Keanu Reeves in the video game sequel

In three films, it’s no surprise that it is Sonic the Hedgehog the cinematic universe is starting to get crowded.

The second sequel, released in 2022, featured the animal cohorts of the title character (Ben Schwartz), Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba). Now, in the action-packed third installment, they’re joined by archnemesis Shadow, another, even more powerful hedgehog voiced by none other than Keanu Reeves. And Jim Carrey not only left his short-lived retirement to return as the mad scientist Dr. Ivo Robotnik, he does double duty as Ivo’s 110-year-old but very lively grandfather Gerald. Because when you land Jim Carrey for the third in a series of movie adaptations of video games, it’s a shame to waste him in just one role.

I’m not a Sega fan Sonic video games (okay, I’ve never played them), it’s hard to comment on how well the movies, which combine live action and animation, live up to their inspiration. But judging by the enthusiastic reactions of obvious fans at the preview screening (especially during the bonus credits scene where another I-assume-beloved character is introduced), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 it gets the job done and should provide fun entertainment for families during the holiday season. It certainly has enough frenetic action sequences and silly jokes to keep the little ones entertained without boring their adult followers. Although it’s hard to say exactly who Bea Arthur’s joke is intended for.

Reeves is an excellent addition to the cast, infusing his voice portrayal of the menacing Shadow, just escaped from a lab after 50 years of captivity, with the same gravitas he lends to the similarly revenge-obsessed John Wick. In his first encounter with Sonic and company, Shadow remarks, “You’re a motley bunch” with quiet condescension, made all the more terrifying by his lack of overt menace. He also has a tragic backstory that gives the character unexpected emotional depth.

Even dr. Robotnik can tug at the heartstrings through his complicated relationship with his grandfather, who turns out to be the real villain of the story. Carrey feasts on both parts, with one of them commenting, “It’s like watching two characters in a movie played by the same person” meta-style on their first meeting. Certainly, not all jokes land, like when Ivo angrily says: “You and I are finished… like blackened catfish with dinner!” But the actor manages to pull off a neat trick of making every line he utters sound improvised—unless screenwriters Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington actually contributed dialogue like, “I haven’t seen that since I hated watching Green lamp in 2011.”

The film dutifully features returning human characters Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter), Sonic’s adoptive parents, but their participation in the adventure feels half-hearted at best. There are also brief return appearances from Maddie’s angry sister Rachel (a hilarious Natasha Rothwell) and her husband Randall (Shemar Moore), though the way they’re brought in feels silly.

Other returning players include Lee Majdoub as Ivo’s loyal sidekick Agent Stone and Adam Pally as Deputy Sheriff Whipple, the latter of whom appeared not only in all of the films, but also in Joints Spinoff TV series. A notable newcomer is Krysten Ritter as a high-ranking GUN officer — if you don’t know what that is, you’re not the target audience — but she unfortunately doesn’t have much to do.

Director Jeff Fowler, reprising his role from the previous two films, shows a clear ability to deliver Sonic characters into cinematic life, providing a well-balanced, fast-paced mix of action and slapstick comedy that, in this case, takes place in picturesque locales such as Tokyo and London. (Cities inevitably fare worse for wear and tear.) No one will go wrong unimaginatively titled Sonic the hedgehog 3 for sophisticated entertainment. But that’s clearly not what his audience is looking for.