Summary
- The first two Sonic the Hedgehog movies successfully balance human characters and Sonic's adventures, contributing to their success.
- Sonic's human B plots make the movies relatable and enhance the main story, so Sonic the Hedgehog 3 shouldn't forget about them.
- Knuckles highlights how difficult balancing two storylines can be, so hopefully, the sequel will learn from the Paramount series.
most successful video game adaptations, despite initial hesitation about whether they'd do the source material justice. Sonic the Hedgehog proved a hit in 2020, making around $320 million at the global box office (via Box Office Mojo) and becoming one of the highest-grossing video game movies in North America at the time.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 continued the first film's success, grossing over $400 million worldwide (via Paramount's Sonic Cinematic Universe. I'm excited about projects from the franchise, especially Sonic the Hedgehog 3. However, I hope the sequel and its follow-ups continue to focus on one thing that makes the Sonic movie franchise great.
8 Sonic Movies & TV Shows We Want To See After Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 could set up several more spin-off movies and TV shows, depending on what characters are introduced and their stories.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Shouldn’t Abandon The Franchise’s Human B Plots
Subplots Focused On Characters Like Tom & Maddie Make The Movies More Relatable
The first two Sonic the Hedgehog movies strike an impressive balance when it comes to their storylines, prioritizing Sonic's adventures but giving the human characters plenty of screen time. Although the human characters' conflicts are solidly B plots, they enhance the films' main storylines. I hope Sonic the Hedgehog 3 doesn't abandon these human subplots, as Tom and Maddie have become beloved characters in their own right. Plus, the focus on their lives and relationships makes these films more relatable, while Sonic's A plots deliver the extraordinary moments longtime fans are looking for.
The first two Sonic the Hedgehog movies strike an impressive balance when it comes to their storylines, prioritizing Sonic's adventures but giving the human characters plenty of screen time.
While most of the early Sonic the Hedgehog games don't focus so heavily on humans, I think having Sonic's world clash with the real one is a smart decision for the movies. It challenges the titular hedgehog in new ways, and it gives the audience characters they're more likely to connect with. There's no doubt that people are there for players like Sonic, Knuckles, and Shadow first and foremost. However, the human B plots do help explain the Sonic franchise's cinematic success.
The Sonic The Hedgehog Movies’ B Plots Help Explain Their Success
The Films Aren't Just For Fans Of The Video Games
Sonic the Hedgehog's B plots help explain the movies' success, as these films aren't just for fans of the video game franchise. I'm confident that the adaptations cater to longtime players, as both Sonic the Hedgehog movies and the Knuckles TV series contain numerous Easter Eggs. But for video game adaptations like Sonic the Hedgehog and The Super Mario Bros. Movie to excel at the box office, they need to draw new audiences as well. Sonic's human storylines help the movies do that, as they play up the family themes.
This makes Paramount's Sonic universe more likely to appeal to actual families, including children unfamiliar with the source material and parents who might otherwise be uninterested. I believe Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will need to capitalize on its human characters again, even if diehard fans would prefer it to focus primarily on Sonic and Shadow. With the story firmly set in the human world, it would be difficult to ignore this element of the previous two installments anyway. And Knuckles continues this trend — though I hope Sonic the Hedgehog 3 does a better job of balancing its plots.
Knuckles Showed How Difficult It Is To Balance Human & Sonic Characters
Wade's Story Highlights The Downsides Of The Human B Plots
While I don't want Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to ignore its human B plots, I also hope it strikes a better balance between its storylines than Knuckles. Paramount's TV series centers on Idris Elba's Echidna, but like the Sonic movies, it heavily features a human character: Wade Whipple. Unfortunately, Wade's story often overshadows Knuckles' in the Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff. The plot is all over the place, with Knuckles highlighting just how difficult it can be to balance the human additions with the Sonic video game characters.
The plot is all over the place, with Knuckles highlighting just how difficult it can be to balance the human additions with the Sonic video game characters.
Although Knuckles' subplots come together in the end, the series feels meandering before it gets there. It makes the balance in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies look more impressive by comparison, so hopefully, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will mirror the prior films rather than Paramount's TV show. Of course, it's harder to strike that balance in a long-form series than in a movie's runtime. With that in mind, I'm hopeful Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will replicate its predecessors' success.
Source: Box Office Mojo
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
- Release Date
- December 20, 2024
- Runtime
- 110 minutes
- Director
- Jeff Fowler
Cast
Sonic (voice)
Dr. Robotnik / Gerald Robotnik
WHERE TO WATCH
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 reunites Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails as they face a formidable new adversary, Shadow. With Shadow's unprecedented powers posing a significant threat, Team Sonic seeks an unexpected alliance to thwart his plans and safeguard the planet.
- Writers
- Josh Miller, Patrick Casey, John Whittington
- Franchise(s)
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Studio(s)
- Sega Sammy Group, Original Film, Marza Animation Planet, Blur Studio
- Distributor(s)
- Paramount Pictures
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