Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Analysis | New Movie, Same Tired Plot 

Some people will say that watching all three Sonic movies in the span of 10 days might be a bit much…and I would be one of those people. 

I can’t help but wonder if I would have enjoyed this movie more if I had left a bit of breathing space between the films, or would it have made little difference?

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is not that the film is bad by any stretch. It’s a solid little kids’ movie with a few moments here and there for the oldies to enjoy, but it feels like a lot more of the same as what came before.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Analysis

New Movie, Same Plot

When I say the Sonic franchise movies all feel the same it’s because well, they kind of are. 

All three movies follow the same plot structure: Sonic enlists the help of a friend(s) to get to a McGuffin before the villain does. 

First, it was Sonic’s rings, then an emerald, and now a key card. 

And look I don’t expect a movie about a blue alien hedgehog to be particularly narratively dense, but it could use a little innovation. It’s a predictable movie. If you put the script for the first 2 movies into an AI generator, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is what you’d get. 

Throw in a couple of talented comedy actors for some improv and there’s your movie. The plot seems like connecting a few key dots on a piece of paper and clearly, the screenwriters are okay with that because their focus remains solely on the characters and their interactions with each other.

Chemistry Continues To Drive Enjoyment

A large reason for this franchise’s success is its ability to gel old and new characters together and have them connect almost instantly. There’s never really a need to warm up to any relationship within the film, as the characters can bounce off each other seamlessly straight away.

The dynamic between Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles continues to be a highlight in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 which is such a necessity at this point as it feels like Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) have become surplus to the film’s basic requirements. 

The last two films really tried to give them something to do but they just feel like filler to pad the run time. 

Jim Carrey is having fun alongside ummm – Jim Carrey. 

It feels like he’s been given free rein to just get as wacky as possible. 

And while it felt odd and out of place in the first film as that entry remained more grounded, at this point in the series they have built to a point of no return in terms of diving into the absurdity of the franchise. 

Clunky Dialogue Has Its Moments

There are more than a few jokes that absolutely stick the landing, but there are also more than a few that fall flat on their face. 

One shaky comedic moment that stands out in particular felt like it must’ve been a lapse in concentration on the screenwriter’s part. 

Dr. Robotnik spends time watching South American romance films but there is a recurring joke about him being able to speak French…? 

Why not have him watch French films in that case to at least have a throughline on the gag? 

There are moments like this littered throughout the film that feel like the writer forgot the premise of the joke he had set up before.  

Fortunately, the film zips along at a cracking pace, so you’re quickly moved onto the next punchline to pick up the slack. 

In Conclusion…

I had a fun time with Sonic the Hedgehog 3. 

It’s by no means brilliant and I can see it being one of those movies that you watch, get to the end of the year, look back, and think, “Wait, that came out this year?” 

But as always with this franchise it gets in, gets out, doesn’t overstay its welcome.

It delivers a bit of light-hearted silliness that is worth the price of admission if you have a couple of hours to kill or if you just want some peace and quiet from the kids.

Rating: 6.5/10

What do you think of Sonic the Hedgehog 3? Let me know in the comments below!

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Peace, love, and lots of popcorn,

IMO