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Film Review
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) — more of the same, but bigger and funnier
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before.
One big franchise quietly making a fortune is Paramount Pictures’ Sonic the Hedgehog, which debuted in 2020 amidst fan outcry over the (hastily improved) design of the eponymous spiky speedster. It subsequently grossed $320M and the 2022 sequel improved on that to the tune of $405M, making it seem like Sonic had found a sweet spot for audiences — middle-aged parents know and like the character from 1990s SEGA video games, while younger audiences likewise have familiarity and, perhaps most interestingly, responded positively to its seams of Japanophilia.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the best instalment so far, although they’re really all much of a muchness. The first Sonic still has the best emotional beats and family-friendly messaging behind its core story, the second upped the action and introduced more characters to make things feel more alive…