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Warning: SPOILERS for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 are in play. But if you’re a hardcore Sonic fan… you probably know these anyway.
I can’t hide the fact that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was one of my most anticipated titles on the 2024 movie schedule. As a Sega Genesis kid who has loved each of these movies as total thrill rides, a lot of scenes in the series so far have taken my breath away.
So let’s take a look at the moments in Sonic 3 that made my fan heart take off as if I’d nabbed the Master Emerald. However, if you don’t want any of the fun stuff spoiled for you, may I recommend reading out Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review until you’re ready to press start?
Team Sonic’s Race Through The Forest
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 reintroduces Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Tails (Coleen O’Shaughnessy),and Knuckles (Idris Elba) with this classic form of competition, complete with a fantastic Goldfinger cover of “99 Luftbaloons.” But what put this scene over the top for was the triple play of a spinning sign post, Knuckles and Tails showing off the famous impatient foot tap animation, and composer Tom “Junkie XL” Holkenborg giving us his spin on the Sonic victory jingle.
Revisiting Sonic’s Old Digs
Heading back to Sonic’s old burrow from the first Sonic the Hedgehog was an emotional moment. Yes, part of that is how Tom (James Marsden) teaches Sonic the lesson that’ll save him later in the movie. But I’m also thinking back to how far this film franchise has come in for years is also rather heartwarming.
Shadow’s Tragic Backstory
Was I happy to see Maria (Alyla Browne) die, just as we were promised in the Sonic 3 trailer? No, it was still a stone cold bummer, as expected. But getting to learn more about Shadow’s past, with Keanu Reeves crushing the character’s tragic backstory in his performance, is another one of those moments you live for in perfect video game adaptations.
The Chao Garden Cafe
The Chao Garden is a Tamagochi-like feature from the Sonic Adventure games, so you can see how un-cinematic this concept was in its original form. And yet, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 manages to take that very location and turn it into a Japanese cafe that I’d seriously want to visit. (Especially when the existence of the Chaos In Space films are also confirmed in the film!)
Rachel And Randall’s Hysterical Cameo
Some people consider Rachel (Natasha Rothwell) and Randall (Shemar Moore) to be spare characters in the Sonic movies. It’s a good thing I don’t talk to those people at cocktail parties, because that married couple make a brief, but hysterical cameo as disguises for Tom and Maddie (Tika Sumpter). As Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the movie where the game characters truly became the stars of the show, it was still nice to see this complicated pair appear for a scene of comedic chaos energy.
Knuckles’ Character Growth
Knuckles became a huge part of Team Sonic after appearing in 2022’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2. And surely the character has changed a lot through that appearance and his six-episode eponymous series for Paramount+ subscription holders. But to see him go from eagerly fighting Shadow to standing down when Sonic confronted him over the Master Emerald truly showed how much he valued his chosen family.
Even some of the most obscure memes have found their way into the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Am I totally knowledgeable of what Know Your Meme calls the “Shadow Loves Latinas” meme got started? Not at all. But that moment where Shadow remarks how Gabriella (Sofia Pernas), a character from the La Ultima Passion, is no prize to be won, slyly makes it an official piece of trivia.
Tails Uses His Trademark Move To Throw Sonic Through The Shield
Fellow Sega Genesis kids would agree that Miles “Tails” Prower has saved our asses countless times thanks to using his star features as a rotor. So seeing him bust that move out for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in order to throw Sonic through G.U.N. Headquarters’ laser shield was something I could truly relate to.
The Eclipse Cannon’s Many Bells And Whistles
Eagle eyed fans of the Sega gaming legacy will love the little nods that continue the tradition of Sonic movie easter eggs! Seeing Ivo (Jim Carrey) and Gerald (also Carrey) Robotnik turn on this device of death had another hat trick of references. Not only did the Robotniks have coats that looked pretty game accurate from the Sonic Adventure era, but the station’s two key activation console looks like an original Genesis! Oh, and the Robotnik-branded death station was a pretty impressive threat on top of all of those cosmetic touches.
Sonic And Shadow Live And Learn
According to an interview with our sister site Total Film, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 director Jeff Fowler admits that Crush 40’s anthem for Shadow the Hedgehog was always going to be in his cinematic debut. So to see Sonic and Shadow go Super and wreck shop to the tune of “Live And Learn” was a moment that rewarded all of us deep cut fans for our dedication over the years. Also, cheers yet again to composer Tom Holkenborg for creating his own amped-up version of the tune, maximizing the opportunity this movie had to wow the crowd.
Amy Rose Saves Sonic
Yes, folks, Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s mid-credits surprise FINALLY introduces Amy Rose, as she saves Sonic’s bacon from a bunch of Metal Sonics. Now while I’m still pondering the implications of this ending, I’m just glad that like in the previous two entries, a new Sonic character has been introduced just right. If you know her lore, as well as that of Sonic CD, you might want to start replaying that entry in particular to prepare for 2027’s Sonic the Hedgehog 4!
I’m sure there are plenty of other moments I’m forgetting about in the moment, as I’ve only seen Sonic the Hedgehog 3 twice at the time of this publication. I might be tempted to change that over the upcoming holiday break, and I assume you will as well, fellow Sonic fans! So take this as your reminder to see this shining Chaos Emerald of a movie in theaters, especially if you can find a theater showing Sonic 3’s 4DX experience near you!