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.

"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.

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.