Weve been getting a lot of video game adaptations in the last eight years across TV and film. While the genre has thrived on TV thanks to multiple shows, your Castlevanias and Arcane, things are different in theaters. Illuminations Mario is just coming into its own, Mortal Kombat is taking its time, and other game movies are some time away. One game character has consistently delivered, though: you know him, you played him, itsssssss Sonic the Hedgehog! The firstSonic movie released on Valentines Day 2020, and in another world, it wouldve come out in November 2019. But thenits first trailer hit that April and folks were not pleased,lets say, about that initial version. Weird body proportions, too many teeth, and it was an overall offputting design so dislikeddespite being committed to enough that Halloween costumes and packaging art featured the first iterationParamount pushed the movie back and brought on recurring Sonic artist Tyson Hesse to give the title character a redesign that made him look more similar to how he does in the games. This was the most major change between shooting and the films release, and it came to be a major part of the narrative surrounding the movie: Paramount listened to the fans, which meant they were in control of the movie going forward. Flash forward five years, and that firstSonichas been a game changer. For Sega, this was the shot in the arm it apparently needed for the often inconsistent games; 2022s Sonic Frontiershas combat inspired by the Blue Blurs fighting style in the movie, and 2024s Shadow Generations (bundled with a remaster of 2011s Sonic Generations) gives players the option to be the latter hedgehog as he looks in the third film and voiced by his movie actor, Keanu Reeves. As for Paramount, this is basically its big, recurring kids franchise sinceTransformersis TBD, and the Ninja Turtles need more time to cook. Thus far, theres been two (soon to be three) sequel films that keep making money, plus a spinoff show starring longtime series co-lead Knuckles the Echidna. Its also gone and revived the career of top-billed human lead Jim Carrey, who plays series baddie Dr. Eggman, a role which appears to be the only acting hes interested in or wants to do these days. Paramount Pictures As a 90s-born child who had minimal interaction with the franchise2006s Sonic Rush is the only game Ive played, and I have a memory of seeing some of Sonic Underground as a childwatching them in the theater is an interesting experience. Theres moments where I can feel the films charms completely winning me over; Carreys Eggman is generally funny and the other actors like James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Lee Majdoub do their best with the material given, and the various CG animals look consistently good when put on screen. (A rain-drenched Shadow sullenly walking through the streets of Tokyo?Mwah,beautiful, chefs kiss.) And when its time for those animals to engage in speedy action against each other or Eggmans army of robots, director Jeff Fowlers previous experience with the games come through in how impressive and well-choreographed the fights look. The talent and affection for the games sure comes through, and even simple things like using Sumpters Maddie to tease the next character joining the movies underline how much of an earnest effort this whole, ongoing endeavor is. Less endearing is how the movies come off like theyre not reaching their full potential in sometimes disappointing ways. Their episodic structure means much of the human cast comes off static, since theyre not given much to do but hit a particular comedy beat, and thats basically it. (See: three movies in, Maddie not having anything to her butbeing a walking tease for the next franchise character.) By that same token, it increasingly feels like the filmmakers end these while hedging their bets that Carrey may not want to return as Eggman; the actor indicated he was eyeing retirement from acting after Sonic 2, then came back for the third, later saying he did so because he likes getting paid. All well and good, but itll be nice if later movies get to end without frequently glancing over their shoulder wondering if theyre about to lose their most bankable, non-animal draw.Its the devotion to being kids movies that may be the problem. When Sonic 3brings Robotniks grandfather Gerald into the picture, its revealed the older, madder scientist freed Shadow and teamed with his grandson so they could use a spacecraft to destroy Earth (and by extension, the three of them) to avenge his dead granddaughter, Maria. Its a dark swing that feels like it needs more connective tissue, or at the very least, some insight into Gerald that the movie doesnt really grant otherwise. Conversely, Shadow is given much more focus, and is treated with proper seriousness that informs the films emotional core, but Gerald feels like he was conceived as a vessel for well-done comedic gags first more than being a threat. Any kids movie can have an uneven tone between serious and slapstick, but Sonic 3s imbalance feels more notable as Paramounts determined to keep these going every two or three years. Paramount When I saw Sonic 3 in theatres, I was seats away from someone who was clearly a franchise fan and had the time of their lives when Sonic and Shadow used their Super forms, beat upp Eggmans robots, and did The Pose from Sonic Adventure 2. He and someone else in the theater marked out like mad when Amy and Metal Sonic showed up in the mid-credits, then again when Shadow was revealed to be alive in the post-credits. If nothing else, Im happy for those two and others in that same camp: could these movies be better? Yes, and several waysbut theyre hitting for the kids and older fans theyre targeted at, and have kept that focus half a decade later. Sometimes, thats all you need. Want more io9 news? 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