I saw Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on Christmas Eve and it was one of the best movie theatre experiences I had in 2024. I said the same thing about Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but somehow, Sonic 3 was even better than the last movie. My son is a massive Sonic fan and has been since he was a kid and he even graced us with his teenage presence by coming to see the movie with us!
How to Download Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released on December 20, 2024. You can expect to be able download or stream the film from Paramount+ a few months after its original release. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and check the current availability. Check out also our review of the first film in the series.
The Movie Review
The Story: Shadow the Hedgehog Takes Center Stage
The end credit scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 teased Shadow the Hedgehog and from what I had seen and read; I assumed that we were getting some kind of retelling of Sonic Adventure 2. That is not completely the case, there are certainly similarities with the Shadow story from Sonic Adventure 2 and even the Sonic X animated series, but this is very much its own version of the origin story of Shadow the Hedgehog and I thought that it was very well done. Keanu Reeves as Shadow is every bit as good casting as Idris Elba was as Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
A Deeper and More Emotional Plot
I feel that the plot of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has a lot more going on than the previous movies did. Sure, you still have the goofy stuff with Sonic and there are some very amusing scenes in the movie. However, Shadow and the trauma that he has offers the movie a bit more of an adult vibe about it and it was very well done. Shadow is not a straight-up villain and that makes him such a fascinating character and I truly do not think they could have brought him to the big screen better than they did here.
Shadow’s Tragic Past and Robotnik’s Return
One thing the movie does very well is deal with Shadow being a damaged and troubled character and the stuff we see of Shadow and Maria was very well done and made you truly feel for Shadow. Of course, Shadow gets manipulated by Robotnik and the pair hatch a plane to reign the ultimate terror on Earth and only Sonic and his pals can stop him.
There is a lot of stuff going on with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and there is no way that if you enjoyed the first two movies, you will not love this. If you go back and read my review of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, a big concern of mine was getting Jim Carrey back to play Dr. Robotnik. Not only did they get him back for a third time. They managed to get him to pull double duty as he also plays Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Dr. Robotnik, as you would expect, Carrey knocks it out of the park with his performance here. While the two Robotnik’s stuff is great, I also loved the extra development, Lee Majdoub’s Agent Stone got in the movie.
Spectacular Action and Stunning Visuals
This is a great looking movie with some truly spectacular set pieces and without getting into spoiler territory, the team behind these Sonic movies I feel could deliver big time with a Dragon Ball Z live action movie. We have some truly incredible action scenes here, but the bits of humor, heart, and tragedy give the movie a much more rounded kind of vibe that fleshes the story and characters out very well. It was the kind of movie that just flew by and it once again featured a really cool credit scene that has me pumped up for a fourth movie.
Final Thoughts
Of course, being a Sonic fan, there were a few things that I wish were in the movie, I so wish that we got some kind of “City Escape” scene in the movie, that would have been so much fun, however, despite me saying that, the amount of fan service that this movie offers is outstanding and I am sure when I eventually see it again. I will pick up on more stuff that I missed the first time around.
