'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' Review
Updated: 3 days ago
Release Date: 12/25/25 [Cinemas]
Genre: Action. Adventure. Comedy. Family. Fantasy.
MPAA: Rated PG.
Distributor: Paramount Pictures.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Back in 2020, when the original Sonic the Hedgehog braved its way into theaters after a massive overhaul of its main character’s design, who’d have thought we’d get an actual quality video game adaptation… and now close out a trilogy. In my humble opinion, the first two films are absolute delights, though they do have problems scattered throughout. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 takes note of what people criticized in the other two films and removed most of the issues… humans.
Of course there still has to be some humanity in the film. Still, the threequel focuses more on the video game characters than the humans they made for comedic relief in the previous two films. This means James Marsden as Tom, Taika Sumpter as Maddie, Adam Pally as Wade, Natasha Rothwell as Rachel, and Shamar Moore as Randall from the previous outings are used minimally, only in the most necessary moments. The new human characters are used as side threats, but don't worry, humanity is represented primarily by dual Jim Carrey roles!
Jim Carrey returns not only as Dr. Robotnik, but also as Dr. Robotnik’s long-lost grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. The two share a lot of screen time and get to know one another throughout the picture, as they hadn’t met until this very moment. They are absolutely inseparable and deliver the maximum comedy you’d expect from a comedy legend like Carrey playing two. Plus, every Sonic feature film has to have a dance sequence, and here it’s used flawlessly in a hilarious dance as the two Robotniks break into a vault. Carrey clearly loves playing this role, and you can see it clearly shine through in his performance(s); here in the third film he’s fully let loose to express his comedic chops.
The rag-tag trio of “Team Sonic”, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, return, and their bond is stronger than ever. Over the course of the three films, as each character joined in, they've stumbled into how they interact as a unit, but now they work together as a true team. Of course, even a team has some disagreements. Ben Schwartz remains a brilliant casting choice for Sonic the Hedgehog; he exudes chaotic charm and impatience that fit his character. As someone who hasn’t played the games, I can still recognize the great decision to embrace the original actor of Tails: Colleen O’Shaughnessey. Lastly, of course, there’s Knuckles, played by Idris Elba, who has really come into his own after the 2nd film and an entire spin-off Paramount+ series. Elba delivers the biggest laughs among the three, which is surprising given the comedic power behind the voices.
New to the entourage is Shadow, introduced visually only at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2; there was a lot of guessing about who would ultimately play the villainous Hedgehog. As luck would have it, a character as badass as Shadow got a certified badass behind the mic in Keanu Reeves. Oddly enough, from the first film having the characters watch Speed to a reference in this film in the form of a math equation using the bus's MPH in Speed, Keanu has clearly been on these filmmakers' minds all along. Reeves admittedly takes a bit to get used to in the form of the animated being, delivering a few lines and threats to our trio. It's not until he opens up and more backstory comes out that Keanu Reeves' John Wick voice fully absorbs into the character of Shadow.
The storyline isn’t revolutionary; it’s still a “save the world” plot, but with so many great characters in this third offering, it’s difficult not to be fully immersed in the adventure on screen. Time flew by with Sonic and the gang this time ‘round, and it was great to see some serious gravity (and stakes), something missing from the previous two outings.
Fans of the games and characters should be pleasantly surprised, as I was in awe several times by how gorgeous the animation looked as it neared the climax and a battle of strengths between Shadow and Sonic. Carrey absolutely steals the show as the Robotniks, and going forward with his involvement in Flux, it’s hard to say I’ll be entirely interested in the sequels to come (Sonic the Hedgehog 4 announced for March 2027). As one of the rare trilogies of its kind, the Sonic films are certifiably some of the best video game adaptations ever to grace our screens.
