I rarely meet people who share my favourite part of the Christmas holidays – but they should.
Sure, the presents are great (if they’re good), the food is worth putting on a stone for and I am a sucker for Christmas television.
But every year my favourite Christmas tradition is a family trip to the cinema. The best movies of the year always come at Christmas and this year is no exception.
On December 21, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is finally hitting the big screen with the speedy critter facing his biggest challenge to date, and finding a new ally in the unlikeliest of places.
And it’s fair to say the third Sonic movie boasts the franchise’s biggest cast yet with mega all-star names making this the must-see film of the season.
Ben Schwartz is back in his third outing as Sonic, while superstar and fan favourite Keanu Reeves, will be making his Sonic debut as Shadow.
Reeves was genuinely so interested in Shadow he threw himself into ‘independent’ research to absolutely nail the character.
‘There really was an internal journey to get to the anger and emotion, it was intense,’ Reeves said.
And of course Jim Carrey is back, making a rare onscreen appearance as dastardly nemesis Dr Robotnik, who in this installment is joined by an unexpected accomplice – his grandfather Doctor Gerald Robotnik.
But there’s a twist! If you think the family resemblance is a little too uncanny that’s because Carrey plays both members of the Robotnik family.
As he says: ‘Double your villain, double your fun!’
And it seems the chance to play two roles wasn’t the only draw for Carrey, who was also excited to have Keanu Reeves on board.
‘When I heard that Keanu Reeves wanted to play Shadow I went, “Oh alright,”‘ he teased. ‘Shadow has that sympathetic, brooding kind of darkness that Keanu has mastered so brilliantly.’
There are plenty of other familiar faces and voices to look out for too.
Idris Elba returns as Sonic’s partner in crime Knuckles, while Colleen O’Shaugnessy, who has played the flying fox in the computer games since 2014, is back as Tails. Not to mention James Marsden and Tika Sumpter who return as Tom and Maddie Wachowski.
Fans have been patiently waiting for Sonic The Hedgehog 3’s release since it was first announced way back in February 2022.
And this is one film that’s set to live up to the hype.
Sonic, Tails and Knuckles find themselves out of their depth when they face their most mysterious enemy yet – Shadow.
Shadow is as close to invincible as it gets and with the planet in grave danger, there’s only one (unlikely) ally who can help them – Dr Robotnik.
And there’s a lot to love in the trailer alone.
We, of course, get the first glimpse of Keanu in action, taking on the role of Shadow, but even better, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is quite clearly the most fun the whole family can have at Christmas.
Schwartz’s killer wit has made Sonic one of, if not, the best video game adaptations of all time.
The first two movies had cinema goers of all ages howling with laughter, some old enough to have grown up with Sonic on the Sega Mega Drive and others who have never even heard of a Sega Mega Drive.
In fact, you’ll struggle to find anyone who won’t fall in love with Sonic. There’s something for everyone whether you’re looking for an incredible story, unbelievable graphics or just a guaranteed giggle – and there are load of those.
Carrey famously said Sonic The Hedgehog 2 would be his last ever film, ending one of the most fascinating careers in Hollywood.
Well, it turns out Sonic The Hedgehog 3 has lured him back into the game and for that reason alone, consider our tickets booked.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is released in UK cinemas nationwide on December 21. Book your tickets now at SonicMovie.co.uk
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