Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting movies of 2024, despite releasing in a year already filled with great projects. With an excellent first trailer released, Sonic 3 is clearly looking to expand the franchise in scope, pulling deeper than ever before from the Sonic canon. Sonic 3‘s great cast has become even greater with Keanu Reeves as Shadow, yet for all the excitement, the threequel may still face an insurmountable problem, thanks to the previous movie’s ending.

One of the great things about the first two Sonic films was their final battles, more so Sonic the Hedgehog 2 than the original movie. Sonic 2 showed up with an awesome final scene which showed that the filmmakers were finally pulling more elements from the original games. However, it’s unclear whether the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is going to be able to live up to what came before, or if it will fall short of what happened in the second movie’s climax. The answer to this question will go a long way toward determining the film’s success.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3’s Finale Needs To Live Up To The Previous Film

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Had A Very Exciting Final Act

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 looks set to build on the momentum established by the first two films in the franchise. The trailer shows that the film is delving deeper into the lore of the Sonic franchise than ever before, bringing back direct plot points from the older Dreamcast games. Additionally, the perfect usage of Keanu Reeves as Shadow promises to add an extra element of intrigue for fans both new and old. And yet, the spectacular ending of Sonic 2 runs the risk of making Sonic the Hedgehog 3 a tad underwhelming.

Even if the film is as great as it seems to be, if it can’t live up to what has come before, then it will be seen as a disappointment. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was reviewed decently by critics, touted as a film that, while it had its issues, showed exactly how a good Sonic movie can be made, and much of that is due to the climax of the film. Featuring a spectacular set piece, incorporating all the main protagonists in a variety of inventive ways, the finale raised the bar for the franchise. If Sonic the Hedgehog 3 isn’t able to match the expectations that Sonic 2‘s finale set, then the film as a whole will suffer.

What Made Sonic The Hedgehog 2’s Final Battle So Good

It Was A Number Of Different Factors

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was a great film for a number of reasons, like the great inclusions of Knuckles and Tails and Jim Carrey’s continued excellence as Robotnik. However, one of the most outstanding parts of the film was the final battle, where Knuckles, Tails, and Sonic fight off a giant Eggman robot. Sonic 2‘s climax, despite somewhat sidelining Tails, is great for a variety of reasons, with a big one being that we finally got to see the main trio work together after Knuckles had been an antagonist for the rest of the film.

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The most exciting part of the film was at the end of the fight, when all seemed lost until Sonic took the power of the Chaos Emeralds and became Super Sonic. With the reveal of the Master Emerald in the trailers, the Chaos Emeralds and Super Sonic showing up was a possibility, but it didn’t take away from the scene itself. Seeing the movie delve deeper into concepts more specific to the Sonic franchise was a great surprise when compared to the more grounded approach of the first movie, and took the film series to new heights – setting a clear benchmark for Sonic 3 to try and match.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Already Has The Blueprint For A Great Climax

The Film Is Adapting From A Preexisting Story

As a difference from either of the previous films, Shadow’s origin in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 seems to be a more direct adaptation of the story of Sonic Adventure 2. The story of the game is ambitious and dark, and while it doesn’t entirely stick the landing, the basic outline of the story is a great starting point for Sonic 3. Sonic Adventure 2 ends with Sonic and Shadow teaming up to defeat the Biolizard by becoming Super Sonic and Super Shadow. With the second film having introduced Super Sonic to audiences, having Sonic and Shadow both go super to save the day is the perfect way to up the ante.

While the film is unlikely to be a direct, 1:1 adaptation for obvious reasons, the climax of this film should be similar to the game, and further projects should continue to take similar inspiration from the games. While it could be seen as too similar to Sonic 2‘s ending, if it is done right, Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s ending could easily surpass the previous film’s climax.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the sequel to the 2022 comedy-adventure movie that featured the Blue Blur and his companions on an adventure to stop Dr. Robotnik from taking over the world. The new film sees the new antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog, arriving to cause trouble for the newly formed trio of heroes, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, as they adjust to their earthly lives.

Director

Jeff Fowler

Release Date

December 20, 2024