Since the stupid sequel “Dumb and Dümmehr” (2014), Jim Carrey has largely turned his back on the cinema – since then his self-imposed screen retirement has only been interrupted by appearances in the “Sonic The Hedgehog” video game films. Even after “Sonic The Hedgehog 2” he once again emphatically announced his final farewell… only to now be “Sonic The Hedgehog 3“to return directly in a double role (!!). The second sequel almost feels like a typical Jim Carrey film at times. The cult comedian, who also appears in the credits Artistic Consultant is listed, can spin completely freely this time and is obviously having a blast doing it.
Parallel to the Carrey show, Jeff Fowler, who is once again responsible for directing, also manages to tell an over-the-top adventure for children as well as a comedy for adults that is full of (nostalgic) pop culture quotes. It's no longer so bad that almost all of the other, now far too numerous, human figures remain featureless keywords. What is more noticeable, however, is that despite the improved effects, the big finale is visually dreary. So what is still the best part of the series so far is missing its final kick.
First of all, Knuckles, Sonic and Tails end up in Japan, where they have to be careful not to be confused with Pokémon.
Finally time for family rest with the aliens Sonic (voice: Ben Schwartz / Julien Bam), Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba) as well as their human foster parents Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) . But then the government organization GUN in the form of Director Rockwell (Krysten Ritter) bursts into the leisurely camping trip. In Tokyo, Shadow (Keanu Reeves), who has been imprisoned for 50 years, has escaped and is now leaving a trail of destruction behind him. The alien hedgehog, which only differs in color from Sonic, must be stopped at all costs…
…but first Team Sonic gets a bloody nose. Shadow is faster than Sonic, stronger than Knuckles and even outsmarts the clever Tails. The mission in Tokyo finally turns into a fiasco when GUN blames the trio for the death of Commander Walters (Tom Butler). In their distress, Sonic and Co. even have to work with the surprisingly still lively Dr. “Eggman” Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey) join forces. Together they find out who freed Shadow: Dr. Gerald Robotnik (also Jim Carrey), the grandpa that even Eggman himself didn't know even existed…
Well-known story told with humor
How the story of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 develops from there is never really surprising. From the first encounter with Shadow, it dawns on Sonic that someone here is lonely and angry and maybe just needs a family. And so the question is not how Shadow will eventually be defeated, but rather how he will finally be converted. Gerald's diabolical plans and the question of which side his grandson will be on also follow predictable paths.
A lot of it is only slightly different from its predecessors. The only thing that is surprising is how consistently Shadow's backstory, which is repeatedly interspersed with flashbacks, is told. Yes, dear video game fans, this is also being implemented on the screen in all its familiar tragedy – which in turn may have a large part to play in the fact that the German FSK age rating is only from 12 years.
The double Jim Carrey – the big highlight of “Sonic 3”!!
The strength of “Sonic The Hedgehog 3” is not the story, but rather its pleasantly tongue-in-cheek implementation: The self-ironic (meta) humor becomes very clear, for example, when Ivo and Gerald realize that they are so similar when they first meet , as if an actor were playing both roles in a film – and both Jim Carreys were looking directly into the camera.
But sometimes it's more subtle, like when James Marsden's Tom's outfit already comments on the fact that his character doesn't actually have anything left to say. After all, almost all people are only briefly brought forward from the background when they are needed for a keyword. Nevertheless, it is now proving to be a bit of a problem for the franchise that there are too many of these stock characters who then have to get a scene somehow. With Krysten Ritter (“Marvel's Jessica Jones”), who remains completely unemployed, the next person who has nothing to do is introduced as GUN boss.
Shadow doesn't just outdo Sonic
But in the end it wasn't supposed to be their film anyway, but that of Sonic and Co.: The video game characters look even better and integrate perfectly into the live-action environment. But not much new is told about them. They have their familiar, straightforward character traits. The fact that they have to learn to become a team is also treated a little carelessly.
Newcomer Shadow, on the other hand, is fascinating because he remains a complex character with his hatred of people and his thirst for revenge and is explored extensively. He also owns the action highlights. When he takes out the heavily armed GUN guards during the prison break at the beginning, you can easily imagine that Keanu Reeves wasn't just brought in because of his dark voice. After all, Shadow is a little reminiscent of the titular antihero from “John Wick”.
It's not just in rainy Tokyo that Shadow is reminiscent of John Wick!
The first encounter with Sonic in the middle of Tokyo is also visually impressive. Only the finale can't quite keep up. It makes sense that the big mess only extends over various deserted and desolate areas (such as a volcanic landscape and even the moon). After all, they want to prevent the brawl between super beings that is taking place here from costing tens of lives. But it also makes it look pretty dreary and brings back memories of the finale of “Justice League”.
“Sonic The Hedgehog 3” actually makes fun of this sort of thing. For example, the superhero flop “Green Lantern” gets a really bad look. In any case, there are numerous jokes that are clearly aimed at the adult audience. After all, we know that many old fans of the video game series, who have long passed the age of 40, also sit in the cinema. It's not just James Marsden who can praise the 90s, in which the first “Sonic” game was released, as the best decade. We also often hear music that was released around the turn of the millennium. Right at the beginning there is the “99 Luftballons” cover by the punk band Goldfinger. And when a completely neglected couch-slacker Dr. As Ivo lets Robotnik “beautify” it again, we hear The Prodigy, whose music video is even briefly visually alluded to.
Clear the stage for Jim Carrey
With this scene, Jim Carrey also enters the scene and makes it immediately clear that although this film is called “Sonic The Hedgehog 3”, it is still primarily his show. Even fans of the Canadian comedy legend who have absolutely nothing to do with “Sonic” will celebrate his performances. It's a real joy to see how he plays his heart out in every single scene. Known for his dynamic and physical performances, the full-blooded slapstick actor takes full advantage of playing with himself in most scenes. This leads, among other things, to a completely crazy double dance number and perhaps the most absurd butt-spanking scene in recent cinema history.
Carrey has fun and is fun. You can also forgive the fact that his appearances occasionally break the already rather unbalanced tonal narrative of the film, which is always supposed to be emotional and soulful. It's hard to be seriously affected by a character's death when the “Ace Ventura” star puts on his show a few seconds later.
Conclusion: Anyone who liked the previous “Sonic The Hedgehog” films will have fun again with the third part. A lot is known, not everything is successful, but in the best sequel style it goes one better. This is particularly true for Jim Carrey – and not just because he is involved twice.