(Out of ****)
_Pokémon_(The_Movie_2000):_The_Power_of_One_ (G) * 1/2
with _Pikachu:_The_Movie--Pikachu's_Rescue_Adventure_ (G) * 1/2
As was the case with many kiddie fads before it, the TV anime phenomenon _Pokémon_ is gradually flaming out after a period of frenzied excitement. But before Pikachu and his pals say make their final sayonara into the sunset, they make one more big screen excursion with another two-film compilation, this time released under the umbrella title _Pokémon:_The_Movie_2000_. If anything, both the main feature and the opening short are better than their counterparts in last fall's _Pokémon:_The_First_Movie_. But that's not saying much at all.
Unlike _Pikachu's_Vacation_, the curtain-raiser for _The_First_Movie_, the opening "mini-movie" _Pikachu's_Rescue_Adventure_ has at least an attempt at a plot. As their masters take a nap in a park-like area, Pikachu (the adorable yellow, rosy-cheeked, electrical-powered critter) and his fellow Pokémon (pocket monsters, for the uninitiated) are free to frolic in the water and surrounding wilds. But a strong wind blows Togepi, an egg Pokémon, down a hole into a magical forest, and Pikachu and the others have to rescue him (her? it?). While the tots will undoubtedly be entranced by the bright colors and the new characters that are introduced, those over the age of 10 will have their patience tried by the nonsensical mutterings of the Pokémon (all they are able to say are their names--though in the case of Pikachu, it's still kind of cute). A trippy musical interlude will briefly shake adults out of their ennui, however.
As the feature presentation, _The_Power_of_One_, opens, it appears to fall into the same trap that befell that last film, _Mewtwo_Strikes_Back_--pretentiousness. A solemn narrator goes on about the elements of fire, lightning, and ice needing to be in harmony or else the world would be destroyed, and I'm thinking that the _Pokémon_ creators have once again bitten off more than they can chew.
But things quickly settle down into a more palatable Saturday morning-level mood. In a somewhat cheeky reference to rabid _Pokémon_ product collectors, the villain here is one Lawrence III, who is determined to capture the bird Pokémon that control those aforementioned elements--and the all-powerful guardian of the sea, Lugia--for his personal collection. As the title suggests, it is up to one person to stop Lawrence III and restore balance to the planet--Ash (voiced by Veronica Taylor), master of Pikachu and other Pokémon.
There is a message behind _The_Power_of_One_, but it's not as questionable as that of _Mewtwo_Strikes_Back_. This film's message is your basic banal business about trying your best and whatnot. It's nothing kids haven't heard before, but it's something easier for them to grasp--and easier for the film to support--than the jawdroppingly hypocritical anti-violence stance in the last film (_Pokémon_ is about little animals fighting each other, after all).
That said, only those really in tune with the _Pokémon_ world (read: children) will be able to make heads or tails of the specifics of the story. Then again, they will be the only ones who will be able to stay completely alert during the film. There's only so much shoddily-animated explosions and plotless mayhem an adult can take before the eyelids start to feel heavy. Not helping matters is the absence of the television series' infectiously bouncy theme song; in its place is "We All Live in a Pokémon World," an even-worse-than-it-sounds R&B-ish ditty complete with a rap bridge.
It remains to be seen if the _Pokémon_ craze will survive long enough to earn a stateside theatrical release release for the third _Pokémon_ feature, which was produced in Japan last year. It's hard to tell if _Pokémon_The_Movie_2000_ will be a late-inning shot in the arm for the waning franchise or speed up its demise. Both scenarios are plausible, for the film is simply more of the same--which is all you need to know when deciding whether or not to see it.
Michael Dequina twotrey@juno.com | michael_jordan@geocities.com | jordan_host@sportsmail.com | mrbrown@iname.com Mr. Brown's Movie Site: http://welcome.to/mrbrown CinemaReview Magazine: http://www.CinemaReview.com on ICQ: #25289934 | on AOL Instant Messenger: MrBrown23
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