Colour, movement and hijinks are back in the latest instalment of the video game spin off Sonic The Hedgehog 3. Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and his pals, Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), have settled into domestic bliss in Green Hills. That is after their decisive victory over the evil Dr Robotnik (Jim Carrey) in Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022).
Suddenly, while on a camping trip with their foster parents Tom and Maddie Wachowski (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter), they receive an urgent request. It comes from the Guardian Units of Nations, a secretive international security and military force. After being held in suspended animation for 50 years, Shadow the Hedgehog (voiced by Keanu Reeves) has broken free of captivity, hell bent on revenge. The reason for his vitriol is the untimely death decades earlier of his only friend, a girl named Maria (Alyla Browne).
Team Sonic is dispatched to Japan to try to stop Shadow from continuing to run amok. They end up on a wild chase through the streets of Tokyo and London, and eventually in outer space. Also returning is Dr Robotnik, who, as the story begins, has hit rock bottom. He is joined by his ruthless 110-year-old look-alike grandfather, Gerald, who is very much on Shadow’s side.
Director Jeff Fowler is back at the helm, as are all the writers of Sonic 2, Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington. So, you can be assured of the continuation of the zaniness that characterised the earlier two films in the franchise. The story takes many a twist and it takes concentration to follow. Sonic 3 is another great vehicle for Jim Carrey. This time he plays opposite himself, filling the roles of both Dr Robotnik and Dr Robotnik’s grandfather. The deliberately ridiculous, exaggerated handlebar moustaches on both set the scene nicely.
While Dr Robotnik is at first delighted to have found a family connection, Gerald is hardly the warm, sharing type. And Sonic does a double take when he initially confronts Shadow, who looks just like him, only in different colours. Then, as events unfold, Sonic is forced to face his own demons. Dealing with loss and morality have a big part to play in the outcome of this movie. In closing, remember to stay on until the last frame, because through the credits and then again at the very end, the picture points to developments in the next instalment.
Alex First
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Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.