Susan Granger’s review of “POKEMON THE MOVIE 2000” (Warner Bros.)
There’s a sequel to last fall’s “Pokemon” phenomenon revolving around the Pokemon universe. While the first, “Mewtwo Strikes Back,” introduced all the participants, this has more adventure as a terrible force threatens all life on Earth and the only one who can stop it is a young trainer named Ash Ketchum, who proves that one person can really make a difference. There are six new Pokemons, including Lugia, a great hero who plays a key role in helping Ash restore balance to the world. The plot revolves around a villainous, unscrupulous pokemon collector who is after Lugia, who is rare and, therefore, quite valuable to collectors. Legend has it that when three Pokemon – Zapdos, Articuno and Moltres – are assembled, Lugia will appear. But, as each globe is captured, the balance of nature is disrupted and bizarre weather patterns emerge. Ash, Misty and their cohorts are alerted to this danger when a sudden storm forces them to crash into an island and soon setting the ecology of the planet to right becomes everyone’s quest. In Japan, where it was released last year, this film was called “Poketto monsutaa: Maboroshi no Pokemon X: Lugia bakudan.” The rudimentary animation resembles the TV show and many familiar characters from that series make an appearance, plus there’s a music score by Ralph Schuckett and John Loeffler. As an added bonus, there’s “Pikachu’s Exploration Party,” a cartoon short that precedes the feature, much like “Pikachu’s Summer Vacation.” On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Pokemon the Movie 2000” is a formulaic 4 – appealing to those children who are crazy for Pokemons and quite boring to those who aren’t. Warner Bros. Pictures is once again collaborating with Nintendo of America, so be aware that there are lots of new toys to accompany this film.
