---
title: "Sonic the Hedgehog 3"
year: 2024
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/sonic-the-hedgehog-3"
fi1m_id: "sonic-the-hedgehog-3"
imdb_id: "tt18259086"
tmdb_id: 939243
wikidata_id: "Q115859490"
fi1m_score: 61
critics_score: 60
critics_reviews: 17
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:56.384864+00:00"
region: "CL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

Directed by Jeff Fowler · 1h 50m · Action, Science Fiction, Comedy, Family

## Identity

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/sonic-the-hedgehog-3
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** sonic-the-hedgehog-3
- **IMDb ID:** tt18259086
- **TMDB ID:** 939243
- **Wikidata ID:** Q115859490
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18259086/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/939243, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115859490

**Fi1m score: 61** · Critics 60 from 17 reviews

*In a sentence:* Two Jim Carreys and one sad hedgehog, all shouting over the same drum machine

> Jeff Fowler’s third Sonic film is louder and a little better than the two before it, chiefly because Jim Carrey plays both Robotniks and is allowed to run. Around him is a fast, competent family film that tries for grief and settles for volume.

## Synopsis

Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) are living quietly with Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) when a fourth creature is let out of a government facility. Shadow (Keanu Reeves) is black with red stripes, faster than Sonic, and carrying an old grudge. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey), out of sight since the last film, is drawn back into the fight, and so is a second Robotnik, Gerald, also played by Carrey. The three heroes are told to work as a team, which they are not good at, while the two Robotniks decide whether they are on the same side. Lee Majdoub returns as Agent Stone and Krysten Ritter joins as Director Rockwell.

## Review

Jeff Fowler’s third Sonic film arrives with a plan, and the plan is more. More hedgehogs, more Robotniks, more cities to run through, more score. Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) are a team now, or have been told they are. Shadow (Keanu Reeves) is let out of a government facility and proves faster and angrier than any of them. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey) comes back from hiding, and so does a second Robotnik, Gerald, also Carrey. The result is a loud, quick, mostly likeable family film that is better than its predecessors, and not by much.

Carrey is the reason to go. As Ivo he is unshaven, sulking and out of practice, a villain who has stopped bothering. As Gerald he is stooped, white-haired and delighted with himself, and the two of them bicker like a couple who have shared a house too long. We laughed out loud, more than once, and every time it was Carrey: two versions of one man interrupting each other, finishing each other’s insults, and at one point performing a dance routine that has no business in the plot and is the best thing in the film. The script by Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington seems to know this, because whenever the hedgehogs stall it cuts back to the Robotniks.

Reeves plays Shadow low and slow, as though reading something at a funeral, and it works better than it should. The character has a loss behind him, which the film shows early and returns to often, and Reeves gives the lines a weight the animation cannot always carry; the face is a hedgehog’s face and there are limits. Still, it moved us a little, a film about a blue cartoon asking a child to think about losing someone, and we had not expected that. Then the drums came back.

The drums are Tom Holkenborg’s, and there are a great many of them. His score is a pulse, a bass hit and more pulse, mixed high, so that the bigger the set piece, the less of it we could hear. Brandon Trost shoots the human scenes flat and bright and the action in blue-and-orange night, and Al LeVine cuts the fights so fast that twice we lost the thread entirely and knew who was winning only because the music told us. Luke Freeborn’s Robotnik lairs are the one design pleasure, red and chrome and rounded like something laid rather than built. Eleanor Baker keeps Ivo in black, with a moustache that appears to have its own lighting.

The humans are stranded. James Marsden and Tika Sumpter, as Tom and Maddie, are on hand to be supportive and to be carried about at speed, and they each get one scene of feeling before going back to holding coats. Lee Majdoub’s Agent Stone, devoted to Robotnik past all reason, has more to do this time and is quietly funny doing it. Krysten Ritter’s Director Rockwell exists to say that the hedgehogs are dangerous and to be wrong about it.

The second half tries for something bigger and sadder, and we will not describe it. What we can say is that a film which has spent an hour on two Robotniks squabbling asks, in its final stretch, to be taken seriously about grief and revenge, and the join shows. The children in our screening did not appear to mind. We minded a little, because the quieter story Reeves was telling with his voice was more interesting than the one the effects were telling with explosions, and the effects won.

Against the first two films this is an improvement: more plot, less padding, a villain with a reason. Against the family films it would like to sit beside, it is still a machine for putting bright things on a screen quickly. It runs 110 minutes and carries a PG. Take the children, sit near the back, and if the score becomes too much, Carrey will be along shortly.

*Fi1m score 61, published 9 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find this third Sonic better than they expected, and nearly all of them credit the same man. Jim Carrey’s two Robotniks are the thing the reviews return to: the performance that keeps the film watchable even for those who dislike the rest of it. Keanu Reeves’s Shadow draws warm notices too, with a minority feeling he is given too little to do. The reservations are consistent. The film is loud and fast and never stops, which some enjoy and others find exhausting; the human characters are described as hit and miss; a few think it a little too long or too safe, and The Playlist finds the grim third act at odds with the series’ easy charm.

The spread is wide. IndieWire calls it a miserable end to the trilogy, and The Times goes further, judging it poor even by the standards of game adaptations, but these are outliers against a broadly cheerful consensus.

## Straight answers

**Is Sonic the Hedgehog 3 worth watching?**

*Sonic the Hedgehog 3* is worth watching for families who liked the first two films, and we scored it 61. Jim Carrey, playing both Robotniks, is the reason to go, and he is funnier than anything the hedgehogs manage. Around him is a loud, fast, competent family film that tries for grief and settles for volume, so adults may tire before the children do.

**How long is Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and what is it rated?**

*Sonic the Hedgehog 3* runs 1h 50m. It is an action and science fiction film.

**Where can I watch Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in Chile?**

*Sonic the Hedgehog 3* is streaming on Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV in Chile, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from CLF 3.49. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Sonic the Hedgehog 3 compare to The Mask?**

*Sonic the Hedgehog 3* and [*The Mask*](https://film.one/film/the-mask) are both films that exist to let Jim Carrey behave like a cartoon, and the earlier one does it better. In *The Mask* the whole film is built around him, while here he shares the screen with three hedgehogs, a drum-heavy score and fights cut too fast to follow. Choose *The Mask* for Carrey at full stretch, and the Sonic film if the children are choosing.

**What should I watch after Sonic the Hedgehog 3?**

After *Sonic the Hedgehog 3*, try [*The Mask*](https://film.one/film/the-mask) (1994, Fi1m 71): Carrey before restraint, in the film that taught studios he could be a cartoon. Then [*Paddington 2*](https://film.one/film/paddington-2) (2017, Fi1m 91): The family film every other family film is quietly measured against, and rightly; and [*The Iron Giant*](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant) (1999, Fi1m 88): A boy, a robot and a lesson about weapons, told without raising its voice.

### Reviews we read (21)

- **The AV Club**, Matt Donato (B+): The threequel refreshes what worked and improves what hadn’t, becoming the best film in the franchise yet with passionate lore callbacks and strong family appeal. It delivers an action-packed blast thanks to Reeves and double the Carrey. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Christy Lemire (3/4): The film is way better than expected as a video game adaptation and threequel, with Jim Carrey delivering two gleefully deranged performances as the Robotniks that steal the show. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-jim-carrey-film-review)
- **The Guardian** (70/100, inferred): Carrey’s Dr Robotnik is the best thing in elaborate third-instalment shenanigans that are pretty good fan-service fun. The film delivers delirious energy and momentum despite convoluted plotting and hit-and-miss human elements. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/dec/18/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review-jim-carrey-supplies-laughs-and-energy-for-hedgehog-threequel)
- **The New York Times** (70/100, inferred): Keanu Reeves steps in as Shadow while Jim Carrey doubles his fun as Robotnik in this action-adventure comedy that moves at a fast pace. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/movies/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review.html)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (70/100, inferred): Jim Carrey elevates the film by playing two Robotniks in a high-concept buddy comedy that brings heart and unpredictable energy. The movie succeeds by focusing on human interactions and Carrey’s self-aware comedic shtick. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-jim-carrey-elevates-sonic-the-hedgehog-3.html)
- **Radio Times**, Jayne Nelson (3/5): This third instalment knows exactly what it's doing as Sonic and friends team up against Shadow voiced by Keanu Reeves. The CG action never stops, Carrey is a law unto himself and the quips are more hit than miss, though it is a smidge too long. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-anhvej/sonic-the-hedgehog-3/)
- **Screen Daily** (60/100, inferred): A bigger, more rambunctious adventure than its predecessors that throws so much action, comedy, drama and pathos at the viewer it never slows down. It is an entertaining but exhausting affair and a frantic spectacle borrowing from decades of bygone blockbusters. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review/5200227.article)
- **Slant Magazine**, Justin Clark (60/100, inferred): The hedgehogs remain the stars in a hyperkinetic kid-friendly action film that keeps its ridiculous elements under control thanks to committed performances. It mildly lets down the human characters but delivers breezy good times overall. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review-keanu-reeves-jim-carrey/)
- **Empire**, Ian Freer (55/100, inferred): The critic finds the film slightly better than its predecessors with more narrative focus and urgency, plus some genuinely funny moments and strong work from Jim Carrey. Overall it lacks surprise, freshness or anything memorable, feeling like a scattershot Saturday-morning cartoon. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-3/)
- **IndieWire**, Christian Zilko (30/100, inferred): The trilogy ends on a low note as a miserable capper that doubles the Carreys and hedgehogs without increasing the fun. It fails to deliver engaging performances or humor from the expanded cast. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review-1235078147/)
- **The Times** (10/100, inferred): This third Sonic is staggeringly poor even by the low standards of game adaptations. The noisy, repetitive story and unlikeable characters make it an eye-gouging, spirit-killing abomination. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-film-review-w9fpf8ln7)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Katie Walsh: The film keeps the franchise spinning at a frenetic pace with loud, chaotic energy and self-referential humor, anchored by Jim Carrey's bravura clownery as double the Robotnik. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-12-20/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review-jim-carrey)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Frank Scheck: The film gets the job done as an entertaining family diversion with frenetic action and silly jokes. It benefits from strong voice work by Keanu Reeves as Shadow and Jim Carrey in dual roles. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review-keanu-reeves-jim-carrey-1236089195/)
- **Total Film**, Jack Shepherd: Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted while Jim Carrey steals the show in this family adventure. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/family-movies/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review/)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman: The movie is a vivaciously staged throwaway that gives hyperactivity a good name and serves as a cracked parody of superhero movies, with Jeff Fowler's deft filmmaking and Jim Carrey's epic dual performance as the highlights. [Read](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review-jim-carrey-1236250284/)
- **Collider**, Aidan Kelley (8/10): The film is a solid capper to the trilogy, carried by Keanu Reeves' Shadow. It features the series' best action sequences and strong music choices, with only minor technical issues. [Read](https://collider.com/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Andrew Robertson (75/100, inferred): The film is enjoyable despite repetition and fan service, with bright entertainment value and propulsive plotting that prioritizes fun over being overly serious or pixel-perfect. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-2024-film-review-by-andrew-robertson)
- **/Film**, BJ Colangelo (7.5/10): The film is bigger, bolder, and better than ever, with Shadow the Hedgehog as a standout and Jim Carrey excelling in dual roles while embracing chaotic fun and found family themes. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1741398/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review/)
- **Film Stories**, Maria Lattila (70/100, inferred): The film keeps the franchise family-friendly but plays things a little too safe despite trying to introduce heavier themes. The voice cast, especially Keanu Reeves as Shadow and Jim Carrey, is a highlight. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review-more-hedgehogs-more-jim-carrey-more-everything/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the sequel overly frenetic and a showcase for Jim Carrey's manic dual performance as the Robotniks, wishing the filmmakers had slowed the pace and retained more nuance. They single out the loss of the charm and engagement from the prior entry while noting the press screening audience enjoyed the CGI-heavy action. [Read](https://deadline.com/2024/12/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review-jim-carrey-times-two-overly-frenetic-sequel-to-video-game-turned-hit-movie-franchise-1236209424/)
- **The Playlist** (40/100, inferred): Heart and humor are drained by an overly serious and grim third act that becomes overwrought melodrama, making the film feel exhausting and clashing with the franchise's easygoing charm. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review-heart-humor-keanu-reeves-are-drained-by-angsty-serious-world-saving-exhaustion-20241218/)

## Details

- **Director:** Jeff Fowler
- **Director:** Jeff Fowler
- **Screenplay:** John Whittington, Josh Miller, Patrick Casey
- **Story:** Josh Miller, Patrick Casey
- **Cinematography:** Brandon Trost
- **Editor:** Al LeVine
- **Music:** Junkie XL
- **Production design:** Luke Freeborn
- **Costume design:** Eleanor Baker
- **Producer:** Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Hitoshi Okuno
- **Cast:** Ben Schwartz as Sonic (voice); Jim Carrey as Ivo Robotnik / Gerald Robotnik; Keanu Reeves as Shadow (voice); Idris Elba as Knuckles (voice); Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails (voice); James Marsden as Tom; Tika Sumpter as Maddie; Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone
- **Runtime:** 1h 50m
- **Release (Chile):** 26 December 2024
- **Genres:** Action, Science Fiction, Comedy, Family
- **Budget:** $122 million
- **Box office:** $492 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH1J1EbqCaI

## Where to watch in Chile

- Paramount+: streaming, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- Apple TV: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent CLF 3.49, uhd
- Apple TV: rent CLF 3490.00, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy CLF 7.49, uhd
- Apple TV: buy CLF 7490.00, hd

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Golden Joystick Awards − Best Game Adaptation 2025: Golden Joystick Awards − Best Game Adaptation (nominated)
- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie 2025: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Mask* (1994), Fi1m 71: Carrey before restraint, in the film that taught studios he could be a cartoon. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-mask.md)
- *Paddington 2* (2017), Fi1m 91: The family film every other family film is quietly measured against, and rightly. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/paddington-2.md)
- *Speed Racer* (2008): The Wachowskis’ candy-coloured racing film, laughed at then, copied ever since.
- *The Iron Giant* (1999), Fi1m 88: A boy, a robot and a lesson about weapons, told without raising its voice. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant.md)
- *Detective Pikachu* (2019), Fi1m 65: The other game adaptation that decided being pleasant was enough, and was right. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/pokemon-detective-pikachu.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/sonic-the-hedgehog-3