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Sonic 3 is an Adventure Too Wild for Some

Eagle-eyed fans of the Sonic franchise have been eagerly awaiting the third entry in the blue blur’s film series, Sonic the Hedgehog 3. As far as trailers go, many were quick to point out that the film seemed to dip a lot into the pool of Dreamcast-GameCube era Sonic titles. Sonic Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, and most notably Sonic Adventure 2 all seemed to have a presence and/or impact on the film’s contents in some way. As with the movies that preceded this, it seemed to be a collage of various elements from across the series’ history along with a few original pieces that culminated in what appeared to at least be a mainly Sonic Adventure 2-adjacent adaptation. Diehard fans of the series have been loving Sonic the Hedgehog 3, with its blend of homages and faithfulness playing wonderfully with the performances of the main cast and the sets mirroring places both new and old from the movies and games. Though, some pacing and writing issues may hold it back for some who try to view the series from a more professionally cinematic perspective.

As early on as the first Sonic film, director Jeff Fowler seemed to be a credible enough pick for most. Among some of his previous work was production of the pre-rendered CGI cutscenes of 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog. Now that the titular antihero has made his debut in a starring role portrayed by Keanu Reeves, it only felt natural for Fowler to come full-circle by producing another Shadow-centric project.

For the story the film is going for, there couldn’t have been anyone better to tell it. I would argue this is the best “adaptation” the series has gone for, with so many memorable lines, scenes, and plotpoints present in full display. The line Ben Schwartz’s Sonic drops before jumping out of a GUN airplane in the beginning of the film directly mirrors the hedgehog’s first spoken line in Sonic Adventure 2. Much of the other adapted elements of the film tread into spoiler territory, but it feels important to mention a character whose portrayal subverts the serious tone of his original appearance in the game: the grandfather of Dr. Robotnik, Dr. Gerald Robotnik.

The outline of Gerald Robotnik, for the most part, takes after his counterpart from the video game series. He pioneered the creation of Shadow and was often accompanied by his granddaughter, Maria Robotnik. However, while Gerald Robotnik is imprisoned and later executed in Sonic Adventure 2, the scientist seems to walk a free man in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. With his grandson Dr. Ivo Robotnik by his side, the two form a plan to free the Eclipse Cannon, an aerial space station of immense size and power, to rule humanity. However, their motivations and plans while working in tandem couldn’t be more different.

Sonic 3 reviews, release date, cast, trailer, plot, and more | GamesRadar+

While the film’s faithfulness and respect to the source material gels with most fans of Sonic the Hedgehog, many more casual viewers who don’t follow the series’ lore as closely may find themselves wrapped up with a bit more mixed reception. The film takes the viewer straight into the action pretty quickly, and while this is beneficial to get the greater plot at hand moving along, the pacing at which it’s done can be jarring to some. I personally found that once Gerald was introduced, the film’s pacing improved significantly as it focused on the bigger picture and overarching plot rather than one thing happening after the next.

In addition, the film can struggle to pick a lane at times. Sonic Adventure 2 deals with a story that can be much more grim and serious at times. While the film is able to take its themes and plot just as serious when it needs to, the way it’s often interspersed with quips or jokes or generally any jarring switch-ups in direction might disengage the action for some and take them out of the immersion of the film’s story.

In my opinion, these frustrations come with the Sonic the Hedgehog films and always will. These are all completely valid criticisms of the film’s direction, pacing, and writing, but when the past two movies juggled their contents in a similar way, it’s hard for myself and many other fans of the series to start complaining about it now. While these elements may not strike an absolutely perfect balance even three films in, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as a package is fun enough that I don’t personally want to bother complaining about what I felt held the film down for me. Rather, I find it nice seeing where the film series has gone since the first entry.

Around the time of the first trailer (containing the now scrapped realistic Sonic design), video game adaptations in cinema were in a more rough patch. The most well-received one I can remember from up to that point was Detective Pikachu, which funny enough gets a shout-out early on in Sonic 3. Even getting one film out of the Sonic property was like watching pigs fly, and now we’re at a point where we’ve gotten two sequels and a spin-off series on Paramount+, with a fourth film confirmed to be on the way. When that last one drops, we’ll still be seated. It’s been fascinating watching the films succeed as a pillar independent from the games, and I’ll always look forward to supporting their craft, even if a bit sloppy at times.

Paramount Drops 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' Trailer #2 | Animation World Network

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is now playing in theaters, and will release to digital platforms on January 21st, 2025.

For more Sonic content, make sure to check out our parent site, Galxy, where all episodes of the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog series are streaming on their very own channel!

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