The painstaking visual effects used to bring Jim Carrey’s dual performance in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 receives glowing praise as the VFX experts at Corridor Crew dive into the sequel. Paramount’s hit video game adaptation of Sega’s beloved franchise sees Ben Schwartz step into the red and white shoes of the blue blur, joined by many of his fan-favorite friends. In the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, Carrey plays Dr. Ivo Robotnik, Sonic’s egotistical nemesis who descends from genius government collaborator to an unhinged and vengeful mad scientist.

Carrey made his debut in the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie in 2020, as the US Government reaches out to Robotnik to capture Sonic after the hedgehog’s energy discharge causes blackouts. While the original movie sees him exiled to the Mushroom Planet, the 2022 sequel sees him use Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elsa) and his grudge against Sonic to claim the power of the Master Emerald. However, after Sonic and Knuckles settle their differences, the pair join forces to beat Robotnik, sending him into the shadows once more. That is , until a copycat scientist emerges.

Carrey’s Dual Sonic The Hedgehog Performance Was A Incredible Undertaking

Multiple Techniques Allowed The Robotnik Family To Share The Screen

After a period of hiding in his latest mobile command base, Robotnik returns in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as Team Sonic reach out to him in hopes that he can track down Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) and someone using Robotnik’s technology. However, their alliance is short-lived once it is discovered Ivo’s grandfather, Gerald Robotnik (also played by Carrey) is the copycat, as he and Shadow set out on their own revenge mission. Thrilled to finally find his long-lost family, Ivo immediately joins forces with Gerald and Shadow, not realizing the true nature of their goals.

Focusing in on Ivo and Gerald’s many scenes, specifically the virtual family-bonding session, Corridor Crew unveiled in the latest installment of VFX Artists React To... how the filmmakers behind the movie spared no expense in what they were willing to employ to bring each character to life simultaneously. Sam revealed how the filmmakers used lookalikes, composition, body doubles, and even deap fakes to allow both Robotnik’s to appear incredibly close in the same scene:

I was like “How do they do it? I’m trying to get some behind-the-scenes pictures.” The answer he had was they used everything. Nothing was off the table, everything from motion control, split-screens, we have our body doubles, we have our fully CGI heads. We also effectively have deep fakes in some of these sH๏τs, potentially.

Following this up with the infiltration dance sequence, careful cutting and split-screen sH๏τs alongside multiple takes allowed two Carreys to dance across the hallway together almost seamlessly.

Our Thoughts On Carrey’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Performances

The Actor Is One Of The Franchise’s Standout Stars

Arguably, Carrey’s Robotnik is the most beloved element of Sonic the Hedgehog’s human cast. Viewers have seen him progress from a villainous government scientist to the beloved antagonist from the video games. When paired with the continuous support of “sycofriend” Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub), Carrey’s villain has been a highlight of the franchise thus far.

As such, the prospect of two Carrey-performed Robotnik’s became an eagerly-anticipated part of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. While the actor may be behind both characters, the careful VFX work and Carrey’s performance made Gerald and Ivo feel distinct from one another. Though Carrey’s Sonic the Hedgehog future may be uncertain, his performances are a major part of the franchise’s success.

Source: Corridor Crew