While shows like Arcane and The Last of Us get most of the praise when it comes to ending the video game adaptation curse, the Sonic the Hedgehog movies have quietly (at least when it comes to critical acclaim) have given the most successful translation of video games into feature films three times in a row. These live-action/animation hybrids have come a long way since terrorizing the internet with that terrible, no-good, very-bad initial design for Sonic (somehow just one of the many controversies the Sonic franchise has faced.), goes so far that delivered billion dollar box office assets with the third entry.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a phenomenal family film that not only gives kids their own Fast and Furious franchise (to paraphrase BJ Colangelo's review of /Film), but also one of the best video game movies of all time. Masterfully adapting Sonic Adventure 2, the film is basically the single best Dragon Ball Z movie Hollywood could ever aspire to make, with Sonic and Shadow doing their best impressions of Goku and Vegeta. (A slight spoiler ahead.) Literally, there's a moment in the third act when the two hedgehogs shake hands with Predator and immediately jump to Super Saiyan form as the game's iconic Live and Learn song begins to play. Now the fan service is done right. (End spoiler.)

Of course, the big draw of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was Keanu Reeves voicing Shadow, and he more than lived up to that promise, delivering incredible deliveries of lines like “Revenge guac!” But really, this movie belongs to Jim Carrey, who does another amazing dance scene in the film, and also plays not one, but two Eggmans this time around. He even delivers a hilarious meta joke about playing both characters at the same time.

After Sonic and Friends dominated the box office when it returned to theaters in December 2024, now you can start the new year off right. That's because Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will become available for digital purchase starting tomorrow, January 21, 2025 — although, if you live in the right area, it technically drops tonight!

According to A Prime Video listing, "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" will become available digitally beginning January 20, 2025, at 9:00 PM PST for $24.99, reflecting the digital purchase price for the film. Typically, digital rentals for PVOD releases are $5 less than the purchase price, so you can expect to be able to rent Sonic 3 for $19.99 for a 48-hour period. Amazon also has a listing for a 4K Blu-ray release of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" for April 15, 2025.

Now, given the massive success of these films, there's no doubt we'll be getting another one soon. Based on "Sonic 3" mid-credits scene.Video game fans may already have an idea of ​​where the franchise will go next. The big question is whether Carrey will give up his retirement once again to play with Robotnik some more.

On a side note, it's truly astonishing to think that the franchise that has been most successful at replicating Marvel Studios' formula of teasing the next chapter via a cameo in a post-credits scene isn't yet another superhero property, but one based on Sonic the Hedgehog ". video games. Each film has managed to build a lot of excitement by slowly introducing a larger cast from the games, and even if the spin-offs so far have been something of a mess (see: the Knuckles series), the core films have reigned supreme. Now, if only we could somehow get a "Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games" crossover event in the future...