Sonic 3 is a fast and furious ride

Full of electrifying spectacle and action-packed adventure, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 completes the best video game movie trilogy ever.

Taking inspiration from the games but reworking them into the cinematic storyline of Sonic (Ben Schwartz) having a human family to belong to (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter) in the first film, as well as winning Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessy) and former nemesis Knuckles (Idris Elba) as brothers at the end of sonic the hedgehog 2, is what is done Sonic the film franchise works so far as one of the most enjoyable cinematic adaptations of games we’ve ever had. But in Sonic 3out this week, featuring the very sad backstory of one of Sonic’s most famous rivals, Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) is a perfect bookend and delivers on every level. Sonic 3 let me feel like the child playing Sonic Adventure 2 on the Dreamcast with her little brother all over again, it’s like I just watched my favorite parts of the game’s story fit perfectly into the puzzle of the movie’s arcs.

As Shadow, Reeves delivers one of his best voice performances to date, filled with bitter pain as he seeks revenge against Sonic and those who despised him. This gives Team Sonic a fun antagonist to fight againstand Sonic 3 revels not only in its game world, but also throws in nods to Reeves’ own cinematic legacy (and more—we’ve all seen that Akira slide in the trailers). On the character side, Schwartz, Elba and O’Shaughnessy have found a comfortable vibe with each other as Sonic, Knuckles and Tails, effortlessly poking fun at each other, whether in the film’s action moments or in between. These great performances throughout really draw you in, and that’s even before Sonic 3 begins to really dig deep into Shadow’s backstory from the games, giving us his tragic past and his connection to the Robotniks through Maria (Alyla Browne) in a fitting way that will leave fans of the games very pleased with how Shadow has been brought to the big screen.

This time, the human side of things is anchored by a fantastic double performance by Jim Carrey, who returns not only as the Robotnik we know and love (hate/laugh) from the first two films, but now also as his grandfather, Gerard Robotnik. Not only does Carrey enjoy giving a delightfully unbridled performance as he plays with himself – it’s crazy and hilarious and had me crying with laughter at times – but the relationship between the two Robotniks, as well as how Gerard uses Shadow’s inner conflict Maria, who pulls his strings, offers a fresh take on the family themes of the film series.

Fans of the games may already have an idea of ​​how Gerard’s role plays out here, but this really gives Carrey the opportunity to bring more than just mirror comedy shenanigans to his dual roles. There is an added layer of tragedy to Gerard’s role as his villainy grows over the course of the film, while as Ivo, Carey is able to add another layer to his performance as his own desires to take over the world begin to collide with the plans of his grandfather for revenge. Not only are the stakes infinitely high, the Robotniks give the entire conflict an extra personal layer to the proceedings – giving Sonic 3 a little something extra to chew on, though it does enjoy using those raised stakes to include a few iconic sets from Sonicgaming history for good measure. it is not everyone a high nod to action – there’s a particularly fun nod to Chao Gardens introduced in the An adventure games – but they all end up feeling really well-earned, thanks to both the amount of time in the series it took to get this far through all three films, and the Sonic 3the own interweaving of the source material.

c Sonic 3director Jeff Fowler takes a well-earned victory lap, a celebration of an incredible road from rocky, filled with ugly sonic drama start to an adapted game franchise that stands as a hallmark of how to make the leap from consoles to the big screen. While this may generally feel like the end of a certain chapter in video game cinematic history, Sonic 3 leaves some out-of-this-world themes open for potential exploration. For now, though, it should just be celebrated as the culmination of one of the best video game movie trilogies we’ve ever had – and will probably stay that way for a while.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 opens this Friday, December 20.

Want more io9 news? See when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Warsand Star Trek releases, what’s next for DC Universe on film and televisionand everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.