NEW YORK (OSV News) — In approaching the comic adventure “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” (Paramount), viewers will likely be expecting to witness more of the hyperkinetic antics that are the trademark of the Sega video game-based characters around whom the franchise is built. What they may not be bargaining for are complex layers of emotional pain.
The speedy blue creature of the title (voice of Ben Schwartz), an alien refugee from a faraway planet, has always been on a quest for meaning. But the earlier chapters of his story, released in 2020 and 2022, didn’t delve much into moral decision-making.
Instead, they showed Sonic learning to maneuver around human friends — as well as his animal pals, Knuckles (voice of Idris Elba) and Tails (voice of Colleen O’Shaughnessey). Along the way, those films also gently dispensed advice about self-control and knowing when to choose the moment of your destiny.
This time out, the tone has changed markedly. Nearly everyone on screen has a wounded soul as the result of an unmet need or a past tragedy.
Take the case of the series’ recurring antagonist, Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik (Jim Carrey). As they continue to blend animation and live action, returning director Jeff Fowler and veteran screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller — joined on this sequel, as they were on the last movie, by John Whittington — seem intent on exploring how their villain acquired his wicked ways.
Robotnik continues to deliver his rapid-fire in-jokes with all the snappy alacrity of Bob Hope in his prime. But he also suffers from abandonment issues, and at one point acknowledges that he’s engaged in trauma-dumping. Sonic sums it up when he exclaims, “Dude, you’ve got some major issues!”
Robotnik finds a long-lost family connection in the person of his grandfather, Gerald (also Carrey). Yet, even as his grandson tries to renew his own sense of belonging, Gerald is more focused on destroying the planet — just for the fun of it.
A second, still darker, narrative concerns Sonic’s fellow ET hedgehog, Shadow (voice of Keanu Reeves). No sooner had Shadow arrived on Earth, concealed inside a meteorite, than he was imprisoned in a giant vial of chemicals.
Shadow’s only friend, Maria (Alyla Browne) — Gerald’s 11-year-old granddaughter and Robotnik’s cousin — managed to spring him from confinement and the two enjoyed some idyllic times together. But then Maria was killed in battle, as shown in one of the movie’s many explosive scenes of combat, and Shadow was once again incarcerated.
Little wonder, then, that Shadow’s demeanor is one of lethal bitterness and sorrow.
The demise of a cartoon version of Maria within the context of a video game (where she succumbs to a terminal illness) is one thing. The impact of watching a flesh-and-blood Maria fall victim to warfare may be quite another.
Taken together with the psychological elements at work throughout the picture, this plot point suggests that this is not a snuggly “Sonic” suitable for little kids. In fact, even some younger teens may find such material too challenging.
The film contains mature themes, intense action sequences, including the death of a child, and cartoonish physical violence. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
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