Sonic The Hedgehog 3 The Movie Review

 

 I grew up on Sonic The Hedgehog. One of my first games was playing Sonic The Hedgehog on Sega Genesis. I remember how much I loved the Blue Blur, how when I got my copy of Sonic 2 The Game, rented Sonic 3 at Blockbuster, and when for a birthday I got Sonic & Knuckles with the cartridge that allowed you to be Knux in Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 I was on cloud nine! (Near the Death Egg maybe haha). My passion for SEGA's answer to The Plumber Mario grew as I got into the Archie Comics, learning about the Freedom Fighters like Sally Acorn, Rotor, Bunny Rabot, and Antoine D'Coolette in The Sonic SatAM cartoon and the comics. I coveted my Sonic The Hedgehog Movie (Anime, OVA) which pitted the Fastest Thing Alive against Robotnik's Sonic doppelgänger robot Metal Sonic (Called Mecha Sonic sometimes in the comics and games). Then as I entered my adolescence, Sonic evolved too, the Adventure Era spread to Archie comics and the games, Adventure with Perfect Chaos, and Adventure 2 which introduced arguably one of most popular characters, Shadow The Hedgehog. Sonic evolved as I did, unlike Yoshi and Mario which felt trapped in childhood wonder, SEGA had the foresight to have Sonic grow up, and it made it so that I was able to cling to the Power Rings for a lot longer than I did Mushrooms and 1 Ups. 

The Sonic Movies have been an anomaly, great video game movies that have the heart and spirit of what they are inspired from. The first film which introduced Sonic and Dr. Eggman played by the hilarious Jim Carrey was outdone by the Sequel which featured Edris Elba as Knuckles that I think is superior depiction of the Echidna to what is found in the video games to date, and even the Archie Comic Spinoff series; though I hope one day we see both Hyper Knuckles and Chaos Knuckles. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 The Movie clearly based most of the story off Sonic Adventure 2, which the focuses on the revelation of The Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow The Hedgehog who is an alien like Sonic only more powerful. He is captured by GUN, a military scientific organization and raised by Dr. Gerald Robonik alongside his granddaughter Maria Robotnik, whom Shadow forms an attachment to like a sister, tragedy ensues, Maria perishes and Shadow is put in stasis for fifty years, only to be awoken by a vengeful Gerald who plans a revenge against all mankind that is too terrible to imagine. 

There were moments watching I was so moved, part of what they did different is that Sonic almost becomes like Shadow when Donut Lord is injured by Shadow, and Sonic sees himself becoming a villian in his Super Form as he attempts to kill Shadow. Its touching that the film shows that anger, rage, and hate is destructive, you could summarize the message of the movie as the Scripture, "For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:20). Both Shadow and Sonic learn to let go of their anger, and instead become vessels of salvation, protecting Earth from Death Star like station. As Super Sonic and Super Shadow take on Space Colony ARK mechaniques, the song "Live and Learn" which plays in the Final where you play them both in Sonic Adventure 2 is heard, and this very much gave me the feels and chills, reminding me of when I saved Earth as both Super Sonic and Super Shadow fighting The Biolizard. In one scene you see Shadow throwing dozens of golden spears, which if you played the multiplayer of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube) you will recognize as Chaos Spears, which was a real neat easter egg. 

In a radical change from Adventure 2, Ivo Robotnik, A.K.A. sacrifices himself with Shadow to destroy the Super Weapon Space Station, which is the antithesis of the game when Eggman tries to take it over, but it is neat to see the villains of Eggman and Shadow together redeem themselves through destroying the threat to Earth and in process being destroyed as a sacrifice. In a lot of ways it hearkens to, "Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned," (Psalm 34:21). Granted Shadow isn't evil at that point, he has transformed, realizing rage has blinded him, and Ivo has become an antihero saying, "If you cannot rule the world, then I shall save it!" It all ends happily ever after, though I admit that leaving out Maria's Promise was a piece that would have given Shadow's Sacrifice more gravitas, and I wanted him to say in that gruff voice, "I am the Ultimate Lifeform!" 

One odd scene I must bring up is Maria when she meets Shadow in a flashback sequence takes a marker to draw over the glass tank he is in to make a bunny, to make him look less vicious. But when it goes into where Shadow is looking at her, you can see a pentagram. Now the pentagram is used in Satanism, which is alarming, but it could be symbolic that Shadow is going to become a falling star, because in one scene Maria tells him as they look at the stars, "Even when a star fades from sight, its light continues to shine across the universe, reminding us that beauty can endure even in the darkest of time," which Shadow paraphrases later on the moon by say, "Light still shines even when they are gone," which is a really powerful phrase, it reminds me of how the Light of Christ still shines even we we repose, or how the saints, the apostles, and people who wrote and did things for the Lord continue to have stars of that light sparkling that we still glimpse. I would say its the most memorable line in the film, reminding us that we leave behind a legacy, it can be darkness and anger and death like Gerald Robonik, or it can be Light like Sonic and his Friends. 

I have to say Keanu Reeves did a great job as Shadow. I had my doubts because David Humphrey is iconic, he brought Shadow to life in Sonic Adventure 2. But Reeves did a fantastic job, I really loved his one liners, one scene in particular when he tells Sonic, "The More you talk, the harder I want to hit you!" I cracked up because it was delivered in such a sublime Shadow tone and expression. Make no mistake, this film is Shadow, but he does not overshadow Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails, nor the Roboniks, which is quite a marvel. Everyone gets their moments to shine, and at no time does it feel like any of characters are fifth wheel or distracting from the central conflict. 

I also have to say while we did not get "You fake hedgehog!" "faker? You are the fake one around here. Ha! You are not even good enough to be my fake," we got a version of it with Shadow saying, "why do you look just like me?!" and Sonic saying, "Yeah, why do you look like me?!" It made me laugh and think of the White Jungle face off with the faker lines. Oh and Chao Garden! We got Chao in Tokyo and it fit well in the film! Chao Garden is what made me play Sonic Adventure 2: Battle over and over, raising and upgrading my Chao by playing levels over and over and getting those abilities upgrade tubes of red, green, yellow, purple, and etc. To have the Chao in the movie just made me smile big!

I highly recommend this film, it will teach children the pitfalls of revenge, how anger if not controlled will turn you into something you are not. I think they ought to show it at Anger Management classes, because it really does a brilliant job of showing how Shadow and Sonic briefly are scarred and manipulated by their rage, and only when they step back and stop being angry do they become their true selves, heroes. We get to see in scene with Knuckles when Sonic is consumed by grief and intends to use the Master Emerald for his revenge against Shadow to become Super Sonic, that Knux chooses  not to give into his anger and trusts Sonic even though he thinks he is making a mistake; that is a key message, that sometimes those we love we see are on a path or acting in a way that is not good, but we have to step aside, be there for them, trust them, and I'd say pray for them. 

In a sea of very dark cinema with compromised morals and topsy turvy messages like Wicked that teach people to give into their darker selves, it is good to see SEGA and Sonic TEAM is teaching parables of staying a hero, facing challenges, and believing anyone is redeemable. Best of all in between the lessons, great action, and heart warming scenes is a lot of humor that had me busting a gut laughing, Jim Carrey still has it, and we get duo, him playing two Robotniks for the price of one, making the giggles double. I want to say that while nostalgia certainly had an impact on me, I got the Easter Eggs, and it moved me, I do not believe I have golden rose colored goggles, this is a great movie in its lessons, animation, loyalty to the lore and fan base, and most all it is fun and funny in time of bleak realism in most movies. Amen. 

Addendum: 

The Post Credit Scene of Metal Sonic appearing to kill Sonic was really cool, and of course the big reveal of Amy Rose, the Pink Hedgehog Girl with her hammer!, "Never fear Amy Rose is here!" Amy first appeared in Sonic CD, she has always had a crush on Sonic, chasing him around with hearts floating from her head, but in Sonic Prime she became more of a Girl Boss Warrior, though she had hammer before that series. I will say it would have made more sense to make Sonic 3 Amy and Metal Sonic, and leave Sonic 4 to be Shadow, but it works, I look forward to seeing Sonic hopefully deal with the emotions of meeting a female hedgehog, and maybe as so many fans are hoping, he gets dating advice from Donut Lord.