Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet. (from IMDB)

Since the first release of Sonic the Hedgehog in 2020, we've had a new Sonic entry every two years, with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 being the latest entry in 2024. The first film was immediately hit with criticism and controversy when its first trailer debuted, showing a very hideous rendition of the titular hero. Thankfully, the filmmakers listened and pushed the film back several months from a holiday 2019 release date to February 2020 in order to redesign the character. The delay and redesign worked in their favor, too, as the film became a huge success. Two Springs later, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 released, and now, just in time for Christmas, we have a third film, which somewhat serves as a trilogy completion.

So many times, sequels take what people seemed to love about the first film and ratchet it up considerably for the sequel... which is usually a mistake. For Sonic 2, that meant that side characters who appeared for a few laughs in the first movie were given much (much) bigger parts in some cases. These films center around a smalltown sheriff named Tom, played by James Marsden, who finds Sonic when he's seeking solace in Tom's garage, and quickly befriends the little Blue Blur. Tom is married to a lovely and supportive wife named Maddie, played by Tika Sumpter, and the pair have a really nice dynamic together. However, at one point in the first film, Maddie goes to visit her sister Rachel, a loud and "spirited" woman, played with plenty of sass by Natasha Rothwell, who is very vocal about her dislike for Tom (which is off-putting since he's such a nice guy), and constantly suggests that Maddie divorce him. Rachel gets a few laughs in the few moments she's on screen, but apparently that was enough to warrant beefing up her part for the sequel. Also, Tom's deputy in Green Hills is the dopey but lovable Wade, played by Adam Pally. Again, he gets a few laughs in the first film, but he's given a much more substantial part in the sequel. The sequel has Tom and Maddie whisking away to Hawaii for Rachel's wedding, leaving Sonic at home (and vulnerable to new threats). There's a sequence about midway through the film where Rachel chases after her new husband who she just discovered was a government agent, and the movie comes to a screeching hault (you can practically hear the projector's gears grinding). It's brutal, and it mars what is otherwise a very enjoyable sequel. Wade also gets more screentime back in Green Hills when he's holding down the fort in Tom's absence, and while some of his moments are still amusing (I definitely appreciated the Ghostbusters joke he delivers), he overstays his welcome in an already over-stuffed movie as it is.

Once again, the filmmakers seemed to have learned from their mistakes, and the aforementioned side characters are all mercifully reduced to glorified cameos this time around, and the movie is considerably better for it. As it is, Sonic is now splitting screentime with his new animated pals Tails and Knuckles, and a new hedgehog foe has also emerged in Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves). Jim Carrey gloriously returns as the head villain, Dr. Robotnik, and this time gets to meet his long lost grandfather... who he also plays. If you didn't like Carrey's antics in the other movies, you'll now get a double-dose, but personally, I've always felt he was one of the best parts of these films. His performance has only gotten better with each movie, too, and you can tell he's having the time of his life this time around. He leans into the classic "Jim Carrey antics" once more, and it's rather nice to see him returning to the style of comedy that made him famous again. The movie also doesn't shy away from the fact that Carrey is playing two roles here, and even tosses in a meta joke about it, nearly breaking the fourth wall.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 rights the ship so well that it hardly ever slows down for longer than a moment or two. Where Rachel's side storyline felt superfluous in Sonic 2, there's a lot more focus on these - or important new - characters. Some time is spent on Shadow's backstory, and it helps viewers understand where he's coming from and even sympathize with his plight. Shadow also has ties with Robotnik's grandfather, which is actually really part of the character's lore, and this leads Robotnik to even partner with Sonic for a portion of this story. Sonic 3 seems to try to avoid repeating too many things from the first two films, only referencing them in appropriate, or cute, ways. Sonic 3 is also a surprisingly more emotional installment. Revenge and its negative effects is a big theme in the film. Friendship has also been a big theme throughout the series, and that plays a part here as well. But with Shadow's backstory, we learn that he lost someone very close to him, which then becomes a sensitive matter when the life of someone close to Sonic is ultimately threatened. There's also an act of sacrifice that happens in the finale that may come as a surprise to some, and that comes with its own level of emotion as well. If you're well-invested in this franchise, bring tissues with you.

On that note - and this is going to be slightly spoiler-y - it's part of the plot that a young girl from the past had been killed in an accident. This is part of Shadow's backstory, and part of what really drives his character's motivations, so some screentime is devoted to developing their relationship via flashbacks. When we finally get to the moment where we find out just how she was killed, it's handled delicately, but it's still surprising that a child's death is part of the plot of a family film like this. Later, a character knowingly sacrifices themself, and it's pretty clear they disappear in an explosion (with little chance they actually escaped somehow; think No Time to Die and you'll catch my drift).

The content is in line with the previous films, albeit with a tiny bit more language and more action overall. For language, there's about 1 "h*ll," 2 "d*mn," 2 "Oh my G-d" and 1 "bad*ss." There's also a corny telenovela that Robotnik is watching that reveals a woman is cheating on a man with his twin brother. And in that scene, one of them uses the word "b*stardo." Carrey's Robotnik uses some crude humor again, on occasion, with one reference being to his weight gain and having "man boobs," then making a comment about "all the genders" (as if there are more than 2), and mentioning (again) his "egg sack" in reference to his small egg-shaped drones. The action is pretty strong throughout, with explosions, some death (particularly the aforementioned young girl and a military general, as well as a probable surprise one in the finale), and a globe-wide threat. There is no visual graphic violence, with the most being an abrasion/bruising along the side of a man's head. Overall, if you liked the first two movies, this one fits right in line... with some added emotional levels, of course.

My teenage son and I have a casual love for the Sonic video games and characters, so when we attended the "Fan Event" on the afternoon of opening day, we were both shocked at the bombastic enthusiasm from fans in the audience. As someone who's attended opening night for Star Wars and Marvel movies, this may be up there as one of the most excited audiences I've ever sat in. All this to say -- if you're a diehard fan of the franchise, Sonic 3 delivers.

It's amazing to be three-movies deep into a franchise that seemed doomed to fail from the start, and be presented with possibly the best entry in the franchise to date. You can only take seriously a movie about a video game hedgehog that can run at the speed of light so much, and for what it is, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a fun time at the movies. If you liked the previous movies, this one is a worthy addition, but if this kind of movie isn't your cup of tea, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 probably won't change your mind.

As with the first two movies, there is a mid-credits scene that teases a possible follow-up entry, so definitely stick around for that. (It's surprisingly not super short either.) But for the first time in the franchise, there IS a post-credits scene! This reveals the fate of one of the film's characters, so you will probably want to stick around for that as well (but this particular scene is super short).