sonic the hedgehog 3 [launch]
Best one by far.
One of the most satisfying things about a franchise like this is how gradually but clearly all aspects of the series get closer and closer to the source material. The score started off as generic blockbuster filler designed to appeal subconsciously to the masses, then slowly got more sprinkles of Sonicisms, before becoming a Live-and-Learn-blasting bombastic love letter to Sonic music. Jim Carrey’s Robotnik started out as a thin, generic-looking military man in all black, then shaved his head and got his iconic goggles, then finally became a plump, electric man in a spitting image of his video game counterpart. Clearly, the Sonic franchise is no longer afraid to be cartoony, colorful, or game-accurate. It's as satisfying as seeing something perfectly fit in a box.
I'm not surprised by, but very happy with, how much I enjoyed myself here. The jokes are on point with this one, it feels fresh and cartoony and silly with some fantastic action sequences, and there’s a ton of character nuance too, with depth and nail-biting stakes. From the trailers and the momentum that the franchise was carrying on from entry to entry (seamlessly flowing to the next, character, direction and end-credits scene wise), I totally called that this was going to be the best one of the three.
I’m the biggest Keanu fan on the planet, and I think it’s so funny that he’s here, and not only that, but is taking himself seriously. He’s gritty, emotional, and is quite frankly the perfect choice (I think it’s funny because it’s clearly a fan choice). But even I would be remiss to not brand Carrey as the undisputed star of the show for the third time in a row. What can I say that I haven't said before? He's eccentric, energetic, and hilarious, unapologetically hamming it up and having so much fun doing it. You can feel his enjoyment ooze through the screen.
The action sequences here are phenomenal, and a huge step up from previous entries. I thought the Tokyo fight would be the finale from the trailers, so I was surprised to see it so early. It's a great fight, thanks to the motorcycle chase, the locations and Shadow’s ferocity (and his gun!). Another entertaining one was Super Sonic versus Super Shadow. I love that the series has gotten more fantastical and embraced more magical elements, and it was really cool to see them fight all over the globe, too.
I'm going to propose some slight tweaks to this narrative- not because it's a bad movie, but because it's an incredible movie and I want everything to be just perfect. I think Shadow should have been revealed to be alive during the main runtime instead of in the post credits, and I really think he should have had a scene at the end where he talks to Team Sonic again and turns down a position on their team, kinda going back to an antihero position. I wanted a little tiny dash more of a gray area to his character after he “turned good” for the finale. Another change I'd make would vastly alter the mood of the series, but would put it on the tracks I want it to be on: killing Tom. I thought for sure they were gonna axe him after his whole “look into your heart, don't let pain change who you are” speech, and when he got injured, I legitimately worried for him, like “oh shoot, are they gonna do it?” I think a more permanent consequence would not only up the stakes and provide more of a draw for audiences who weren't worried about the characters’ safety (as it stands, when the movie wrapped up, I didn't feel too much was gonna change entry to entry moving forward), but also because the death of a father figure could make Shadow and Sonic cross narrative paths and become better foils for each other, and it could have been interesting to explore Sonic’s reaction.
Right now, I do feel like my biggest annoyance was the retread of Knuckles’ storyline aspects being given to Shadow. It’s not too egregious, but the scene of Sonic and Shadow sitting and talking on the moon was very similar to Sonic and Knuckles sitting and talking about revenge on the beach. Getting the bad guy to join the good side and help you fight after realizing the error of your ways is fine in a family movie, but to repeat it again after the immediately previous film was kind of annoying. Thankfully, the team up between Shadow and Sonic, seeing them clasp each other’s hands to imbue eachother with the Master Emerald and seeing them blast through Badniks together at the speed of light in outer space, all set to an unapologetically 2000s iconic Sonic song and pose in an identical reference to the games was triumphant and joyous to say the least.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is one of the most enjoyable video-game-based movies I've seen yet, and it's a perfect balance between a bubbly and colorful movie tailor made for kids and a love letter to the video game franchise die-hard fans grew up with. It's bombastic, unapologetic, and an absolute ear-to-ear-grin blast for all ages. One of my favorites of the year.
