deviation from the games. Some fans may not like that since it was his and Maria’s deaths that shaped the story, Jim does a good job of justifying him being alive, despite being more energetic than a 110-year old would normally be. It feels like Jim was channeling his precious experience as the Grinch into Gerald, as he’s even more manic than his grandson. But while Ivo is more blatant in how much he’s suffering, Gerald is a lot more subtle in how broken he is on the inside. The fact that Jim could play characters who are so similar, yet also different, at the same time is an impressive feat. If he were to retire for real after this, no one could blame him.

DROP EVERYTHING. GO WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!

Besides the executional acting from all members of the cast, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 contains plenty of callbacks and references to the franchise for fans to find. From reusing lines directly from the games and shows to even deeper cuts that only hardcore fans will get, the film is a pretty big love letter to the Sonic Franchise. It’s the best out of the Sonic movies so far, and if the people behind it decided they wanted to end things here, no one could blame them. It honestly makes it a little concerning knowing that a fourth film is already slated for 2027? How can Sega and Paramount top this? Even if the films end up going downhill from here on out, though, the first three films are still going to hold up as their own trilogy. This was easily one of the best films of 2024, and manages to blow the competition out of the water.

Does it have “Live and Learn,” though? Go see for yourself! No spoilers here!

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I Give Sonic the Hedgehog 3 a 5/5

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Is Coming!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Sonic The Hedgehog Movie , , , , , , , , ,

RJ Writing Ink’s Reaction to First Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Trailer

It took an entire season’s worth of waiting, but our patience has been rewarded. The first Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer is out, and the fans are overjoyed. Considering what we got in the stinger for the last film, we have every right to be overjoyed. We’re getting Sonic Adventure 2!

Sonic Adventure 2 is the GOAT. Change My Mind

Sonic the Hedgehog’s video games have varied in quality over the years, but most can agree that the original games on the Sega consoles were peak. And the best of them all was, arguably, Sonic Adventure 2. The opening level is one of the best in video game history, the music is filled with absolute bangers, and the darker and more mature storyline still holds up well. That, and you can’t tell me that final boss fight is the definition of awesome. Needless to say, our expectations for this film are pretty high. Thankfully, this first trailer has done an excellent job of demonstrating that it’s going to work hard to meet them.

From the outset, the trailer makes it clear that, like its prequel, Sonic 3 won’t be a beat-for-beat adaptation of the video games. While that shouldn’t be too big a surprise, I did like how Sonic’s role in the film is initially reversed from the game. Instead of being on the run from GUN, they’re being smart and asking him for his help stopping Shadow. But as the trailer makes painfully apparent, Team Sonic is still being prepared for Shadow. And as the trailer continues, things only get worse.

Shadow is Not a Joke

Shadow might be mocked online and called an edgelord and the hedgehog version of Vegeta, but as the trailer takes great pains to remind us, he’s still super dangerous. It doesn’t make it clear if Shadow is an artificial life-form like in the games or if he’s another alien like Team Sonic, but if it’s the latter, then it only makes his status as Sonic’s anithesis all the more apparent. Whereas Sonic found friends and acceptance on Earth, Shadow’s backstory remains in full effect for the movie. And if you played the games or saw the videos, you know how bad that is.

And yes, the rumors were true: Keanu Reeves is voicing Shadow.

Even better, though? Dr. Eggman is back!!

JIM CARREY IS BACK!!!

After Sonic 2 came out, Jim Carrey claimed that he seriously considered retiring from acting after bringing Dr. Robotnik to the big screen. And I don’t blame him. After being one of the big-name comedic actors in the 90s and 2000s, the man almost fell off the grid. His playing Eggman was his best role in years! I put it up there with Ace Ventura and The Mask for him! I would be sad if he wanted to retire, but understand he’d like to end things on a high note. Thankfully, not only is he coming back, but he’s also playing another character that I don’t think anyone expected.

None of us know why Gerald Robotnik is still alive in the film, but it’s a pretty big twist, considering what he does in the video games. Plus, it gives Jim to show off by playing alongside himself. And, his Gerald Robotnik reminds me of when he played the Grinch, but without that weird Sean Connery lisp.

I don’t know why Paramount and Sega decided to wait until less than three months before the film comes out to release the trailer, but they do a good job of making up for lost time. I follow many people in the entertainment industry on social media, and many of them are as excited about this film as the rest of the fans. However, it will be going up against Disney’s Mufasa in the box office. I love The Lion King, but I have yet to see the need for the CGI remake or this prequel. So, let’s ensure that Sonic blows that film out of the water! After that, we can worry about whether Paramount should make more Sonic movies.

Also, if the climax doesn’t have “Live and Learn” then I’m gonna so mad!