I was a snob. And not because of a love of tea and the aristocracy, but in my attitude towards the Sonic series. I considered the previous two films in the video game franchise to be nice family entertainment: quite entertaining, but with inconsequential human characters and an absolutely interchangeable story.
Like many viewers, the films for me were primarily influenced by Jim Carrey’s insane performance as the villain Dr. Robotnik worn. This is why Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is my surprise film of the year: Carrey is still at his absolute peak. But the rest is now a terrific cannonade of fun that doesn’t let up over the entire length of the film.
Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik and his grandfather: That’s what Sonic 3 is about
In Sonic 3, the team of space hedgehogs Sonic (original voice: Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) face their biggest challenge: a sinister member of their own kind, Shadow (Keanu Reeves), is out of one After 50 years of sleep, he wakes up, in a bad mood and threatens to destroy the earth. At his side, the unscrupulous scientist Gerald Robotnik (Carrey) soon emerges from the shadows. To deal with them, Sonic’s team recruits the help of his amazing living grandson, Dr. Robotnik (also Carrey).
Check out the trailer for Sonic 3 here:
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – Trailer (German) HD
Sonic 3 even surpasses its predecessors with Jim Carrey’s dual role
To convey to all Carrey fans what they probably already suspected: the star is at his absolute best in the third part of the series and once again creates the extremely entertaining fascination of the film. In his first scene alone it shows Robotnik as a disillusioned couch potatowho keeps himself afloat with slimy burritos and now has a considerable belly in front of him.
But especially in the interaction with grandfather Gerald, Carrey’s double performance shows all his genius: a dance scene in which both of them Music by the Chemical Brothers Overcoming a barrier of light barriers is so great that you almost want to dance along. Of course you don’t, as a snob. But Sonic 3 tests my limits like no other film of the year so far.
Sonic 3 surprises with its amazingly adult jokes
But what makes the third part of the film adaptation of Sega’s video game franchise so surprising to me is everything else: one gag after another is unleashed over 110 minutes. And the humor is wisely not only aimed at the main target group of 6 to 12 year olds, but will also make many of their parents laugh out loud.
For example, when Robotnik in a completely unexpected meta moment of the film Ryan Reynold’s biggest hate role pokes fun at. Or because of his belly he’s called “Elvis, 1974“. Or looks directly into the camera with an ironic comment about double roles in films.
Especially in the first few minutes of the film, which are its weakest, the previous flaws of the series shine through: irrelevant other human characters, an interchangeable story, some ugly CGI. But in an astonishing gesture, director Jeff Fowler manages to use them as gag suppliers with pinpoint irony.
Sonic 3 turns its biggest weaknesses into successes
Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter), who as a run-of-the-mill couple only offered contrast to the dazzling space hedgehogs, are almost completely complimented out of the film. When they do appear, their insignificance becomes a joke: in the midst of crocheted blankets, self-knitted sweaters and toy houses, they beg, bored by their own boredomto take part in the adventure.
And when Fowler advances his story with the usual location hopping through new CGI backgrounds, there is often a joke in there too: When the troupe gets to London, this fact is mentioned in every second word, Union Jacks hang on every window ledgeeven though it’s just a side street. As if the director and his screenwriters wanted to self-deprecatingly emphasize that this is just a backdrop that challenges the audience’s imagination.
Fowler doesn’t completely succeed in pole vaulting over Sonic 3’s flaws, so even the greatest density of gags in the 2025 film year can’t help. But it’s enough for the best film in the series, an extremely entertaining blockbuster and my biggest cinema surprise of the year.
Sonic 3 has been running since then December 25, 2024 in German cinemas.