Children are in for great entertainment this weekend with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. With Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog, Jim Carrey as Doctor Eggman (and also as Dr. Gerald Robotnik), Krysten Ritter as Director Rockwell, Ben Schwartz as Sonic, James Marsden as Tom Wachowski, Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, and Alyla Browne as Maria Robotnik, the film is an action-comedy adventure that will definitely win your hearts.
Live-action and animated characters that are as lively as humans fill the film with a great deal of emotions, fun, laughter, drama, and comedy. In the case of live-action films, my personal experience is that the first sequel remains the best, but this logic often always fails in the case of animation films, where the next edition ends up becoming superior to the previous ones.
Thanks to real hard work behind the scenes and the technology used to create the theatrical excellence, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 packs a good punch. Based on a game series by SEGA, the film opens up with a scene of prison in Japan, where Shadow The Hedgehog has been in captivity for the last 50 years and has been put in suspended animation. Shadow escapes with the help of a plan by Dr. Gerald Robotnik and starts creating havoc in the city. Shadow, having extra powers in the form of Chaos Control, was created by Dr. Robotnik to counter his arch-rival Sonic.
Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails fight him hard, but Shadow’s powers are immense, and he is filled with the ideas of revenge for what has been done to him for the last 50 years. In 1974, while Dr. Robotnik was escaping with Shadow and Maria from his lab, Maria was killed, and Shadow could never forget this. What follows is a roller-coaster ride of fights between Team Sonic, Dr. Gerald Robotnik teaming up with his grandson Dr. Eggman, and Shadow The Hedgehog, and the bosses at G.U.N. (Guardian Units of Nations), all aiming to capture a keycard that can unleash the Eclipse Cannon’s power.
Well, there is a change of heart for a few and the foes turn friends and vice versa too in the film. Dr. Ivo Robotnik (the grandson) joins hands with his grandfather Dr. Gerald Robotnik, to destroy Earth and instead decides to save it since he could never rule it. Animations, visual effects, and special effects are simply awesome and provide a great visual treat. Action sequences, armoured fights, drone attacks, and the lightening maneuvers of Sonic and Shadow are simply thrilling.
Many good lines like “You always have choices, Make the right one,” or “There’s no such thing as a friendly ghost,” or “It’s Almost Like We’re Played By The Same Actor” or “Stone, you were more than a sycophant to me,” or “You were… a syco-friend,” or “Talk about low budget flights. No food or movies, I’m outta here!” come at the right moments making you laugh or tickle or shock for that matter.
Jeff Fowler directed Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is not only a visual treat but also a great fun watch for the children and their parents!
Praveen Nagda is Festival Director of KidzCINEMA and CultureCinema Film Festivals
