In Director Jeff Fowler’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3, blue quilled hedgehog Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) battled his fiercest adversary, dark blue and red quilled hedgehog Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves). Sonic and Shadow relentlessly pummeled each other. Both harnessed the Chaos Energy from the Chaos Emerald.
Sonic and Shadow both suffered great personal loss. Sonic lost his mentor Longclaw when he escaped to Earth. Shadow’s friend little Maria, played by innocent Alyla Browne, was killed in an explosion 50 years ago. Deeply saddened Shadow transformed into rage.
Exhausted, Sonic and Shadow laid on the ground. Shadow sincerely asked, “Did your pain eventually go away?” Sonic touchingly said, “No.” Sonic said that you still keep loving the ones you love, who are gone. That keeps them with you. I cried in the movie theater.
I was moved by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington’s screenplay based on characters from the iconic 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog video game. In Sonic and Shadow’s colliding narratives, the super-powered aliens were driven by vengeance. For Shadow, that was the death of his beloved Maria. For Sonic, that was the near death of his Earth father Tom, played by strong kind James Marsden. They get that revenge solves nothing. That letting go their fear and anger heals the pain inside.
In the poignant flashback, Shadow and Maria looked up at the stars. Maria said the light from the stars took over 100 years to get here. The stars may have died. Shadow said, “The light shines, even though the star is gone.” Maria’s light shines for Shadow, even though she’s gone. He just didn’t see that, yet.
Amidst Sonic 3’s lightening speed, eye candy action, and crafted on-liners, the real light shines from Sonic and Shadow. Ben Schwartz voiced Sonic with wiseass innocence and wonder. Understated Keanu Reeves voiced Shadow with his signature John Wick gravitas. The loss of the one he loved sourced John Wick’s rage like it did Shadow’s. Keanu’s measured anger and sadness defined Sonic 3. More than a video game movie adaptation, Sonic 3 is the genuine story of forgiveness and acceptance.
In Tokyo Bay, Shadow remained in stasis for 50 years. He posed a grave threat to humanity. Imprisoned Shadow remembered Maria and awakened. He shattered his glass cage and viciously dispatched armed guards. Then he jetted to Tokyo.
Back in Montana, Sonic and his friends Knuckles (voiced by Edris Elba) and Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessy) celebrated Bearth Day, the day that Sonic arrived on Earth. Knuckles is the hedgehog Echidna warrior, who’s 1 million % muscle. Tails is the flying two tailed hedgehog and high-tech expert. James Marsden’s Tom and Maddie, played by Tika Sumpter, are their adoptive Earth parents.
The military chopper arrives with GUN Director Rockwell, played with sullen charm by Krysten Ritter. She asks Team Sonic to help them find Shadow. They agree. However, Shadow brutally crushes Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails. Shadow is too powerful. Reluctantly, Sonic joins forces with his arch nemesis Dr. Robotnik, played by hysterical Jim Carrey, who hid in isolation watching Telemundo soap operas and eating microwave burritos. He also let himself go.
They look for clues in the abandoned Tokyo Bay facility that imprisoned Shadow. There, Robotnik reunites with his long-lost grandfather Gerald Robotnik, also played by hilarious Jim Carrey. 50 years ago, Gerald was there for experimentation on Shadow. Gerald was Maria’s grandfather. What happened to Robotnik’s father, Gerald’s son? Maybe, that’s in Sonic 4. Before GUN Commander Walters, played by solid Tom Butler, died in Shadow’s aftermath, he gave Sonic the keycard to a cryptic weapon. Mysteriously, Gerald knows what that key unlocks.
Team Sonic with young ass and old ass Robotnik’s infiltrate GUN Headquarters to retrieve the other key. Amidst the chaos, Sonic suffers great tragedy. He’s filled with vengeance and rage. Although he’s not strong enough to defeat Shadow. Sonic asks Knuckles for the location of the Chaos Emerald that possesses the Chaos Energy that sourced Shadow’s power.
In their climatic narrative arc, Sonic and Shadow fiercely battle each other for the ones they love, for the light that shines. Keanu Reeves’s restrained anger and sadness as Shadow raises the stakes in Sonic 3, transforming into something more than a video game adaptation. Shadow is not the villain. He suffered great loss in the death of someone he loved, someone who made him greater.
In the touching flashback, Shadow sadly told Maria, “I don’t know who I am.” Maria gently placed her hand on his heart. She said, “Who you are is here.” When we lose someone we love, we feel the pain inside. Sonic reminded Shadow, “You keep loving them.” Their light shines, even though they’re gone. That makes Sonic the Hedgehog 3 something very special, too.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: Auhtor
