Summary
- Shadow and Maria weren’t living in space.
- The movie diverges from the game’s storyline for better adaptation.
- Sonic and friends are all considered aliens in the movie universe.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 sees Sonic, Tails and Knuckles deal with Shadow, a mysterious black-and-red hedgehog with powers similar to Sonic’s. The plot of the movie is based on the events of Sonic Adventure 2, where Shadow and his tragic backstory were introduced.
Related
While the movie remains mostly loyal to the source material, there are several areas where it differs, either due to the universe already being different in the movies, or to make for a better adaptation.
7
No One Mistakes Sonic For Shadow
They Aren’t That Similar Anyway
A big chunk of Sonic Adventure 2 has Sonic being on the run from G.U.N. due to them mistaking him for Shadow. This is strange when you see the characters side-by-side since, while both of them are hedgehogs, their color scheme, quill curvature and limited items of clothing are quite different.
The script of the game might refer to earlier designs of Shadow, since they show him being far more similar to Sonic, sharing many design elements but being black instead of blue. With the movie already knowing how Shadow looks from the get-go, there is no point in having G.U.N. mixing the hedgehogs for long.
6
Maria Was Never On The Space Station
The Eclipse Cannon Was Built After Her Death
At the center of the plot for both the game and the movie is the Eclipse Cannon, a space station with enough firepower to destroy the Earth. While the late Doctor Gerald Robotnik worked and lived on the space station with Maria, the movie version of the character only came up with the invention after Maria’s death.
As such, Maria never set foot in space, with all the emotional conversations she had with Shadow happening on Earth. The main difference here is that, for them to see the stars, they need moments where they leave the lab to see the sky; this shows that Shadow could have left at any point in the movie, but simply chose to stay.
5
The Eclipse Cannon Isn’t Powered By The Chaos Emeralds
Shadow Is The Key To The Machine
While searching for the Chaos Emeralds is always a central point of the games, it would take too much screen time to have the characters deal with the main story and an overarching scavenger hunt in a single movie. As such, the Emeralds’ power, while still present in the story, isn’t as central to everything that happens in the film.
Related
Sonic Adventure: Best Levels In The Series, Ranked
These levels are the best we got in Sonic Adventure.
The Eclipse Cannon still needs a way to activate it, otherwise Gerald would just head there directly. Instead, the Cannon needs two master keys to use, and the overwhelming power of Shadow to energize the space-faring weapon to its maximum point.
4
Gerald Robotnik Is Alive
The Elder Robotnik Is Still Working
Part of the tragedy in the game is how a bitter Gerald Robotnik left his revenge plan in motion all those decades ago, having been executed by G.U.N. for his planetary destruction plans. The movie has Gerald still alive at the surprising age of 110, being quite nimble for an old man.
A deleted scene from the movie explains that Gerald stayed alive by taking little hits off a Shadow quill, using the Chaos Energy to revitalize his body.
This is why we have two Robotniks in the same film, sharing great moments, charisma, and even a dance, even though they are played by the same actor. Although a funny character, Gerald remains the same sad man, aiming to destroy the world for the death of Maria.
3
Rouge The Bat Doesn’t Appear
The Secret Agent Will Have To Wait
Introduced alongside Shadow in Sonic Adventure 2, Rouge the Bat is a secret agent working for the president and often works with the dark hedgehog, as well as clashing often with Knuckles. Gameplay wise, she was always meant to be a rival of Knuckles, with similar gliding and climbing abilities.
However, her role in the plot is not all that relevant, so it is understandable why she doesn’t appear in the movie. We are left to wonder if she’ll make it into the fourth movie, since Amy and Metal Sonic are already confirmed to be part of it.
2
Shadow Isn’t Created By Gerald Robotnik
He Just Falls From Space
In the games, Shadow is a creation of Gerald Robotnik, who aimed to make the ultimate life form. To create Shadow, he used alien DNA from Black Doom, the leader of an extraterrestrial race known as the Black Arms that travels the cosmos inside a comet.
In the movie, Shadow isn’t made by a scientist, but rather he is found by them. He crash-lands into the earth inside an asteroid, making him not part alien like the games, but a complete alien. The fact that he arrived via an asteroid (which can be considered a type of comet) could tie to his in-game origins and the Black Arms.
1
Sonic And His Friends Are All Aliens
This Was Already Established In Previous Movies
A big jump from the classic Sonic games to the Adventure series is all the urban places Sonic and friends visit, feeling a bit out of place compared to the magical islands the previous games took place on. The movies have this jarring juxtaposition happen in the first installment, when Sonic arrives on Earth through a magical portal, making him an alien.
In the movie’s universe, this makes Sonic, Tails and Knuckles be completely foreign to the urban setting they find themselves in, something that visually makes more sense than regular humans living alongside creatures with cartoonish proportions. As such, while Shadow has always been an alien, he now has more in common with Sonic and company than in the game’s universe.
- Release Date
-
December 20, 2024
- Main Genre
-
Action-Adventure
- Cast
-
James Marsden
, Ben Schwartz
, Colleen O’Shaughnessey
, Idris Elba
, Tika Sumpter
, Lee Majdoub - Director
-
Jeff Fowler
- Writers
-
Pat Casey
, Josh Miller
, John Whittington - Characters By
-
Sega
- Cinematographer
-
Brandon Trost
- Producer
-
Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara, Hajime Satomi, Tim Miller, Nan Morales
- Production Company
-
Sega Sammy Group, Original Film, Marza Animation Planet, Blur Studio
- Distributor(s)
-
Paramount Pictures