There are a handful of details Parmount’s third Sonic feature needs to get right in order for it to feel like a proper adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2, and the movie’s latest trailer makes it look like it has the Chao Garden (arguably the best part of the game) on lock.
Though it features a few more shots of the Robotniks (Jim Carey) and Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) plotting to obliterate the earth, the highlight of Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s new trailer are its new shots of the Chao Garden. While Sonic Adventure 2’s Chao Garden was basically a daycare to raise magical little creatures, the movie reimagines it as a Chuck E. Cheese-like restaurant where Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and his crew like to hang out as Chao mascots dance around on stage.
Given all the Chao merch on display, you’d almost think the tiny blob creatures were the Pokémon of the live-action Sonic’s world in terms of being part of a beloved video game franchise. But these kids and Knuckles (Idris Elba) all seem to have seen Detective Pikachu, implying that the film was a successful movie adaptation in their world as well. Though Sonic’s Google Maps joke falls a little flat, the shots of Shadow using a weird orb to terrorize everyone gives him a bit of a Mewtwo vibe that feels fitting, given his being something of a misunderstood villain.
And while there’s no sign whether Rouge the Bat will make an appearance, the trailer’s a good reminder that the movie’s December 20th premiere is going to be an explosive one.