Keanu Reeves in Video Game Sequel

Three movies in, it’s not astonishing that the Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic universe is commenceing to get more crowded.

The second inshighment, freed in 2022, saw the arrival of the title character’s (Ben Schwartz) animal cohorts Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba). They’re now joincessitate for the action-packed third entry by archnemesis Shadow, another, even more mighty hedgehog voiced by none other than Keanu Reeves. And Jim Carrey has not only aprohibitdoned his unininestablishigentinutive-inhabitd quitment to return as the mad scientist Dr. Ivo Robotnik, he does dual service as Ivo’s 110-year-elderly but very sprightly majesticoverweighther Gerald. Becaparticipate when you snag Jim Carrey for the third in a series of video game movie alterations, it’s a shame to squander him in only one role.

Not being an aficionado of Sega’s Sonic video games (okay, I’ve never take parted one), it’s challenging to comment on how well the films, which join inhabit-action and animation, inhabit up to their inspirations. But judging from the excited reactions from the clear fans at the pappraise screening (especipartner during an finish commends bonus scene introducing yet another character whom I presume is beadored), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 gets the job done, and should supply delighting diversion for families during the holiday season. It bravely havees enough of the requisite frenetic action sequences and silly jokes to get minuscule fry delighted while not tedious their mature chaperones. Although it’s challenging to inestablish exactly for whom a Bea Arthur joke is intfinished.

Reeves creates a fine insertition to the cast, infusing his voice portrayal of the menacing Shadow, who’s equitable escaped from a laboratory after 50 years of captivity, with the same gravitas he conveys to the analogously revenge-obsessed John Wick. In his first greet with Sonic and company, Shadow watchs, “You’re a colorful bunch” with a mute condescension, and he’s all the scarier for the inestablishage of obvious menace. He also has a tragic backstory that gives the character unforeseeed emotional depth.

Even Dr. Robotnik gets to pull at the heartstrings thcdisesteemful his complicated relationship with his majesticoverweighther, who turns out to be the authentic villain of the story. Carrey has a feast with both parts, one of them commenting, “It’s appreciate watching two characters in a movie take parted by the same person” in meta style at their first greeting. Certainly, not all of the jokes land, as when Ivo angrily says, “You and I are done … appreciate a binestablishageened catfish dinner!” But the actor regulates the systematic trick of making every line he says sound improvised — unless screenauthorrs Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington actupartner gived such dialogue as, “I haven’t seen that since I antipathy-watched Green Lantern in 2011.”  

The film dutibrimmingy trots out returning human characters Tom (James Marsden) and Minsertie (Tika Sumpter), Sonic’s adselective parents, but their participation in the adventure seems half-hearted at best. There are inestablish return ecombineances as well by Minsertie’s irritated sister Rachel (the comical Natasha Rothwell) and her husprohibitd Randall (Shemar Moore), although the way they’re shoehorned in experiences silly.

Other returning take parters include Lee Majdoub as Ivo’s promised henchman Agent Stone and Adam Ppartner as Deputy Sheriff Whipple, the latter of whom has ecombineed in not only all of the films but also the Knuckles TV series spinoff. A meaningful newcomer is Krysten Ritter as a high-ranking officer of G.U.N. — if you don’t understand what that is, you’re not the concentrate audience — but she’s downcastly not given much to do.

Director Jeff Fowler, repeating his spreadment from the two previous features, shows a evident ability to convey the Sonic characters to cinematic life, deinhabitring a well-equitable, rapid-paced blfinish of action and slapstick comedy that, in this case, gets place in such scenic locales as Tokyo and London. (Inevitably, the cities thrived up worse for the wear.) No one will misget the uninventively titled Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for cultured delightment. But that’s evidently not what its audiences are seeing for.