Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the best entry in Jeff Fowler’s live-action amiable series. The first reactions to the highly anticipated threequel have arrived, and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Critics have praised the movie’s tone, humour, action sequences, CGI, and Keanu Reeves’ touching voice performance as Shadow. The film’s third act, in particular, has garnered significant acclaim.
Shadow’s characterisation and portrayal by Reeves have been met with widespread praise. In other words, he is the true highlight of the film. Additionally, Jim Carrey’s return as Dr. Ivo Robotnik, alongside the portrayal of Gerald Robotnik (Ivo’s grandpa), has been commended by critics.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 currently boasts an impressive ‘fresh’ critic score of 85%, based on 53 certified reviews. While this score may fluctuate in the coming days, it already demonstrates that the threequel has outperformed its predecessors. This strong reception is expected to boost the film’s box office performance, despite direct competition from Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King.
One of the RT critics, Austin Burke, states that Sonic 3 has “everything long-time fans are looking for.” He also praises the film’s action and fight sequences, the final act, and Reeves’ portrayal of Shadow. Moreover, he notes that the movie places less emphasis on the human characters (thankfully).
Dexerto in its four-star review called Sonic 3 “a dream come true for generations of fans.”
‘SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3’ is a dream come true for generations of fans; this is the movie you’ve been waiting for.
— ScreenTime (@screentime) December 18, 2024
Our review: https://t.co/LyTHp8GP5i pic.twitter.com/J8jTVDhxoH
Chris Gallardo from The Hollywood Handle declared the third entry “absolutely epic”, along with giving credits to Carrey and Reeves for their work in the movie.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was ABSOLUTELY EPIC! The story is compelling and tonally faithful to the characters. The action is also REALLY AMAZING.
— Christopher Gallardo (@chrisagwrites) December 18, 2024
Keanu Reeves is simply perfect as Shadow. Jim Carrey really gives the best doubt trouble act as both Eggman and Gerald! #SonicMovie3 pic.twitter.com/ZlUG3UG2yK
Eurogamer called Sonic 3 “a resounding success” and a well-deserved finale to “the Year of Shadow.”
Sonic 3 is a resounding success and fitting finale to the Year of Shadow.
— Eurogamer (@eurogamer) December 18, 2024
Our review: https://t.co/TYqlQ62LQ6 pic.twitter.com/Q7pNb6k6li
The Guardian in its three-star review, called the movie a fan-service but praised Jim Carrey’s maniacal performance.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 stars Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba, Krysten Ritter, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Natasha Rothwell. Stay tuned for more updates.