Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Jeff Fowler’s third Sonic film takes its story from two games: Sonic Adventure 2, which introduced Shadow and the space station ARK, and 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog. That moves the centre of gravity: the emotional core is a flashback about Shadow and Maria, and the poster hedgehog hands over long stretches. Music does most of the adapting. Crush 40’s Sonic Adventure 2 song Live and Learn enters as a few notes on Maria’s guitar in the opening scene, becomes Shadow’s leitmotif and returns with vocals at the final duel. Fowler called song and band inseparable from that game; to anyone who has not played it the riff is only a riff. Jim Carrey plays both Robotnik and his grandfather Gerald. Cinematographer Brandon Trost shot one half of a scene on a Monday, the other half on a Wednesday, same set, same lighting; acting double Brendan Murphy stood opposite Carrey in the over the shoulder angles, with split screen and face replacement for wider ones. Those villain exchanges are assembled in the cutting room. A good fit if you are happy for Shadow’s past to take over the middle and know where Live and Learn comes from. Not for viewers who want the story closed before the credits; the last scene sets up Amy Rose and the next film.