Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Image: SEGA, Paramount

Sonic the Hedgehog's third big-screen outing arrives this week and the critic reviews are now rolling in...

This outing brings Shadow into the picture and it seems the reviews have (mostly) been enjoying the fun and family-friendly action so far. Many reviews are also praising Jim Carrey's efforts as well as the addition of Keanu Reeves.

Variety said it was "faster and more fun":

"The plot finds room for the Master Emerald, the super-powered jewel introduced in the last “Sonic” film, and for Tails the fox (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles the echidna (Idris Elba), who are now part of Sonic’s super-critter-hero team. But the real star is Fowler’s shape-shifting filmmaking, which is deft enough to revel in blockbuster overkill and skewer it at the same time."

GamesRadar+ thought Sonic 3 was predictable, but great fun - awarding it 3 out of 5 stars:

"Sonic the Hedgehog 3 then is a piece of overstuffed franchise affair that's simple and predictable – but great fun. Anchored by two great characters, Sonic and Robotnik, it's a family-friendly adventure that does nothing to revolutionize the formula Fowler has developed but keeps the wheels turning fast enough to get everyone excited for a sequel."

Gaming Bible said Sonic 3 was the "best film of the trilogy":

"Sonic The Hedgehog 3 was amazing. It really is the best film of the trilogy by far, yet I’m still confident the next film could be even better if they keep this momentum up. It’s hard to believe that we started from a shoddy, horrific design for a live-action Sonic The Hedgehog and somehow ended up here, it’s honestly surreal."

The Hollywood Reporter thought Sonic 3 was a zippy sequel that got the job done:

"Director Jeff Fowler, repeating his assignment from the two previous features, demonstrates a clear ability to bring the Sonic characters to cinematic life, delivering a well-balanced, fast-paced blend of action and slapstick comedy that, in this case, takes place in such scenic locales as Tokyo and London. (Inevitably, the cities wind up worse for the wear.) No one will mistake the unimaginatively titled Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for sophisticated entertainment. But that’s clearly not what its audiences are looking for."

Our friends at Eurogamer called it a "fitting finale for the year of Shadow" - awarding it 4 out of 5 stars:

"Sonic 3 is a resounding success and fitting finale to the Year of Shadow. It's quippy and self-aware, balancing broad pop culture appeal with authenticity to its source material, while its flashy action thrills alongside an unbridled sense of cool that's only enhanced by Reeves as Shadow. Between this year's games and film, Sonic's shining bright with Shadow in tow."

And IGN awarded Sonic's third outing 6 out of 10 - mentioning how these movies were only getting "better as they go" and also praising Jim Carrey's performance:

"They may have started on the wrong foot, but the Sonic the Hedgehog movies appear to be getting better as they go. Pushing further past the dopey buddy comedy of the original and the tiresome pop-culture references of its marginally better sequel, this third installment offers much more pleasing CGI, blessedly fewer human foibles, and a kind of tortured nega-Sonic in Shadow, a fan favorite antihero voiced by Keanu Reeves. The real draw, though, is Jim Carrey, coaxed out of supposed retirement to deliver a dual villain performance that doubles all the exaggerated comic pleasures of his ongoing turn as Dr. Robotnik."

Will you be heading to the cinemas to catch Sonic 3? Let us know in the comments.