Psy ai ai ai Duck

OK I missed Pokemon 4 ever mainly because the theater in my town closed down, AGAIN. So I had to wait for it on DVD, and when I heard it was Disney doing the DVD this time I got excited. After seeing the 3 Myazaki DVD's (Kiki's Delevery Service, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky) they released last spring I was hoping for the same kind of treatment. I got kind of disappointed, while the dvd does have some bells and whistles. It’s far from the kind of treatment we saw with the 3 Myazaki movies.

Now I know not everybody has seen or play Pokemon before so read my review on the series. May help cure some of the confusion up.

http://www.epinions.com/content_112456273540

Story.
OK the movie ranks between the 3rd and 2nd movie in the enjoyablieites. It’s enjoyable but it’s not has great has the 2nd movie.

The movie starts 40 years earlier then where the series is at. A young Pokemon trainer named Sammy enters the forest, against the advice of a girl in a nearby town. He runs into a strange Pokemon named Celebi being chased by a poacher. When something strange happens and both the kid and the Celebit. 40 years later Ash is late to catch the boat to the next gym. When he sees a Pokemon named Suicune (yeah he’s only seen this Pokemon about 3 times in the series but it’s a new Pokemon everytime). A guy who he’s traveling in the boat tells him about how strange Pokemon live nearby his town, and Suicune maybe one of them. Ash and the gang catch a ride to Arbor ville. In the town they run into an old lady who gives them the same warning has the kid got. Journey into the forest they come across a strange light, and find a kid unconscious. Back at the village the old lady identifies the kid has the same Sammy that wondered into the forest 40 years ago. Now the gang has to go look for the hurt Celebi so Sammy can get back to his own time.

Of course that’s not going to be easy, Team Rocket is in the woods looking for Ash and Pikachu. And now they have teamed up with a mask team rocket member and our going after Celebi. Of course this new Team Rocket member also has a new kind of Pokeball, a ball that not only makes the Pokemon stronger but evil.

Of course the movie goes along has expected, Celebi gets captured by Team Rocket and gets turned evil. Ash and Sammy save the day and get Celebi back. Sammy goes back to his own time.

Ok the movie has it’s ups and down. It’s high point is Sammy. He takes center stage next to Celebi in the movie. He’s from the past and the makers did a fairly good job to make sure he seems like he’s from a by gone era. His clothes are different then Ash and Misty, he also uses older looking Pokeballs that the top has to be screwed off in order to open. He also turns out to be an important character in the show, or he will be in the future. It’s not that hard to figure out who he is, I got on it half way through the movie. Just think of someone who’s name is an older variation of Sammy that appears in the 2nd Pokemon movie and you’ve figured out who he grows up to be. Of course the thing about Sammy is in the original Japanese version (I have never seen the Jap version before but this is from the commentary on the disc) there is no pay off. You only discover Sammy’s grown up self if you see and watch the credits. 4kids decided that in Amercians would like a bigger payoff so they asked the Jappanse studio to make additional scenes at the end. This isen’t bad and I liked the bigger pay off but it makes the scenes during the end credits of the movie inconsistent.

Celebi is the new Pokemon here isn’t done halfway bad. He’s was the gold and sapphire version of Mew, powerful but you had to unlock him by cheating, or visiting one of Nintendo's many Pokemon events. He’s cute and all and a good part of the first part is just Ash, Sammy, and Celebi playing around in the woods. Not bad, if you can stomic the Pikachu mini shorts these aren’t bad parts.

The low parts come from the 3 characters that have been killing the series the past few seasons. Team Rocket. In the first and 3 movies they where just out of the way and unimportant, but since they didn’t run into the main plot they where ok. The 2nd was the greatest because they had a part in the main plot. In this movie they run into the plot a bit to much and since there being use less like that have been they kind of run the movie down. Just more reasons why Jesse and James should return there team rocket jersey’s, all though Meowth can stay, he still manages a few good wisecracks everyonce in a while.

The mask member doesn’t add much, and he’s a bit cheesy. While he does look menacing, the dark ball that he’s carrying, that is supposed to make Pokemon evil is a bit stupid. Mainly because of a line from both the series and the games. There is no such thing has an evil Pokemon, just an evil trainer.

DVD.
The dvd is a bit of a disappointment. I was hoping Disney would give us a widescreen movie with sub titles. But we get none of that but we do get some good extras.

The movie is done in standard. Which would be ok but the cropping is horrible and it seems like there is always somebody or something moving off screen, wouldn’t have minded a widescreen option on this one.

The special features we do have is a Pokemon trivia games, easy questions, it’s for young twerps and it should entertain them for a while. We also have some CGI tests for the computer generated monsters that they have in the movie. Has well has Japanese and English previews for Pokemon 4ever and Pokemon Heroes.

The two big ones though are the Pikachu Peek a Boo and the commentary.

The commentary is the best one yet. The directors seem a lot more enthusiastic about doing it then they did on the last one. And they also invited the cast members for all the main characters. It’s interesting to hear them talk about there favorite Pokemon episode and there favorite and most difficult characters to do. My only complaint is that it lasts only 2/3 of the movie.

Pikachu Pika Boo is the mini movies that appear in the front of the last 3. Disney was wise to put this one in the special features menu instead. Why this movie is called Pikachu Pika Boo I don’t know why, Pikachu’s hide and seek may be. Pikachu and the other Pokemon play a game of hide and go seek inside a mansion guarded by a Larvatar. Meowth and Wobbafet appear has grounds keeper. When the Larvatar gets ticked about them playing the game he throws a rock at Meowth and Wobbafets lawnmower. And the mini movie turns into a silly spoof of the shining and maximum overdrive. Having a lawn mower pull out all these blade and start chasing a sickenly over cute rat is actually funny in a sick sort of way. This is probably the best Pikachu’s mini movie, but it’s still a Pikachu mini movie so make sure your stomach isn’t to quisey when you watch it.

Card.
This movie comes with a promo of a card for the Pokemon TCG. Now most games come with mini games that can be played by scanning them into Nintendo’s e-reader. This card is Suicune and it unlocks a stupid Clefairy game. The games basic idea is to move a Clefairy around a board and make music. It’s not exactly a very fun game to play.

Final recommendation.
The movie has it’s high points and it’s low points but it’s still enjoyable for this Pokemon fan.

Pokimon the 1st movie
http://www.epinions.com/content_7622594180

Pokimon the movie 2000 (thanks to a type o many of the Pokemon movie reviews are now hidden)
http://www.epinions.com/content_42871000708

Pokimon the 3rd movie
http://www.epinions.com/content_21045284484