Perhaps it isn’t without some level of grandiose that when you amplify your feature by doubling down on Jim Carrey’s unabashed looniness and the deep resonance of newcomer Keanu Reeves’s voice for Shadow, you can’t escape the mere thrills of having another fun time with the anthropomorphic hedgehogs and their next dangerous battle.
The Sonic films have come a long way since the disastrous teaser one too many moons ago, and then Paramount realized that a CGI Sonic is what folks signed up to embrace onscreen. The first was your typical run-of-the-mill buddy comedy, while the sequel opted for a more pop-culture-inducing extravaganza. The most redeeming aspect was Jim Carrey’s play on the egomaniacal Dr. Robotnik as he carried the vibrance and dorky aplomb whilst the hedgehogs skyrocketed around to fight machines (or other hedgehogs). In the third go-around, director Jeff Fowler must have done a hell of a job coaxing Mr. Carrey to return by allowing him to play a dual role (even if Carrey stated he was more in for the money), so Carrey gets to flatter himself by playing the young Ivo and estranged devious grandfather Gerald. Most of us yearn for Carrey’s apotheosis when he single-handedly made features like The Mask, Ace Ventura, and Liar Liar must-watches, but this is one hell of a consolation prize.
The hyperactivity is what makes this threequel a tad more alluring than its predecessors, and it almost recognizes its buffoonery through the borderline fourth-wall breaks (even if that habitual mindset is getting outlandish since everyone seems to think they can conjure it up like Ryan Reynolds). The plot follows fan-favorite Shadow breaking out of a prison facility off the coast of Japan whilst we learn a stoic somberness of the character’s backstory from fifty years prior. Driven by revenge from a traumatic event back then, Shadow takes on the blue speedball Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), intellectual Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and irony-immune Knuckles (Idris Elba) while Ivo and Gerald bond and work on a weapon that will result in worldwide annihilation.
Even for family fun, this imaginative conception comes to light as a serviceable feature to remind us about life’s lessons on choice. Its simplicity, though, proves to be its most significant flaw as it doesn’t break much mold aside from coasting on the flavorful atmosphere and Carrey and Reeves’s performances. It’s no Transformers: Dark of the Moon, but the structuring leaves much more to be desired. And some human characters become near tchotchkes for the film’s duration, particularly James Marsden and Tika Sumpter. It takes a couple of beats before it can homogenize altogether for a rousing third act with diehard SEGA fans squealing in their seats.
Overall, the zaniness and effects, coupled with Carrey’s absurd tactics and Reeves’ reserved stoicism, keep Sonic the Hedgehog 3 running nicely until the next (inevitable) installment.
