‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Gets Double Dose of Jim Carrey

Where would the “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise be without Jim Carrey?

Chances are the box office numbers would still be sky high, but mostly from tweens and gamers addicted to its high-fructose storytelling.

Carrey brings the laughter, the killer punch lines and the slapstick that makes “Sonic” a treat for all ages. Yeah, he’s that good. Still.

That’s less the case with “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” the weakest link in the saga. Yes, Carrey pulls double duty in two funny roles, but the franchise’s CGI excess crushes the film’s third act.

We’re talking pancake flat.

Our favorite blue hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) is loving life with his best pals Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey).

Their peace is shattered when a fellow hedgehog named Shadow (Keanu Reeves) wakes from a 50-year slumber at a military encampment.

Don’t ask…

He’s bent on revenge for the death of his dear friend, and his transportation abilities make him an existential threat to Sonic, his pals and maybe the globe. Desperate times call for desperate collaborations, leading the team to unite with old foe Ivo Robotnik (Carrey) to stop Shadow.

Can the evil one be trusted? What about Robotnik’s long-lost grandpa (Carrey, again)? Whose side is the old timer on, anyway?

The plot is far more complicated than necessary, and alliances shift every 15 or so minutes. Buckle in.

Sonic’s “parents” Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) get less to do this time around, but their live-action presence matters. So does the sense of family evoked early and often.

Is this part of an undisclosed, “Fast & Furious” shared universe?

The rest is comic mayhem aided by slick CGI effects and Carrey’s innate charisma. He sells every pratfall, rehabilitating wan punch lines and crushing the better ones. A gag targeting the “Green Lantern” flop is nearly worth the price of admission.

It’s out of left field, but who cares? That’s just “Sonic!”

It’s all visual chaos, and that’s before a finale that features so many false endings you’ll stop caring midway through. This chipper franchise might collapse if Carrey ever commits to his retirement schemes.

Two extended musical sequences, one tapping a great Traveling Wilburys’ song, suggest the need to kill time by any means necessary. Why not wrap matters up in a tidy 90-minute package? It’s exactly what a kid-friendly, occasionally inspired franchise needs?

Hollywood’s “go long or go home” running time strategy continues to confound.

Every time “Sonic” hits a narrative pothole it rebounds with a clever line or inspired visual gag. The film’s kitchen-sink approach may be lazy, but that collective goodwill will grind down the most cynical movie goer.

It’s hard to be mad at a film dedicated to silliness of the highest order. And who does silly better than Ace Ventura, franchise detective?

HiT or Miss: “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is more of the same, which is good news if you love Jim Carrey’s unrivaled brand of comedy chaos.

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