Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film review - a fitting finale for the Year of Shadow

Sega and Paramount more closely align game and film worlds for an authentic Sonic romp with added Keanu cool.

Back in April, Sega dubbed 2024 the Year of Shadow, in celebration of Sonic's Adventure 2 nemesis. We've had Lego sets, mobile game events, a motorcycle tour, and of course the excellent Shadow campaign in Sonic x Shadow Generations. But it's all been leading up to this, the main event: Keanu Reeves, as Shadow, in Sonic 3.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is much like Sonic x Shadow Generations, really, in that it's the best the Sonic film franchise has ever been, but the blue blur has once again been overshadowed. Shadow the Hedgehog is Sonic's darker, edgier, more mysterious counterpart first introduced in the Dreamcast game sequel. He's cooler, not only because he's voiced by Reeves, but because he rides a motorcycle and then does the Akira slide up the side of Tokyo tower. Sonic's left in the dust eating chilli dogs.

The film's director Jeff Fowler wastes little time in setting up Shadow as this film's antagonist. Where the first film established Sonic (Ben Schwartz) as an alien now living in the US town of Green Hills, the second film brought in Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) to follow the original Mega Drive games more closely (namely Sonic 3). Sonic 3 (the film) continues this trajectory as the addition of Shadow brings the film closer still to the world of the games, with a story heavily influenced by Sonic Adventure 2. Tokyo, for instance, makes a fitting alternative to Radical Highway, blurring the line between film and game.

In short, Fowler has properly hit his stride with this third film. Fittingly, the story pacing is fast and concise: Shadow's a seemingly evil hedgehog who's escaped from a research facility after 50 years in stasis, and only Sonic and his pals - the Sonic Heroes, if you will - can stop him. Robotnik, or Eggman (Jim Carrey) is back too, despite Carrey previously stating his intention to retire from acting. This particular golden script was obviously enough for him to return and he's clearly having a lot of fun - he's in typically outlandish form here, love or hate him, and his newly bald head helps to bring his cartoonish characterisation even closer to the games.

Shadow brings a darker, more mature tone, with a particularly tragic backstory told in flashback to keep up the pace. He is the stoic shadow to the mischievous young girl Maria and their friendship (based on his standalone game) is handled tenderly, while giving Shadow relatable bad boy motives. Where the games often struggled to show human and 'hog relationships (looking at you Sonic '06), here it's more convincing thanks to succinct and natural writing. The film even dips a white-gloved finger into horror alongside rain-soaked nighttime action, for a welcome contrast to the bright jokey antics of the film's heroes. Shadow makes for a cool, aloof older brother-like figure compared to Sonic's impatient petulance.

Still, this is very much a family film - literally so, with its central theme focused on the importance of family. There's a strong balance between cheesy, heartwarming storytelling and lively, anime-inspired action for Sonic fans young and old. As for the jokes, there are some absolutely groan-inducing dad jokes looking squarely through the fourth wall, as well as fun puns and winks at the audience - that Detective Pikachu reference in the trailer, for instance. There are certainly more hits than misses, though.

While Sonic 3 works well enough as a standalone film, it's a fun game of spot the reference, too. Sonic Adventure 2 features heavily, with its iconic Live and Learn hook looping its way into the soundtrack on multiple occasions, and even direct quotes from the game had me grinning in recognition. I won't spoil the rest (least of all the post credit sequences - there are two!), but there are nods to plenty of games in the hedgehog's past, similarly to the previous films.

The film focuses on its central three characters with plenty of game references | Image credit: Paramount

Sonic 3 feels authentic to the games, then, and as a result, the human characters from the previous two films are mostly sidelined. It's these characters that, to an extent, gave the films their own identity, rather than some sort of live-action direct retelling of the games. Yet it's as if the scriptwriters have run out of ideas of what to do with them. Tom (James Marsden) and his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter) barely feature, while Maddie's sister Rachel (Natash Rothwell) and husband Randall (Shemar Moore) follow their slapstick wedding from the previous film with a shoehorned-in cameo. This is a welcome change, with the film focused on slick action over absurd comedy, though it's a shame to see Lee Majdoub's Agent Stone become such a wet blanket and Krysten Ritter's Director Rockwell is underutilised as a villain. Adam Pally also returns as Wade Whipple fresh from starring in the Knuckles TV show, but thankfully only for a brief moment.

Indeed, knowledge of that TV show is not required to enjoy Sonic 3. Franchise producer Toby Ascher previously stated the films were aiming to be "Avengers-level events" with TV shows as character studies, and Sonic 3 certainly has the feel of an explosive film event that brings together its best-loved characters. Its action sequences feel more akin to anime, with plenty of slow-motion poses (not just that Akira slide) that will have box art fans happy, and an out-of-this-world climactic sequence that feels more like Dragon Ball Z than anything else. It exudes confidence and cool, and more often than not Shadow is at the core.

If anything fills in the gaps between the games and films, it's the movie DLC that's been added to Sonic x Shadow Generations. It takes place in Tokyo as players control Shadow escaping from Shibuya Crossing pursued by the military organisation G.U.N. and while the level design isn't quite as strong as that of the main game, it's an enjoyable nod to the film as Sonic more keenly becomes a cross-media franchise.

Sonic 3 is a resounding success and fitting finale to the Year of Shadow. It's quippy and self-aware, balancing broad pop culture appeal with authenticity to its source material, while its flashy action thrills alongside an unbridled sense of cool that's only enhanced by Reeves as Shadow. Between this year's games and film, Sonic's shining bright with Shadow in tow.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is out in UK cinemas on 21st December courtesy of Paramount.