Review: ‘Sonic’ back with more frenetic silliness

The thing about the “Sonic the Hedgehog” movies is that they continue to surprise with how humorous, self-referential and even insightful they can be. The third film cruises into theaters, and the series shows no signs of stopping.

Directed at a breakneck pace by Jeff Fowler, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3″ is loud, chaotic and often corny, with a visual style that can be described as “retina-searing.”

But the script is funny, punny and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a clever genre play sanded down for kiddos (a “Mission: Impossible” riff this time) that gleefully breaks the fourth wall to bring us all in on the jokes.

There also are references to “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” and “John Wick,” particularly with the vocal casting of Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog, a sort of “dark Sonic” character, who here is a wounded warrior bent on vengeance. Ben Schwartz returns as the voice of Sonic, the sunny blue alien hedgehog who’s “gotta go fast.”

But the real reason to give the “Sonic” films a chance is the bravura performance of pure clownery from Jim Carrey as Sonic foe Dr. Robotnik (forgive me, I did chuckle when Sonic cheekily refers to him as “Dr. Robuttstink”).

And in the third installment, it’s double the Robotnik, double the fun, and twice the chance for Carrey to demonstrate the brand of outsize physical humor that made him famous. Carrey co-stars as his character’s own grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, who experimented on Shadow in a secretive military lab 50 years ago.

The plot is some gobbledygook about a key and a space laser that Robotnik the elder and Shadow would like to use to blow up the Earth because they’re angry at the loss of a dear grandchild and friend, Maria (Alyla Browne).

Robotnik the younger joins the mission in the interest of family bonding, while Team Sonic, which includes grumpy Knuckles (Idris Elba) and perky Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), as well as their human caretakers, Tom and Maddie (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter) band together to try to stop the Robotniks and to learn some important lessons about teamwork and cooperation along the way.

And then, among all the chaos, dance breaks and befuddling body swaps (Krysten Ritter also briefly shows up in a role that feels like it was largely cut out of the film), the action suddenly stops for a moment, for a shockingly trenchant discussion about grief and loss. That this conversation happens between two animated hedgehogs sitting on the moon only enhances the surreal nature of this surprisingly moving moment, but Reeves’ voice performance manages to sell this meditation on learning to live with the pain of loss. Shadow and Sonic come to the realization together that isolation and bitterness is no way to honor a lost loved one’s memory.

The series shows no signs of stopping (there are two post-credits teasers), and with each iteration, there are diminishing returns on this character and formula. But as long as they keep up the silly, fourth-wall breaking humor and earnest messages of teamwork and unity, the Sonic franchise just might have some legs.

2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG (for action, some violence, rude humor, thematic elements and mild language)

How to watch: In theaters