The review embargo for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has just lifted and we now have some early verdicts on the threequel which adds Keanu Reeves' Shadow to the popular live-action franchise.
Neither Sonic the Hedgehog nor Sonic the Hedgehog 2 were critical darlings, with the former scoring 64% on Rotten Tomatoes and the sequel sitting at a slightly fresher 69%. However, despite early word on the threequel being extremely positive, the consensus so far appears quite mixed.
"No one will mistake the unimaginatively titled Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for sophisticated entertainment," reads The Hollywood Reporter's verdict. "But that’s clearly not what its audiences are looking for." According to Variety, "'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' is just a vivaciously staged throwaway, but it has a spirit that recalls the elegant tomfoolery of 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' and 'Ralph Breaks the Internet.'"
As for Deadline, the trade notes, "Under returning director Jeff Fowler it is all frenetic and loaded with CGI galore so attention spans will not be challenged. Sadly gone is the charm of Sonic 2 which was a little more nuanced, and a lot more engaging."
A movie like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 isn't exactly geared towards outlets like that, of course, but reviews from gaming and entertainment websites are similarly mixed. IGN, for example, awards the threequel 6/10 and concludes, "Better jokes, better imagery, and two (!) inspired comic performances by Jim Carrey give this Sonic sequel an edge on its predecessors."
Empire Online seemed less impressed with a 2* review but acknowledges, "Slightly better than its predecessors, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 works hard to entertain — it has the odd bright moment — but overall lacks surprise, freshness or anything to set the heart racing. It’s a Saturday-morning cartoon writ long." With 3*, Total Film calls it, "A fine, wheel-turning instalment in a continually burgeoning franchise that will no doubt continue for many years to come."
Polygon, meanwhile, explains, "Kids probably deserve a better faux-superhero franchise; Carrey certainly does. But sometimes junky kids’ movies turn out pretty fun in spite of themselves. That’s just another run of Sonic’s superior luck." The Guardian adds, "Carrey, though, is very good value, getting off a couple of lines that might actually make grownups laugh, and generally putting himself about to decent effect. Without him, this film could have been a lot, lot worse."
Eurogamer was far more impressed. "Sega and Paramount more closely align game and film worlds for an authentic Sonic romp with added Keanu cool," the site concludes. Dexerto calls Sonic the Hedgehog 3, "a dream come true for generations of fans."
Finally, the notoriously hard-to-please IndieWire writes, "It might be enough to entertain young children or diehard SEGA loyalists, but the rest of us are left to lament that the running time isn’t as fast as its blue protagonist."
A Rotten Tomatoes score for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 hasn't been generated as we write this, but stay tuned to ComicBookMovie.com as we'll share it there once it drops. For now, though, it feels like we might soon see the trilogy's first "Rotten" score.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 races into theaters this Friday.