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Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

MPA Rating: PG-Rating for action, some violence, rude humor, thematic elements and mild language.

Check back later for review coming from contributor Alexander Malsan by Dec 23

Moral Rating: Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Teens Family
Genre: Live-Action Superhero Action Comedy Sequel IMAX
Length: 1 hr. 49 min.
Year of Release: 2024
USA Release: December 20, 2024 (wide release)
DVD: April 15, 2025
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Relevant Issues

Sega video game adaptation series

This episode introduces another Shadow the Hedgehog, who is voiced by Keanu Reeves.


Friendship

Teamwork / Standing together and relying on others in times of trouble

Finding strength to overcome difficult obstacles and emotions

Death of a loved one

Loss and grief

Betrayal

Anger

Revenge

Copyright, Paramount Pictures Corporation, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Copyright, Paramount Pictures Corporation, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Copyright, Paramount Pictures Corporation, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Copyright, Paramount Pictures Corporation, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Copyright, Paramount Pictures Corporation, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Copyright, Paramount Pictures Corporation, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Copyright, Paramount Pictures Corporation, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS
Featuring
Jim CarreyIvo Robotnik / Gerald Robotnik
Ben SchwartzSonic (voice)
James MarsdenTom
Keanu ReevesShadow (voice)
Idris ElbaKnuckles (voice)
Tika SumpterMaddie
Krysten RitterDirector Rockwell
Colleen O'ShaughnesseyTails (voice)
Lee MajdoubAgent Stone
Adam PallyWade
See all »
Director
Jeff Fowler
Producer
Neal H. Moritz
Toby Ascher
See all »
Distributor

Sonic, sonic, sonic, my has time flown by. He started off believing he was the only hedgehog of his kind when he landed on Earth, and now he has parents (sort of) and two adopted siblings, Knuckles and Tails.

Our tale takes place at top secret Prison Island. Another hedgehog, Shadow (Keanu Reeves), has been floating unconscious in a tube under constant guard. From all accounts, he destroyed the lab around 50 years ago and was captured and put in a deep sleep, as Shadow is considered too special to destroy but too dangerous to have running about with his Chaos energy (his powers). But something has woken Shadow from his sleep and now he has a thirst… for revenge on all humankind.

Meanwhile, in another part of the country, Tom, Maggie, Knuckles and Tails plan a surprise bEARTHday (the day that Sonic came to Earth) for Sonic. “If it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t be together, Sonic.” Tails reminds him. Sonic, though, ponders and asks Tom how do you know how to make the right decision. Tom replies “Follow your heart and you’ll know what to do.”

Suddenly federal agents drop down and interrupt the party. “Shadow has escaped and we need Team Sonic to help track him down and capture him. He’s dangerous,” states Agent Stone. Team Sonic (Tom, Maggie, Knuckles, Tails and Sonic) agree to help track down Shadow before he does any harm to others.

But beware, Sonic, you’ll have more to face than just Shadow. For lurking in the shadows (pun intended) is an enemy that was dormant for far too long. Team Sonic, go!

What I’ve come to respect about the Sonic films is that although they may occasionally teeter in the potty humor and slapstick humor, but in general these films have genuine heart and timeless messages of family, courage, and the need to belong.

In the first film, the focus was primarily on Sonic arriving on Earth and feeling like no one wanted or needed him. He was all about figuring out who he was and the guilt he had for leaving his own world behind. In the second film the focus was on Sonic’s adjustment to his new home and his desire to help others. The third film’s primary focus is on his strength coming from his friends and family (of course, Sonic being sonic has never been one to ask for help or work with a team).

“Sonic… 3” focuses primarily on the message of standing together, relying on others in times of trouble, and finding the strength to overcome very difficult obstacles and difficult emotions. These themes are hard to digest, as adults, sometimes as we are told to rely only on yourself and that we should rely on our own strength, that receiving help is a sign of weakness. But “Sonic… 3” carefully and delicately balances the positive messaging I mentioned earlier with the adventure and mayhem (oh yes, there is quite a bit of mayhem in “Sonic… 3”).

Speaking of content, “Sonic… 3” does bring some problematic content for children, particularly in the violence and vulgar language categories. While the violence is cartoonish at times, it is still far more present in “Sonic… 3” than in the previous films. It does make you wonder, at times, why Hollywood just keeps increasing the amount of violence. First “Mufasa…,” now “Sonic… 3.”

Not to mention, this installment just felt heavier in tone, in its dialog and the overall demeanor of many of the characters. Toward the beginning of the film, perhaps the first 15 minutes, humor is present, things are brighter, but in a matter of an instant, things take a much darker tone. Shadow’s backstory is very dark, depressing and, at times, lacking hope.

To the film’s credit, the animation is still as strong as the previous films and the performances are on point. Idris Elba got to have a lot of fun this time around as Knuckles. When Sonic feels down, Knuckles throws in a somewhat serious, but also sometimes hilarious statement or two that reminds you that there is some hope to be found in the film. What is disappointing is that James Marsden (who plays Tom) and Tika Sumpter (who plays Maddie) are severely underutilized in this installment and barely get any screen time.

Jim Carrey, while his performance is strong as Dr. Robotnik, you can tell he’s tired of the franchise and is kind of going through the motions. After all, Carrey originally retired from Hollywood but came back because, according to him, he needs the money right now.

Content of Concern

VIOLENCE: Oh boy, it’s a LOT. Shadow is seen teleporting and beating up security guards on Prison Island. A character hits themselves with nunchucks accidentally. Someone zaps some of the guards. A destroyed car is thrown at Sonic and nearly hits him. A character is seen being beat up by Shadow. Other characters are kicked around during fights between Sonic’s team and Shadow’s team (made up of him, Dr. Robotnik and Robotnik’s grandfather). A major accident and explosion at a lab kill scientists inside off screen. Rockets are sent toward Sonic’s Team and destroy a Japanese version of the restaurant/play place, Chuck E Cheese. In a flashback a young girl and Shadow are seen roller skating around the lab and nearly knock people over. A character is seen abducting other characters

Cars are seen on fire with people fleeing in terror. Someone is punched in the gut. Someone talks about violently destroying the “In Case of Break Glass” alarm. A character throws another character into harmless lasers. Metal falls from the ceiling almost impaling Sonic and the team. People are harshly thrown, and stuck, on the ground while others are seen floating around the facility due to problems with the gravity. Two characters are knocked out. There are a few fights between Sonic and Shadow. Someone is hit in the throat. Dr. Robotnik is seen getting spanked, having a nail go through his shoe. Someone is left dangling on the side of a spaceship and almost falls to Earth but is saved. A character sacrifices himself for others. During the mid-credits scene a robot attacks Sonic.

PROFANITY: Oh my G*d (1), My G*d (1), Oh Jee, Go G*d mode (1), Go with G*d stinky hedgehog, D*mn (2), D*mn you (1), H*ll (1), Holy cr*p

OTHER LANGUAGE: B*stardo (1), A**, some name calling like “Dr. Ro-butt-stink,” “Dorkupine,” “Blue speed freak,” Party pooping babies, Mini tom (a puppet) stating Tom should get rid of wife. “I can’t believe it! A woman in the military” (this statement is from Dr. Robotnik’s grandpa).

SEXUAL DIALOG/INNUENDO/PARTIAL NUDITY: Women are seen wearing some cleavage baring outfits. Someone very crudely talks about “babies from his nut sa*k”. Someone mentions they are “unlikeable to all genders.” Someone asks, “Whom did what with whom?” Someone states, “Get tied up on your own time” (definitely sexual innuendo). Man touches his cheek and says something about developing “man boobs.” Bare-chested men. Married man visually checks out another woman in front of his wife. A telenova soap opera actress tells a guy that she has fallen in love with another man (his twin).

OCCULT: Sonic is referred as a golden god when he uses the Crystal to become supercharged. Someone mentions that a giant laser is the most powerful weapon God ever built.

OTHER: Listen to your heart is a major message (very bad advice for sinful fallen humanity). Sonic and Shadow’s fight causes a major blackout. A man is seen playing drums on his enlarged stomach. Dr. Robotnik is seen jumping onto his grandpa toppling both of them onto the Christmas tree.

Lesson

As I stated earlier, oftentimes the world tells us that we must rely on ourselves only, that seeking help is cowardly. In the film you can tell Sonic believes this, as he tries to fix certain situations on the fly all by himself, but it always backfires.

Even Christians sometimes forget that we don’t need to rely on our own strength in times of trouble or when things seem possible. It’s easy to forget that God gives us more than enough strength to get through the toughest times, reminding us that God never leaves or forsakes, but provides and cares for us. There are countless Scriptures that remind of this. Here are just a few…

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. —Exodus 15:2

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” —Ephesians 6:10

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” —Psalm 73:26

Final Thoughts

There seems to be, in my mind, this growing pattern that films have to become more serious and darker with each sequel. The Harry Potter films (and books) are an example of this. The first and second film feel light and enjoyable, but by the third film, things get darker until there is only darkness in the final two films. The “Venom” film trilogy is also an example.

This film is CGI animation added to live-action. Darkness in animation for kids is a concern for me. There’s this serious gravitas with some moments where the wounds a character suffer, Shadow in particular, really cut deep and it begs the question, “How much of this do we want young kids being exposed to?” The movies for children, after all, are a space to get away from all this. Sheesh, even adults would agree with this statement

With that said, while there is a strong story with great character development, this film takes things way too seriously at times. Add the large amount of violence, profanity and sexual innuendo in a film aimed at kids, and this made me shake my head and question whether this is something I would want a child exposed to.

In short, I don’t think I can recommend this film for younger kids. There is too much of, well, everything, at least everything that will raise an eyebrow. There are far more family-friendly films out there. Pick one of those, or better yet find a book to read with your child. This film is a no-go for young children, but probably passable for teens.

  • Violence: Heavy
  • Profane language: Moderately Heavy
  • Sex: Moderate
  • Vulgar/Crude language: Mild
  • Nudity: Mild
  • Wokeism: Mild
  • Occult: Minor
  • Drugs/Alcohol: None
Article Version: December 26, 2024

Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Comment—I think it’s important to note that the original Sonic the Hedgehog game series was targeted primarily at teens and younger adults, before the 2010s when Sega rebranded the series to be more targeted toward younger children. The Paramount movies made the mistake of having the first two films reflect the tone present in the 2010s sonic games, then try to go back to visit the more iconic moments from the darker more mature games of the early 2000s that made Sonic what he is today. Paramount should’ve just went off the bat with the more mature tone for these movies instead of changing their mind halfway through the series.
Henry, age 38 (USA)
Positive
Positive—Sonic 3 is a very fun enjoyable fast paced movie with funny moments and lines of dialogue sprinkled throughout. The special effects were incredible, and the fight scenes were done in a way that wasn’t too graphic but definitely not cheesy either. Sonic is told to trust what is in his heart, yet in the Bible, Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (NKJV), while Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” and also Isaiah 55:8-9 come to mind.

Jim Carrey was a genius at playing Both Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his grandfather Professor Gerald Robotnik who had a striking resemblance to Dr. Wily, Albert W. Wily, the mad scientist from the Mega Man video games by Capcom.

Sonic, Knuckles and Tails showed great cooperation, teamwork friendship and heroism. Keanu Reeves was perfectly cast as the voice of Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow being in this film definitely gave it a vibe of being like the 2001 video game “Sonic Adventure 2” for the Sega Dreamcast.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Jeff Andrew Winters, age 44 (USA)
Positive—While not as good as the second movie (which was primarily based on my favorite Sonic game, ironically called Sonic the Hedgehog 3), this was a solid entry in the series. There are lots of cool things in the film, like Jim Carrey getting to play two characters, and Sonic and Shadow getting to fight each other in their super forms. Without giving too much away, the franchise is still giving Sonic fans pretty much exactly what they asked for.

To clarify matters a bit on the dark elements of the film (and this film is indeed dark), it really isn't any darker than the game that it's primarily based on (Sonic Adventure 2). I’d even go so far as to say that it's a tad more restrained than the game because Maria gets shot to death in the game whereas in the movie she merely dies in an explosion. As another commenter mentioned, the Sonic franchise was always targeted for a slightly older audience (the Sega consoles in general were this way, with the original pack-in game for the Genesis being Altered Beast. Sega was always intended as a more teen-targeted game studio when compared to Nintendo).See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Curt, age 27 (USA)
Positive—I think as a film, Sonic 3 is the best of the trilogy. While I did enjoy the other two films a solid amount as lightweight kiddie fare, there aren’t the kind of film we need in order to break the “video game movie curse.” This one, on the other hand, is the film that I think does just that. There is some of that occasional cringe worthy humor, but it does have a charm to it and Jim Carrey has a ton of fun playing two versions of himself. But the real glue that holds this film together is the heart, which is rooted in how its characters learn to handle grief. There is a strong redemptive aspect to this film that sticks with you long after the credits roll. I am not a huge Sonic the Hedgehog fan. But from what I had read up on regarding Shadow’s backstory, I think this film does a great job at adapting that to the silver screen in a way that will engage and move just about anyone, and not just fans of the games.

Now here is the real reason I wanted to make this comment. I have no ill will towards Mr. Malsan. I’m sure he’s reviewing the film in good conscious the best he can. But while I do think the movie has some intense action violence, a bit of mild foul language, and occasional bathroom humor that will make it inappropriate for young or sensitive kids, I think the reviewer kinda blows those issues out of proportion. And in no way do I think they earn the film an “offensive” rating.

He states that he has noticed a pattern in franchises where they often become more darker and serious as they go on as if that’s a bad thing. Sure, if the darkness is there gratuitously, I would find an issue. But from the way I see it, the franchises often grow up along with the children watching them (unless it’s something like The Naked Gun where the audience is pretty much just grown children). And that perfectly fits with the Sonic the Hedgehog films. Whoever was 7 when the first film came out would be 12 now and most likely able to handle the themes and content this third film brings up. Anyone below that age might need some parental guidance, but that’s what PG stands for.

The reviewer also states that darkness in animation is a serious concern for him and that kids films should be an escape from that. In some cases, I can understand where he’s coming from. But once again, I don’t see that as morally offensive per se. If anything, I think that with safe kids” flicks like Despicable Me 4 and the Trolls franchise dominating the box office, I think we need something that challenges small children and respects their emotional intelligence. I even wonder how Mr. Malsan would see plenty of children’s films in the past such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves with the scary evil queen trying to murder an innocent young woman or Sleeping Beauty where Maleficent literally summons the powers of hell to fight the prince.

I do agree there is a line to be drawn somewhere, especially with children. But most kids films know how to stay within that line while also getting their message across, and I think Sonic 3 follows suite. If you keep the PG rating in mind and are aware that the film is not going to dumb itself down to pander to the sensibilities of all kids everywhere, you’ll notice that out of the violence and themes about grief and depression is an inspiring message about learning not to let the past consume you and using your love for whoever is gone as a motivation to do what is good in their memory. I think those positive elements ultimately not only outweigh the negative ones, but even recontextualizes some of them for something good, which if you really think about it, is something the Bible is known for (take the story of Joseph for example or even Christ’s crucifixion).

In short, if the reviewer wanted to say that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is not going to be for all children, I would’ve been fully fine with that and even agreed with him. And as far as the moral rating goes, I too acknowledge the film is not perfect (then again, neither is any secular film), which is why I give it “average” on account of its language and naughty humor. But I don’t think the moral rating and the age appropriate rating should be conflated, which unfortunately appears to be the case here. And while darkness in children’s films should be kept in check, I think that the reviewer’s analysis indicates that all kids movies should be lightweight and silly when in actuality, they really shouldn’t be. If children are going to mature emotionally and spiritually, they should periodically get a glimpse of what kind of darkness the world has to offer while being guided through it in a reverent and ultimately uplifting manner, which I think Sonic 3 does well. Will it be too much for some young kids? Sure. Do I expect all Christians to recommend the film? No. But really I have to respectfully disagree with the reviewer here. I think it is probably passable for young children. And teens and adults who either have or haven’t grown up with the original games will find much to love here.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
David, age 20 (USA)
Negative
Negative—I really wanted to like this movie, but it really does lack the fundamental soul that makes Sonic stories good. The original reviewer accused this movie of being too dark. That's valid, but it's not the presence of dark themes like child death that make this movie bad, it's how terribly it handles them. I don't really know how to explain this, but the Sonic games were very good at keeping things lighthearted while also tackling heavy topics like that.

I wish the Sonic Cinematic Universe would get an animated reboot with new writers who understand what makes Sonic special.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Joshua, age 49 (USA)

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