Video game adaptations have undergone quite a substantial transformation as time has progressed and audiences have reacted differently to them, depending on the quality and effectiveness of their execution. For the most part, they tend to be seen as trivial at the best of times, artistically corrupt and a waste of time in others – but there are occasionally moments where one shines bright enough to capture our attention and keep us engaged in the way we would be with any other more supposedly serious work, showing that this genre can be quite effective when done right. Jeff Fowler seemed to strike gold with his adaptations of the beloved Sonic the Hedgehog, with the first film being surprisingly solid, and followed by a sequel a couple of years later that improved on some of the more troubling elements but remained relatively solid as far as the most notable qualities tended to go. He now returns with a third entry, and somehow breaks the trend of the third parts of a trilogy usually being viewed as less-than-ideal and commonly acknowledged as the weakest, when in fact it is Sonic the Hedgehog that manages to be the absolute best of the efforts to bring this character to life on screen. Following closely from the previous film, it manages to be remarkably concise but still captivating, drawing out the elements that audiences seek from a film featuring this iconic character, while not going too far in terms of its underlying commentary, restricting that to a few moments in which we can see some genuine insights into the human condition bubbling beneath the surface. I am as surprised as anyone else to discover that this film is by far the most accomplished of not only this trilogy but of Fowler’s oddly prolific career, being the perfect encapsulation of everything that makes this character so extraordinarily special, while also making sure that we are wholeheartedly entertained from the very first moment, which isn’t a difficult task when we have something this engaging and captivating driving the plot forward and making it so wholeheartedly delightful in terms of both ideas and how they are realized on screen.

When constructing Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Fowler maintained the same approach as he did with the previous two entries, which was essentially to find the balance between the source material and a more original set of ideas. He was fortunate in that Sonic the Hedgehog came with his expansive history, based on decades of flourishing folklore related to the character, so there wasn’t a need to do too much in terms of world-building, since there were several established characters already and a general storyline that made the writing process one that was much easier than it could have been in the hands of someone else. The simplicity of the films is also a major benefit since rather than making the first film a wall-to-wall spectacle with every bit of canonical information compressed into it, Fowler thought about the future of what he was hoping would become a franchise, knowing that a modestly successful first film will lead to further sequels, each one functioning as another entry into this growing story. This particular film introduces another villain in the form of Shadow the Hedgehog, a character that brings an intriguing backstory that is a lot more serious than those of Dr Robotnik and Knuckles the Echidna (who are still heavily featured in this film), and the third film felt like the appropriate moment to make a more existential statement, while still maintaining the chaotic and entertaining energy of the first two films. Ultimately, Fowler’s approach can best be described as being based on taking the elements that work and ensuring that they are front-and-centre, while also acknowledging some of the inherent flaws in previous entries (as well as those that are present in other similar films) and striving to improve on those, which provides clear proof that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was not just a mindless cash-grab, but rather a film filled with details and genuine hard work, becoming a labour of love for everyone involved, something profoundly unexpected for a film that seems this middle-of-the-road from a distance. The genuine story and heartfelt emotions only add more nuance to an already very successful film and prove that some authentic thought went into the writing process, which was beautifully carried over to the final product.

The success of these films has allowed Fowler to take the opportunity to recruit some genuinely impressive names to appear in entries into this franchise, and considering a lot of these are voiceover roles, several actors find the opportunity quite alluring, both because it a guaranteed success and because they get to bring such iconic characters to life. Ben Schwartz reprises the title role, bringing the same blend of dizzying humour and emotional heart to the role, while Colleen O’Shaughnessy also returns as the adorable Tails, being the only original voice actor to cross over between the games and these films. Idris Elba returns as the overly serious but oddly entertaining Knuckles, and James Marsden and Tika Sumpter have the thankless roles as the live-action companions, and they are surprisingly great despite not being at all the main attraction. A new addition to this film was Keanu Reeves, who brings the right pathos and complexity to the part of Shadow, a complex new villain that proves to be an unexpected challenge for the team. However, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 follows the previous two films in basically dedicating a huge portion of its time to Jim Carrey, with these films being his only film output of this decade, which seems unfortunate considering he was at one point the biggest comedic actor in the industry, but who has mostly stepped away from the spotlight and resides in partial retirement, with these films somehow being the ones that entice him back to the silver screen. This particular entry is perhaps his best, not only because it essentially establishes him as a co-lead in the story, but also since it features some of his best comedic work in years, hearkening back to his peak during the 1990s, when he perfected his unique style of physical humour. He plays dual roles here, and most of his scenes consist of him acting across from himself – but yet there is never a moment where it feels anything less than seamless, and there is a lot of genuine commitment to the role. This performance is never going to be seen as definitive for Carrey, but he’s objectively fantastic, and it only reminds us of his brilliance as a performer, someone who is capable of running the gamut of emotions, and he enriches this film with his wonderfully off-the-wall performance that feels oddly more nuanced than we would have initially expected based on a cursory glance.

No one knowingly ventures into a film like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 under the assumption that it’s going to be a detailed, complex character study – and the surprise we experience when we realize that this is exactly what Fowler managed to craft, albeit in a much smaller and more sincere way, is difficult to overstate. There’s something so profoundly joyful about this film and how it handles many of its ideas, which are carefully pieced together to form this delightfully charming exploration of themes such as family, identity and the human condition, none of which are expected from this material, but also somehow fit perfectly into the world in which this story takes place, never coming across as inauthentic or heavy-handed, and instead feeling quite natural. Fowler is not someone known for deep, moving emotions, so he did extend himself further than usual when crafting this film, which turns out to be a surprisingly engaging affair. The technical mastery of this film is impressive, with the setpieces (especially those coming later in the film, during its climactic moments) being stunning, but the main aspect that tends to linger with us more than anything else is the sense of honesty that emerges when discussing the emotions of the film. It would have been very easy to make Sonic the Hedgehog 3 a wall-to-wall spectacle that is punctuated with brief, insincere moments of heartfelt emotion, but this would feel tacky at the best of times, and remove all goodwill. The film instead is aware of its limitations and makes sure that it is constantly working within those confines, enriching the material it had within its reach rather than over-extending and failing in the process. It’s not overly ambitious work, but it’s solid and meaningful, which makes a profound difference and helps us understand precisely what it is that makes Sonic the Hedgehog 3 such a dedicated effort from everyone involved. This is none of the primary ways in which it differs from the vast majority of video game adaptations, and precisely why it will likely come to be seen as a highlight in a genre that doesn’t always know how to deal with the more important components, usually favouring the spectacle more than the emotions, something that this film manages to balance with incredible vigour.

Perhaps this effusive praise is slightly extreme and the product of a feeling of both nostalgia for my childhood in which I voraciously consumed any media featuring these characters, and the catharsis of finding a genuinely great video game adaptation, something that is akin to finding a needle in a haystack in how rare and borderline impossible it is to discover, especially for a third film in a series. The success of these films is well-deserved, and it goes to show just how much audiences have been clamouring for an adaptation of this material that honours the source while still being wickedly entertaining, something that only makes the brilliance of this film all the more surprising, but not unearned. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is by far the best of the series (and based on the final few moments, it’s obvious that we haven’t seen the last of these characters by any means), which keeps improving with every entry, which we can attribute to both the presence of committed artists on both sides of the camera, and an active effort from all involved to iron out the kinks found in the previous films, working to perfect certain elements and improve in others, creating a dynamic, entertaining film that doesn’t just hinge on the iconic nature of its characters, and actually puts in an abundance of effort in all the areas in which it matters. Entertaining to an enormous degree, and driven by such genuine commitment to the premise and its more unwieldy ideas, which come across as seamless here, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is an absolute delight, and one of the year’s most surprisingly deep, captivating works.