Sonic the Hedgehog 3 first reactions are in, and they're glowing: "It’s the closest Hollywood has made to a Dragon Ball movie"

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

The first reactions to Sonic the Hedgehog 3 are in, and it sounds like the third entry in the series ups the ante for the blue blur in a major way.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is directed by Jeff Fowler and stars Ben Schwartz as the titular hedgehog. The cast also features Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails, Idris Elba as Knuckles, and Keanu Reeves as Shadow. Actors appearing in live action roles include James Marsden as Tom Wachowski, Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, and Jim Carrey in a dual role as both Dr. Robotnik and his grandfather Gerald.

"sonic 3 rules. it’s the closest Hollywood has made to a dragon ball movie. there was plenty for a longtime fan to clap and cheer for, which i did in a mostly empty theater, and outside of a few expected cringe jokes, this was a hilarious story," Washington Post's Gene Park writes on Twitter.

"#SonicMovie3 begs the question: What if Ben Schwartz made me cry as a blue guy who has to go fast? Just as action-packed and as fun as the first two films, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 really ups the anti and reminds us why we love these movies. Go TEAM SONIC!" says Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue.

"It’s not often that each movie gets better in a trilogy, but #SonicMovie3 is the best of the bunch. There’s action-packed goofiness a plenty thanks to Jim Carrey pulling double duty, but what I didn’t expect was a surprisingly moving performance from Keanu Reeves and a third act that might make Sonic fans a little weepy-eyed. Also - there are two big post credits scenes so AVOID SPOILERS. It’s clear [Fowler] and crew have a great affinity for the Blue Blur and he’s not going anywhere anytime soon," according to Chris Killian of ComicBook.com.

"I’ve seen Sonic 3 and I was surprised that my favorite emotional arc was actually with Dr. Robotnik (!!) The cast is as wonderful and goofy as ever and I teared up when I heard [SPOILER]. Also, you are NOT prepared for the mid-credits scene," Jeffrey Vega of IGN says.

"Surprising no one... #SonicMovie3 is the best Sonic yet! It's also the best video game adaptation to date. With electrifying action, truly touching moments, and Jim Carrey doing what he does best, Sonic 3 marks a wonderfully chaotic end to the year. What an utter blast!" says James Lister of Get Your Comic On.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 hits theaters on December 20 in the US and December 21 in the UK. For now, check out our guides to all the movie release dates and upcoming video game movies you need to know about.

Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

Read more
Sonic
Sonic 4: Everything we know so far about Sonic the Hedgehog's next adventure
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
As Sonic 4 release date is revealed, fans are theorizing what story the next movie will tell
Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik in Sonic 3 (2024)
22 years after the release of Bruce Almighty, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is now officially Jim Carrey’s highest-grossing movie
Shrek and Sonic side by side
The Sonic team had the perfect response to Shrek 5's controversial redesigns: "Take notes"
Jim Carrey as Robotnik in Sonic 3
Sonic 3 is now on streaming, but not for everyone
Jim Carrey as Robotnik in Sonic 3
Sonic 3 deleted scene reveals Jim Carrey's Robotnik has a side hustle where he live-streams under the handle 'Huevo Diablo'
Latest in Family Movies
Sonic 2
Sonic 3 star says she "would love" to do a Tails spin-off series – and she's already got an idea for it
The robot Roz holding a gosling in its hand.
Win a Blu-ray of The Wild Robot
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
As Sonic 4 release date is revealed, fans are theorizing what story the next movie will tell
new Sonic 3 footage
One of Sonic 3's writers threatens us with a good time in a future movie: "We gotta get Big the Cat in there in some capacity"
Jim Carrey as Gerald Robotnik in Sonic 3
Sonic 3 didn't relegate Gerald Robotnik to Sonic Adventure 2-style flashbacks so he could be "more of a present danger"
Jim Carrey as Robotnik in Sonic 3
Sonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: "The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly"
Latest in News
Pillars of Eternity
10 years later, in a post-Baldur's Gate 3 and Avowed world, Obsidian is giving its own throwback CRPG Pillars of Eternity a turn-based combat mode
Destiny 2 Lightfall
When Destiny 2 "weekly active users dropped lower and faster than we'd seen since 2018," Bungie assembled an A-Team to put out some fires: "We needed to do something"
Velma, Daphne, Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo looking at a giant key which is also a clue
Netflix is rebooting Scooby-Doo as a live-action series from the producer of Supergirl and The Flash centered around a "supernatural murder" at a summer camp
Astro Bot
Astro Bot went through 23 pitch iterations before its director promised PlayStation "happy gameplay" and "overflowing charm," though it did once end with robot decapitation that made "some people really upset"
Tomb Raider
5 years after Avengers, 2 years after its last layoffs, and who knows how long before Perfect Dark and Tomb Raider return, Crystal Dynamics announces another round of layoffs
AI Limit
"AI is not as effective as it might appear": Dev of AI-focused Soulslike RPG says they didn't use any AI-generated content and it can't match "genuine creativity"