On December 20th, 2024, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released in theaters, turning the Sonic movie series into a trilogy. The movie revolves around the escape of “The Ultimate Lifeform,” Shadow The Hedgehog. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails get appointed by The Guardian Units of Nations to stop him, but they can’t seem to hold up a fight. They turn to Dr. Eggman, seeking help from their enemy. Loosely based on the game Sonic Adventure 2, the movie does a great job of being original while taking ideas off the source material. 

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about the movie. One of the major things was all the references and easter eggs to other Sonic games and media. Some of my favorites were all the references made to Shadow The Hedgehog and the Chao Garden introduced as a cafe. 

My favorite parts were everything relating to Maria Robotnik and Shadow. In most of the games, Maria is only a memory to Shadow as we watch her death over and over again. In the movie, we get to watch Shadow and Maria interact and grow up together. It gives us more understanding on their relationship, and why Shadow was willing to take his morals and happiness and throw it all away. Also, watching Team Sonic and their dynamic really made the movie enjoyable. 

While the movie was a fun watch, there were parts that annoyed me. One of them was the dynamic between Dr. Eggman and his grandpa, Gerald Robotnik. Unlike the games, Gearld is very much old and alive. He still has his past motivations of revenge for Maria, but now has an excessive amount of time with his grandson. Half of the movie is about them bonding, which gets old. The humor between the two feels forced. The humorous scenes would have done better with Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails. They take screen time away from Team Sonic and Shadow. 

The biggest disappointment to me was the amount of screen time and lines Shadow was given. He had his moments, and his backstory was great, but he could have easily been given more interactions with other characters and more silly moments as well. For all the hype built around him, it was disappointing. 

While this movie was a lot darker, it still fit into the other two while being fun and playful. My overall rating would be an 8/10. It’s a movie made for kids and their families to enjoy, and it does just that. The sadder elements add depth to the movie, making it more entertaining than a regular childrens movie. 

While Shadow could have been given more to do, every moment involving him was nothing short of exhilarating. Although it was boring at times, the ending makes up for it all. It was thrilling and action packed, keeping me on the edge of my seat. I believe everyone should see this movie at least once.