Sonic the Hedgehog is speeding back into theaters this December! Here’s what the trailer reveals about its plot and characters and how they relate to a fan-favorite game, Sonic Adventure 2.
Paramount Pictures released the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 official trailer, and it is packed with action! Sonic returns with his pals, Knuckles and Tails, for another adventure on the big screen. The movie releases to theaters on December 20, 2024. Happy holidays to Sonic fans everywhere!
The cast for this movie is full of interesting faces and voices. Ben Schwartz is back to voice Sonic along with his co-stars Idris Elba and Colleen O’Shaughnessey, voicing Knuckles and Tails respectively. The one and only Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik is back on screen, agreeing to only play this role further during his retirement. Shadow is played by Keanu Reeves and, while I was skeptical at first, he plays his character perfectly.
The clips featured in the trailer show off the gorgeous animation of the movie! From special effects to the animated characters, it feels like Paramount Pictures went up in quality when making their third Sonic film.
More characters are introduced to the Sonic movie franchise, the most anticipated one being Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow is a popular character among the Sonic fandom, and for many good reasons. This character’s story originates from the video game, Sonic Adventure 2.
After giving the trailer a watch, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 seems to take a lot of inspiration from Sonic Adventure 2. I think that is an amazing thing for longtime fans of Sonic and those who strictly enjoy the movies.
Sonic Adventure 2: Its Characters and Story
Without spoiling the possible plot of the movie, I will share some crucial details in Sonic Adventure 2 that relates strictly to what is seen in the trailer.
Starting with Shadow the Hedgehog, he brings an edgy side to the story. To put a long story short, Shadow was created to be a weapon (and a cure) and escapes from the facility he was made in after a tragic event. He found comfort in his friend Maria, who also could not leave from the facility due to her illness. Their friendship is seen in the trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Another character introduced at the end of the trailer is Robotnik’s grandfather, Dr. Gerald Robotnik (also played by Jim Carrey). Gerald is the one who created Shadow and left a note to Robotnik about this secret weapon. The one major thing changed about him in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer is he is a living character! Gerald is dead in Sonic Adventure 2.
There are a few characters from Sonic Adventure 2 that fans believe can be in the movie. These characters include Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog who wields a giant hammer, and Rouge the Bat, a spy and jewel thief.
The story of Sonic Adventure 2 has two points of views, the Hero and Dark storylines, that come together in the end.
The Hero storyline follows Sonic and his friends. In the story, G.U.N (Guardian Units of Nations) accuses Sonic, mistaking him for Shadow, of stealing a Chaos Emerald. In hope that he can clear his name, Sonic and the gang attempt to stop Shadow and save the world. The Dark storyline follows Robotnik, Shadow, and Rouge as they attempt to take over the world using the Eclipse Cannon.
In the end, the Dark side realizes that they are all in danger and their true enemy was Gerald Robotnik. They team up with the Hero side and save the planet.
Combining of Stories between Game and Movie
Sonic Adventure 2 seems to be the outline for this Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie.
Most notable about the trailer is Gerald Robotnik being alive. This changes the plot significantly, unless the movie has time travel in it. I doubt the movie would have time-travelling, but it’s not implausible. I theorize that he will be the true villain of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but I digress.
Shadow’s story is similar if not the same as his story in Sonic Adventure 2. Again, I won’t go into the details to avoid spoilers, but based off the clips in the trailer the backstory is very alike to the game.
Another point to think about is Sonic teaming up with Robotnik instead of being enemies. That is a major change from the game, but I smell a plot where Robotnik betrays the team.
What I am disappointed about, is the lack of other characters from Sonic Adventure 2. Amy Rose was crucial to Sonic Adventure 2’s plot and was the person to get Shadow to join the good side! Without her, the movie will take a different direction for Shadow’s redemption. I hoped for an appearance by Rouge the Bat too, but she would be an odd character to feature in the Sonic cinematic universe. These two characters and others did not make an appearance in the trailer, but I believe at least one of these characters will be featured in the post-credits.
The trailer is taking bits and pieces of Sonic Adventure 2 and putting a spin on it. Also to note, the Sonic Adventure 2 logo and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 logo are very similar to each other.
A Video Game Movie Franchise done right
In reality, the stories in the game and movie are not going to line up perfectly. That is okay! In order for fans across all media to enjoy the content, the writers had to revision the story.
The few video game movies that have released, or are releasing this year (Minecraft), fail to realize they need to include a balance of both video game and movie worlds. These movies would not exist without the creation of the video games first. It is important for studios to work closely with source material, but still have some creative freedoms when it comes to telling a story.
Sonic the Hedgehog’s cinematic universe started with a bad trailer. However, Paramount Pictures heard complaints and salvaged their film, sparking the (almost) trilogy!
I will say, Sonic the Hedgehog video games have very complicated lore and stories. Paramount Pictures picked the best from the video games and created a new vision of Sonic’s story.
