“Project Shadow is far beyond anything we’ve encountered. Shadow’s story began a lot like yours, Sonic. But where you found family and friends, Shadow only found pain and loss.”
I’ve been patiently awaiting this installment since the 2022 mid-credit scene hinted at the idea of Shadow’s introduction into the franchise. Now here we are with that idea becoming a reality, and with Keanu Reeves voicing the character, no less. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 takes the series in a darker direction than the previous installments as the happy-go-lucky Sonic finds his worldview challenged by the reveal of another hedgehog that received a much worse reception than he did. In that regard, I appreciated the director staying true to form with Shadow’s backstory. Shadow’s story is intended to be tragic and explain his worldview, which is intended to be the polar opposite of Sonic’s worldview. The characters are intended to be two sides of the same coin, and the film excellently delivers on that.
Another great thing is the continuity with the cast, especially with one of the film’s most important characters. As expected, Ben Schwartz (Sonic), James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Tails) all reprise their roles. Additionally, and fortunately, Idris Elba also returns as Knuckles the Echidna. Now Knuckles is a character I was initially skeptical about his returning, especially after the character received a spin-off sequel series. And while the role was reduced in this film as he is no longer in the antagonist category, but instead a member of Sonic’s team, I was very happy about his inclusion, as Knuckles for all intents and purposes is my favorite Sonic character. I was extremely happy about Keanu Reeves joining the cast, and I can literally think of no one who could have better served as the voice for Shadow. However, if I am being perfectly honest, the cast member I was most happy to see return was none other than Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik. Carrey has been a vital part of each movie by infusing his vintage style of physical comedy, as well as his patented dance numbers, which have become a staple for every film in the franchise.
Carrey’s inclusion was in doubt after the second film after the actor announced that he was considering retirement from acting. The actor actually set a very unique stipulation for him to return to the occupation:
“The angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see.”
I don’t know about the angels’ part, but director Jeff Fowler, who has directed all three installments, clearly felt up to the challenge as he made note of Carrey’s comments about a script of gold, printing it out in 24-carat ink, which Fowler says cost about $100,000. Quite the extravagant gesture, but I’d say with his performance in this film, Carrey proved that he was worth every penny, as not only did he return as Dr. Robotnik, but Carrey essentially pulled double duty by taking on another character with a deep connection to Robotnik and Shadow. Carrey’s dedication to both roles is among the film’s crowning achievements and also provides a satisfying conclusion for his original character’s arc. I can’t say with any certainty whether or not we will not see the character again, but I can say that if we don’t, the character was given a proper exit.
More on Shadow: a lot of care went into this introduction into the franchise. I would even go so far as to say that he and Sonic serve as co-leads. The dedication on the part of the cast and crew does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. When it comes to his backstory, the film is very faithful to the details that made the character. Granted, there is a slight alteration as far as his origins, such as him being portrayed as an alien rather than being a product of genetic engineering. But since this is specifically addressed in the film and applied to all anthropomorphic characters, it was easy to accept. Other than that, I’d say Shadow’s backstory is pretty verbatim: he was part of an experiment, “Project Shadow”; he forms a strong emotional connection with a character named Maria who dies as a result of Guardian Units of Nations’ (G.U.N.) actions; and he is put into suspended animation. Maria’s death traumatized Shadow, and upon his release, Shadow sets about a path to avenge her. His desire for vengeance is corrupted by another individual seeking to use Shadow to their benefit and puts the character on a collision course with Sonic.
Now while the corruption and manipulation angle was utilized in the previous film when Robotnik attempted to manipulate Knuckles and use him as his weapon for his own means, in this film that manipulation is escalated to global proportions with global implications, which keeps the idea from becoming stagnant. In this installment, the antagonist embraced a “just want to watch the world burn” mentality, which had me leaning in for more. On the character side, Reeves went the extra mile by doing his own research to create a faithful version of the character. And in regards to faithfulness to the video games, the film references an original death scene from Sonic Adventure 2. As I said, much care and dedication went into this installment of the franchise.
Usually I am a proponent of the idea that franchises shouldn’t be longer than three installments, thereby adhering to the three-strikes analogy. And while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 could adequately serve as the franchise’s swan song, once again, the film’s mid-credit scene sets up exciting things to come in the film of another anthropomorphic character with a deep connection to Sonic. And the actually end credit scene suggests a possible spin-off potential for another character. As it stands, a fourth installment has entered development, and I’d be lying if I wasn’t excited to see it.
