Sonic the Hedgehog 3

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