Pokemon Movie 02: Maboroshi no Pokemon Lugia Bakutan

Honestly I find this to be the best of all of the Pokemon movies. And after this, well, they just steadily got worse and worse. The story was gorgeous, and the music was gorgeous! I'm giving it 10/10 because, well. That's how I feel about it. I'm not one to give away spoilers but let's just say this one has to do with the legendary birds and gets really heated and epic. Plus, who doesn't love Lugia? AND LUGIA'S VOICE. Might as well have been Morgan Freeman (in the dub, that is. And I'm not one who usually even likes dubs. Of course I was a kid when I first watched this...) Amazing.

Probably one of the best Pokémon movies out there. The story was brilliant, an amazing job for Lugia’s voice (dubbed), the art was cool, and all in all, this is one of my favorite movies in the entire series! And then there’s the Guardian’s song. It made my neck hairs stand, and all I could do was gaze at the television screen. Absolutely majestic. POKEMON!!!!

I remember it was my 5th birthday and I was staying at a hotel. (17 now) but I had seen the commercials for this movie and played the pokemon monopoly game along with all the video games. When my mom handed me a gift that was wrapped in normal newspaper. I had received the first movie for my birthday along with the 2nd one for Christmas the next year. I was the happiest person than anyone in the world and I really loved looking at the cover art. But my favorites would definitely have to be this one and the third one. Even though they have started changing the way the movies look by adding 3d backgrounds and its getting kind of ridiculous with the number of movies they have come out with. You gotta admit the first couple of movies were the best. I had always supported this series since the day it came out and I know a lot of people hold this series deep in their hearts because they grew up with it and we will probably watch them with out kids. But I just have to say that I love pokemon forever and always.

For those of you who weren't around in '00, or were too young to remember, Pokemon was still at an early point. Before there were a billion games including spin-offs and enough merchandise to bankrupt an entire nation. And we were all eagerly anticipating Silver & Gold in 2001. What's that? You got those games considerably earlier? Well, in the EU we got them in early 2001. In any case, we were all gathering every scrap of information we could and this film promised us a first look at Lugia, even though the games were already out elsewhere and we'd seen her image on the Internet. Regardless, a lot of people were excited to see this film in theatres. I wasn't allowed to because we were poor and theatre tickets for me and all three of my siblings were pricey. But I do remember what a big deal this was for a lot of people my age. I'm still not going easy on it.  Story: We open with a collector, we'll call him Kivas Fajo, in his advanced aircraft base. He's after the legendary birds, Moltres, Articuno and Zapdos. He hopes to acquire them and draw out Lugia so he can capture it as well. Then he'll make them all wear their outfits, sit in their chairs and entertain his guests. Little does Kivas realise that capturing the birds will throw the planet out of balance causing upheavals and, possibly, the end of the world. It's naturally up to Satoshi and his companions to deal with the situation.  Now, I'm not going to worry about spoilers too much since the Pokemon anime is kind of predictable and formulaic. Plus this film is around twenty years old if we're going by the original Japanese release. So, moving on to the first problem with the narrative. Kivas suffers from a serious case of "dumb villain." This dude accidentally brings Satoshi and his group aboard his airship, then he leaves them alone so they can easily interfere with his operation and foil his plans. Another problem is that the film has a lot of pointless moments. All the Pokemon converging on the islands for the confrontation and then doing fuck all, the scenes with Professor Ookido & Satoshi's mum, they just don't seem to contribute anything.  You might argue that the Pokemon converging is to illustrate the importance of taking action even when things look bleak, but they actually do nothing so it doesn't really work.  The best thing I can say for the narrative is that it has some pretty neat action moments. The whole fight sequence with the birds is pretty amazing. The Lugia reveal is also nicely done. The film shows a lot of bubbling underwater and uses a bunch of other tricks to obfuscate Lugia's appearance before finally bringing it out at the climax in a massive jet of water. It's a strong, well-paced reveal.  Characters: The characters are kind of under-written and not very interesting. Satoshi does whine too much for my taste. One thing worth mentioning, however, is that Satoshi's companions are basically useless while Team Rocket acts heroically. Which is a weird decision. You wouldn't expect a children's work to give the spotlight to the petty villains.  But it does. Kasumi & Kenji help pull Satoshi out of the water once and that's basically it. Aside from that they stand around picking particles out of their anuses. And Pikachu was already working on getting Satoshi to shore. So, if Pikachu had thought to grab Lapras' pokeball from Satoshi's bag, they would have been completely pointless. They don't even bring out their Pokemon to try to free Zapdos & Moltres from their cages. Musashi and Kojirou bring out Arbok and Weezing. They also go to Satoshi's rescue when he comes to an impasse and things look hopeless. Then they dodge attacks from legendary birds to get him to the artefact he needs to save the world. And they very nearly sacrifice themselves so the world can be saved.  Art: The artwork looks fine. Kivas' airship looks a bit out of place when compared to the rest of the art. There's also a fail with Doctor Uchikido's completely ambivalent facial expression while she talks about the potential end of the world. The action sequence with the birds is the highlight in terms of art. And seeing Lugia use Aeroblast is really cool. The whole sequence with Musashi and Kojirou taking an inflatable raft up through a bunch of caverns looks cool even if it does not follow proper laws of physics. The sequence with a speed boat going up stairs is the same way, except not nearly as cool looking.  Sound:  The acting is pretty good, actually. Hayashibara Megumi is always great. Miki Shinichiro does a good job. Hiramatsu Akiko & Matsumoto Rica are both good. If there's a weakness it's Kaga Takeshi as Kivas. And that's not so much his fault as it is a natural result of him getting a boring character who isn't very expressive. The music works decently enough.  Ho-yay: There isn't any. It's not like the Pokemon franchise is going to toss in an Utena reference or something.  Areas of Improvement: Make the villain basically competent. If our heroes had to actually sneak aboard and make their way to his collection, it would make for a more interesting sequence than him just letting them loose without watching them. You could even have Kasumi & Kenji create a distraction so they can actually do something of value.  Either have all those Pokemon try to interfere with the battle or leave them out. Like I said, the sequences with all of them converging just end up being pointless since they just watch and lick their own genitals.  Have Doctor Uchikido show some emotion. If the world is ending, you aren't going to look vaguely bored like it's a situation you get every Thursday. There's a difference between composure and just not giving a shit and her reaction is very much not giving a shit.  Final Thoughts: If I were watching this as a youngster back when it first came out, I'd probably enjoy it in the moment and quickly forget all the details. Watching it now, however, it does not hold up very well. While it has some good moments and the basic artwork and acting generally work well, the antagonist is forgettable and overly stupid. There are too many "plot points" that do nothing and too many characters who sit around scratching their asses. Ultimately, I'll give it a 5/10. It's one of those mundane children's films that has quite a few obvious issues because the writing staff didn't really care or think kids would really notice.

The second Pokemon movie is a step down from the first one in almost every way. This doesn't have to be a condemnation in and of itself, but when your movie doesn't have enough new elements to replace watered down or missing older ones, then problems appear. The most obvious difference between the first and the second movie is the setting. The first movie was set inside a bulbeous lovecraftian castle shrouded by a terrifying storm. There was no attempt at topping this and while bigger doesn't always equal better, this time the setting of the movie ends up underwhelming. It revolves around a generic tropic archipelago. Still, while the location is unremarkable, the movie does toy with viewer's expectations by using the plot to turn this tropical paradise into a cold wasteland. When discussing Pokemon movies, symbolism, foreshadowing and subtle set ups and payoffs don't generally come to mind. Neither does scientific accuracy nor explanations of any kind. This is because latter movies utilize magic by default, ushering in the age of "anything goes". This isn't the norm early in the series, although the first glimpses of this trend are being set in this movie, which will be discussed further on. Still, all is not bad. As plot progresses and natural disasters strike, we get a wonderful scene of Professor Oak improvising an explaination of the shifting ocean currents to journalists using a notebook and a pen. Scenes like this give the movie unique flavor and let us immerse ourselves in the world easier. I wish we got more like this in later movies. Here they let us understrand the threat and which exact things are at stake. Due to moments like this we can believe the Pokemon world is a tangible alternate reality instead of a bog-standard fantasy rollercoaster experience. Unfortunately, we also get a flat villain with a magical castle that makes no sense and the movie is happy to just not bother explaining anything. Used as a plot necessity (that's really not neccesary), the flying castle is one of the low points of the movie. Fortunately, its design is nice to the eyes. Seeing the villain, Lawrence, quickly characterized as a member of wealthy nobility (grand European art and arhitecture included), really pulls these elements out of the gutter even if it acts as duck-tape. The first movie featured some nice references for adults. For example, the clone production machine's shape was clearly inspired by the Fibonacci squence, implying the universal likeness of all life in its conception. I haven't noticed any lofty nods to the audience in this movie, which is a shame. While there was some interesting subtext among character interactions, there was no payoff in the end. Any complexities characters could've had were ultimately played for laughs, while conclusions and follow ups were not bothered with. This, along with some points raised previously, grounds the movie firmly in the mindless action camp. With the movie not bothering to make characters and locations interesting, its plot would need a miracle to end up written well. And so it wasn't. Fortunately for the movie, action was good and the high stakes were communicated successfuly. The action scenes were where real care went and it shows. Some credit should also be given to the atmosphere. The strength of nature and wilderness were successfuly communicated, pushing the bland sections into enjoyable territory with some good visual theming. Considering this movie's budget was the same as the previous, but the movie achieved much less in pretty much every area, it can be considered a disapointment. It was eclipsed by the vastly more complex and emotionally gripping predecessor and marks a point where we can safely say that Pokemon movies decided to settle for less, never to recapture the qualities of the first one. Still, was it a bad movie? I'll have to go with a firm no. While the complexities were done away with, the stakes, action and setting were different enough to stand out as their own adventure. "The Power of One" is watchable without many frustrations, but also devoid of ambition. Even if you're not a Pokemon fan you could have a mildly fun time with this one.

After the first Pokémon movie, this is a bit of a disappointment. The art it still very beautiful and detailed, but here they added computer animation to the mix, and I personally hate that, especially when put in the middle of traditional anime; it looks ugly and out of place, no way around it. They didn't pay as much attention to detail in this one when it came to the plot, and it was a bit thinner than the first one. The beginning, which lay out the basis of the story, also seemed a little short/incomplete. It simply could have had... more in it. Of course this movie also lacked the emotional charge of the first one. A decent movie, better than some of the episodes, but when it's put into comparison with something better, it is easy to see they could have put more effort into storytelling and add a little more depth. Also, I've never really found the Pokémon's telepathic voices to fit them. I don't know why. They just seem odd, especially Lugia's in this one. Not a bad movie, though. Very watchable.

The second movie in the mighty franchise and once again throws the hero Ash into a deep story revolving around Legendary Pokemon. The story revolves around the 3 main characters of the second series of Pokemon - Ash, Misty and Tracey. The three heroes are joined by the energetic captain Maren and her sister Melody. The main storyline of this film is fufilling the prophacy which was laid down from generation to the next and stopping the great pokemon collector Lawrence III from stealing Lugia, Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres. The art was decently good as expected from the series and the soundtrack is very well made and is quite extensive. Unforutnatly as with the rest of the Pokemon Series, the characters are quite plain and two dimensional. Though this can be overcome by the wide variaty of characters in it. Even including another talking psychic pokemon which provides and humorous touch to the series along with the useless bumbling Team Rocket. The Movie itself is quite enjoyable and his overall is great but it can be held back by the lack of character personalility but other than this it is quite a good film to watch. Any Pokemaniacs will want to see this film

This is my favourite pokemon movie :) i love lugia's song, beautiful music

hands down this is my favorite pokemon movie ever. i know that again like most pokemon movies, they don't have a direct tie to the show but that's just fine with me. i liked the whole idea of this movie and it gave me the familiar feel that i got when watching the old pokemon show. i liked the original voice of the characters and the new ones along with the music that goes along with it, i have some of it on my ipod to prove that ^^ i really enjoyed this movie for the use of the legendary birds and the role lugia was able to place into it. lugia will always be the guardian to the seas in my eyes

This is another nostalgia inducing movie. The good old days of Pokemon before it started going through extreme changes. It has many old favorites, many legendary Pokemon, and good villains. I cannot remember it in extreme detail, but, if you haven't watched this Pokemon movie yet, I highly recommend it. It is pure enjoyment and overall will likely just make you feel good. If you are highly critical or dislike childish things, maybe this isn't for you, but if you just like to sit back and relax at something without a horribly complex plot, this is really good for that. Thanks for reading.

It still astounds me just how damn well Mewtwo Strikes Back held up upon revisitation over 2 decades after it aired. How many films aimed at 6-year-olds explore such difficult themes as biological determinism, nature vs nurture and the lasting trauma of being denied personhood, let alone with such mythic scope behind them? Time and time again, this franchise has proved that it can go above and beyond the call of duty, pushing its toyetic critters and characters into works of genuine artistry. Pokemon’s first ever movie could have easily just been a dull lice of tie-in filler and it still would have raked in cash hand over fist, but the team at OLM decided to turn it into something really special. It’s that kind of dedication that made Pokemon take over the world, not just distracting kids with flashy colors but giving them something real and enduring to carry with them. And as long as it keeps proving capable of reaching those heights, I’ll have very little problem sticking with it for the long haul. Unfortunately, just because Pokemon usually goes the extra mile doesn’t mean it’s completely immune to phoning it in. And Pokemon’s second movie, The Power of One, is every bit the mindless franchise vehicle that Mewtwo Strikes Back fought so hard to avoid being. The story takes us back to the middle of the Orange Islands arc, with Ash, Misty and Tracy once again caught up in a potentially world-ending catastrophe related to a legendary Pokemon threatened by human malfeasance. This time, it’s the trio of legendary birds- Articuno of ice, Zapdos of lightning, and Moltres of fire, who in this continuity hang out on a trio of islands right in the middle of the archipelago. Normally there’s balance between them, but a preening Pokemon thief has shown up and started capturing them, throwing that balance into chaos. The birds are rising up to try and conquer each other’s territory, and weather around the world is going wild as a result as their fierce battle rages. The only thing that can calm them down is Lugia, the guardian of the sea, who swims deep in the waters below the islands and acts as the last line of defense to its inferiors. Unfortunately, Lugia’s also exactly who the Pokemon thief is after in the first place, the ultimate prize whom the legendary birds are just a means to an end for catching. Thus, Ash and friends must team up with some native islanders to set things right, island-hopping to fulfill a mysterious prophecy that will awaken Lugia and give it the power it needs to save the day. There’s a lot of potential in that set-up for a tale just as resonant as Mewtwo Strikes Back. Unfortunately, whatever creative juices inspired the Pokemon team to make Baby’s First Francis Galton are not present here: The Power of One is the most bog-standard, generic Chosen One story you can possibly imagine. The prophecy is every prophecy you’ve ever seen in movies like this, and it casts Ash as the chosen one for no other reason than he’s this franchise’s nominal protagonist. The villain is so generic and meaningless that I don’t think we ever learn his name; he’s just some asshole who shows up, minces, and gets his ass kicked. There’s no effort to have our heroes naturally enter the story; they’re just dragged in by dopey convenience before they even realize the full extent of what they’re dealing with. And unlike Mewtwo Strikes Back, there’s no greater meat on the bones to give the story deeper meaning, so there’s nothing to distract from just how asinine some of this gets. At one point the bad guy just lets the heroes out of the cage he’s imprisoned them in and then leaves them behind, with nothing stopping them from pulling their Pokemon out and rescuing his other captives. Seriously, that’s phenomenally stupid, coincidence-laden writing. Perhaps I am being too harsh in some respects; it’s not like Mewtwo Strikes Back was perfect itself, after all. It meandered in the midsection with a few too many side distractions before getting to that killer final act. But without that film’s genuine gravitas, all The Power of One has is those lesser elements. Instead of powerful emotional themes and plot turns that actually mean something, we’re left with Ash being told he’s The Only One Who Can Save The World through powers completely out of his hands and a groan-inducing subplot that pits Misty against another girl in competition for Ash’s affections and ugh, have I mentioned how much I dislike this kind of trite “romantic drama?” Thankfully, the animation team at OLM still knows how to pull off a hell of a spectacle, so we still get the super-impressive animation and background art that Mewtwo Strikes Back had. The world still feels epic, every shot is still intricately detailed, and whenever we’re just focusing on the epic storms whipping up on sea or the explosive battles between the legendary birds themselves, the chaos is truly beautiful to behold. It’s a shame that ugly CG also rears its head at points, which really does some damage to the otherwise great aesthetics; the bad guy’s flying castle, in particular, is basically just a low-rent PS2 Evil Laputa. And it really sticks out in a bad way when the hand-drawn stuff is still so genuinely impressive to behold. Ultimately, Pokemon 2000 isn’t a disaster. It’s still an impressive animation showcase, and I think it utilizes Team Rocket better than Mewtwo Strikes Back did (their arc is the one genuine improvement over this film’s predecessor). But compared to everything that made this franchise’s first film so special, this is a major step down in every way. It lacks the meaning, it lacks the weight, it lacks the pathos, and it lacks the imagination I know this franchise it’s capable of.

The world of Pokemon can be a strange, wonderful, and often terrifying place. Along with humans and a select few diminutive and unimpressive animals, this world is inhabited by a race of peculiar creatures known as, of course, Pokemon. These creatures come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny moles and worms to giant whales and rock-snakes, and while some of the smaller ones might make good pets, almost all of them are capable of devastating feats. It’s understandable that some people may give Pokemon a wide berth, avoiding them at all costs, but there are a few brave souls among us who dare to encounter them up close and personal on a regular basis, bettering themselves in order to overcome any obstacle the world’s Pokemon might put forth. We call them Pokemon Trainers, and the very best among them, who’ve captured or at least owned one sample out of every known Pokemon, are considered Pokemon Masters! Of course, realistically, there can only be one Pokemon Master, as a select few Pokemon are one-of-a-kind, and capturing just one of them destroys the chances for anyone else to achieve said accolade. Seriously, what’s up with that? Among these unique creatures are the legendary birds, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. These Titans of unimaginable elemental power live on a series of islands near Shamouti in the Orange Islands region, engaged in an ancient stalemate over their territory, unknowingly guarding the dormant beast of the sea. Should any one of those three be captured and removed from the scenario, that beast will roar to life and throw the world into chaos. This legend has attracted the attention of Lawrence III, a Pokemon collector with a hunger for the rare and valuable. Using his incredible technology, he has every intention of capturing these titans in order to lure out the beast of the sea... Who he believes to be the legendary Lugia. Unfortunately for him, an old prophecy states that when the balance of power taming the beast becomes perturbed, a chosen one can step in and make things right again! And as it just so happens, Ash Ketchum and his friends are passing through the area on the way to their next Orange Islands gym battle, when they wind up getting dragged into the conflict. When the world turns to ash, will one of these brave souls step up and take the world’s fate into their own hands? Or will humanity become the next one-of-a-kind species? Remember in my review of the first movie, how I said it struck the right balance between CG and 2D animation, and that the balance would get progressively worse with each passing movie? This is where it starts, and oh boy does it get off to a noticeable start. Right off the bat, we’re shown Lawrence’s Castle in the Sky, a giant floating base somehow kept in the air by slowly turning propellers. If this movie had come out a few years later, it would probably be paired with Feel Good Inc as it’s pop song BGM. Anyway, this thing is the most obvious, out of place computer-generated construct since the tongue beasts in the first Resident Evil movie, and two dimensional characters appearing in the same shot look about as real and natural as paper dolls taped to a very expensive child’s toy. It’s also pretty obvious how much money went into this thing, because about half of this movie’s animation is about as low quality as the show, with talking heads moving and freezing on still canvases, and barely any background movement in shots that have lots of people on them. If that’s not bad enough, there’s a scene very early on where the team is travelling by boat, and they’re hit by a storm that causes some turbulence. There is a shot where Pikachu is standing nervously on the rocking boat in a close-up, and I swear to Arceus they just took the still image and shook it around to give the illusion of movement. Characters often seem to freeze into the background whenever they’re not talking, some of the scenes are very poorly shot(like Ash’s arrival on Shamouti), and a lot of the movie is distinctly out of frame, due to 4Kids’ decision to convert the film from widescreen to fullscreen. Another obvious CG effect is an entirely pointless scene where hoards of Pokemon are stuck on an ice sheet staring out into the water, but can still be seen moving from a mile away, including Kangaskhan doing her little sumo stomp. The only moments where the CG and 2D elements blend nicely to the tune of a decent budget, and thus the moments that differentiate it from future movies, are the action scenes, most notably when the legendary birds are fighting either Lawrence’s devices, each other, or both. The animation for these moments are breathtaking, fast paced, and over-all a joy to watch, to the point that I’d actually say it’s worth sitting through the rest of the movie’s animation to get there. The music, however, is a step up from the first movie. The score is powerful and epic, particularly with the music that accompanies the action set pieces. Rather than a Danny Elfman sound, like the first movie utilized, this one has more of a John Williams sound, which is equally appropriate. Where the first film had a dark and ominous tone, this one plays out more like a grand, sweeping adventure, so the music has to be a lot bolder and, well, for lack of a better term, bigger. This does unfortunately result in a lot of the tunes sounding a bit homogenized, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as this type of movie kind of calls for it. It only tends to get annoying when it comes to what I can only describe as the musical motif of the film, a certain wind tune that a new female character introduces us to. She never states what she’s playing, and I can’t identify it by ear, so we’ll just call it an Ocarina. It’s important to the plot, so I can’t harp on it too much, but suffice to say it gets old pretty quick. Thankfully, with Lugia’s Song as an example, it rarely ever plays in the background without evolving into something far more awesome. The soundtrack in this movie is nowhere near as embarrassing as the first one, as it seems to have been put together with a much better focus than it’s pop-song grabbing predecessor. The Ocarina motif that I mentioned before gets expanded into a full song by Donna Summer, which was based off of one of this movie’s three names, The Power of One. It’s a pretty great song, not gonna lie, but it’s very nature carries one of the most unfortunate problems with the english version of the movie, which I’ll get to later. The pop version of Pokemon World is also pretty awesome, even though it’s being sung by two nineties bands that haven’t been mentioned by living people for over ten years. Yeah, the song itself is fun, but it only really becomes cringeworthy if you watch the two bands performing it onstage, which is totally a thing on the DVD extras. Those poor teen bastards. Even the actors from Pokemon Live came away more dignity than that. Flying Without Wings by Westlife is a pretty decent song... well, at least the cut the movie used... And for a bit of unexpected weirdness, Weird Al actually pops up in the credits to combine the Pokerap with his own Polka trend. It’s not what I’d call a perfect soundtrack, but at least they tried to keep things relevant this time around. But much like the first movie, there are tunes on the CD that didn’t make it into the movie... Dreams by Alysha Antonino has the makings of a pretty good song, but the production features the absolute worst flavor of the late nineties. The lyrics themselves are almost poignant in their message, but the orchestration is just butt ugly. The Extra Mile by Laura Pausini is really generic, and could easily be placed in the credits of almost any film without feeling out of place. I hate to get mean over a song that’s been lost in time, but when I buy a CD and load the songs to Itunes, this is the kind of song I leave off. The same could be said by One Heart by O-Town, which probably the most memorable forgotten band in exis…

This Movie Brings Back Memories From When I Was A Kid I Was Obsessed Over This Movie Because Lugia Is My Favorite Pokemon Out There And This Movie Is Perfect For An Epic Battle And An Epic Story With The Best Story I've Seen In A Pokemon Movie Also How They Introduce The Story Is The Way To Do It I Give It 10/10 Good No Wait Awesome No Wait Epicnessiawsomenoogoods

Rewatched this with some friends recently. This is the second feature-length Pokemon film. This film, like the first one, does have a fair share of filmatic moments, as in it actually feels like a film (which funny enough is not the case for a lot of the later Pokemon films starting in the Diamond and Pearl time frame onwards). However, while you can chalk up a lot of the issues in the first film as "hey it was their first stab at it", there are A LOT of issues in this second film. The biggest issue I have with the film is the absolute failure of the villain. They try to pass him off as a bad guy for bad guy's sake (which sometimes is the best path for a film). However, he just doesn't have any stopping power. Also for large chunks of the film, he remains quite absent from the film. In a way, the three original legendary birds play the role of the chaotic evil "villains". The pacing of the film is honestly not too bad although the intro sequence (with the villain and how Ash and company end up on "plot island") goes on a bit too long. The problem is that...there really isn't a whole lot of interesting things thrown into the film. It is literally "hey go to this island, pick up X item, go to the next island and repeat". There are also a lack of set-pieces, something that films like this need to motivate the audience. The dialogue is quite simply, omega cringe. Like, yeah sure the target audience for this film is younger children but even then, tell me why Pixar films, for the most part, end up appealing to all audiences? Overall, if you watch it in the right setting, it can be enjoyable. However as a film, it is quite boring. Still it is miles better than a number of the Pokemon films. Enjoyment: 3.8/10 Overall: 4/10

The second Pokémon movie to hit theaters, Pokémon the Movie 2 (or 2000) originally came back in-- you guessed it-- 2000. Continuing the events of the anime, we find Ash and Pikachu back for another adventure. How does it fare? Pretty well actually. Story: We follow Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum, his Pikachu, and friends, Misty and Tracey, as they continue their adventures on the Orange Islands. However, things take a turn for the worst when a mysterious Pokémon collector disrupts the balance of the world by forcefully capturing three elemental Pokémon: the fire-type Moltres, lighting-type Zapdos, and ice-type Articuno in hopes of luring out the legendary sea Pokémon, Lugia. The story plays out like your typical "save the word" affair where Ash must collect three ancient balls and restore order to the world. The plot was predictable and formulaic, but was pretty entertaining. The characters were good for the most part. Misty, Tracey, and Team Rocket were great, though I can't say the same for the new characters and villain, who were all forgettable by the way. Presentation: The second movie is a huge step up from its predecessor, despite being a year old. The character and background designs were detailed; as well as the vibrant colors, which were fitting of the sea-based setting. That being said, the 3D models no doubt have aged like crap and as a result, clashes with the 2D art. The voice acting (dub) is great in my opinion, as I found everyone delivering good performances. The soundtrack was good, though nothing really stood out to me. Overall: I really had a lot of fun watching Pokémon the Movie 2, more so than The First Movie. Sure the story and characters weren't the greatest, but it was a enjoyable watch nonetheless. Anyone can watch it since its not story-heavy, though no doubt Pokémon fans will find the most fun here.

I remember it being tugging on my heartstrings even as a child when we saw the three legendary birds - especially Articuno for me which has been my favorite since this came out. I watched this for the first time as a child at the age of 6 in the Cinema. It's a memory that never fades; it was beautiful, empowering, funny, and emotional all in one. I remember crying towards the end of the movie; it was a very powerful moment. *I don't want to spoil anything for someone who hasn't had the pleasure to see this movie yet so I won't go into detail* I guess the weak link in the chain is the villain of the movie for the 1/3 of the movie. It could have done a better job with him, or completely remove his arc and flesh out the characters we already know / got to know in this movie. Just watch it for the first time. Re-watch it. Pokemon isn't just for children, which is a huge misconception. There's a lot to take away from a adult perspective. You'll love it. Definitely worth re-watching as an adult just for the nostalgia. The orchestra that accompanied the movie is superb - A masterpiece in itself. I can't believe that a Pokemon movie had its own ORCHESTRA. it's amazing. I still have the OST and Lugia's song is emotional even after so many years. The animation is a beautiful old-school. When Lugia Theme played for the first time I remember how the tears streamed down my cheeks. I had never heard anything so beautiful before in my life. Even today I can hear how amazing it is, but today it only brings me joy. The joy of having been able to experience this magical adventure a child and adult both.

I remember not liking this movie as much as the first one when I was younger and I couldn't remember if it was because the movie itself just wasn't good or if it was because the same weekend this had been rented for me, I finally got a vhs copy of Princess Mononoke (which obviously left a major impression on me since it's one of my favorite movies of all time). Finding and getting into more mature anime that touched on more themes and subjects was one of the leading factors in drifting away from this series as a whole. It's why, for the most part, I still view Pokemon with nostalgia and don't take it too seriously because overall it's mostly fluff. However, going back to this one I can definitely see it was the movie itself that just wasn't all that good. The art/animation is a vast improvement and has some really lovely imagery in places. The soundtrack is also improved upon big time. The plot, though, is paper-thin at best and makes no sense at worst (I still don't know why these fucking birds were fighting when they all had their own damn island???). This whole thing would've been better served as an arc on the show when I remember finding the whole Orange Islands season pretty damn tedious. Also Melody is bae and I will fite for her.

A step down from the first movie, but still really good. Getting it out of the way first, the flaws that made it weaker than the first one. Lawrence III was nowhere near as much of a compelling villain as Mewtwo, being much more of a generic "i'm gonna steal these Pokemon" guy. The action scenes and climax were also not as intense as the first one, though still very enjoyable, and the direction/production wasn't quite as good as the amazing direction of the first one. With that out of the way, it was great, and in some ways even better than the first. The story with the gang trying to stop the legendary birds from destroying the world, and the whole prophecy of Ash being the chosen one, was all really thrilling and cool, and possibly even better than the first (not as thin). As mentioned, the action scenes and direction may have been weaker than the first one, but they were still great, and the animation was lovely. And finally, it had lots of nice comedy. ("We're slowing Lugia down, we're too heavy!" "Let's try Weightwatchers") So overall, still a great movie. Like the first, i'd recommend it to any fan.

An epic adventure that defined a generation. This was, without a doubt, one of the Pokémon movies I enjoyed watching the most. A big reason for this is that it spotlights some of the franchise's most iconic Legendary Pokémon: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. For those who grew up playing the series' early games, these three always represented the pinnacle of elemental power. Encountering one of them during the adventure was an unforgettable moment, and managing to catch them made any trainer feel practically invincible. Seeing the three of them together in a movie was incredible. The animation also deserves high praise. Considering the film was released in 1999, the visuals remain impressive to this day. The scenes featuring the Legendaries boast excellent direction, beautiful effects, and a sense of grandeur that few anime titles could convey at the time. Whenever the Pokémon clash, the scale of the battles truly makes it feel as though the world's balance hangs in the balance. Another element that elevates the film is its soundtrack. The music perfectly complements the story's key moments, making the scenes even more thrilling. During the confrontations between the Legendaries and Lugia's appearance, the combination of animation and sound design creates truly memorable sequences. Speaking of Lugia, this film introduced one of the franchise's most popular Pokémon. Its debut is staged with great impact, conveying the full majesty of this legendary creature. Its design is excellent, its powers are impressive, and its role in the story quickly makes it the center of attention. Even those who had never seen Lugia before can understand why it became one of the mascots of the second generation. The story follows the classic style of the early Pokémon movies: simple, aimed at a younger audience, and filled with messages about balance and respect for nature. While the script isn't overly complex, it works perfectly within the franchise's established tone. There is a constant sense of adventure, mystery, and discovery that makes the film very entertaining to watch. Something I’ve always found interesting is that this adventure takes place during Ash’s journey through the Orange Islands. Although the events of the movie don’t directly impact the anime’s main storyline, it works very well as a side adventure. This gives the script more freedom to create a global-scale threat without worrying too much about the series' continuity. Furthermore, the film has a vibe that strongly recalls certain Studio Ghibli productions. The way nature, ancient legends, and mystical elements are presented creates an atmosphere distinct from most anime episodes. While it may not quite reach the depth of that studio's works, the influence is palpable at various points in the narrative. Overall, I consider this one of the best classic Pokémon movies. It successfully blends adventure, action, humor, and emotional moments into a simple yet highly entertaining story. It’s a production that evokes a great deal of nostalgia for those who followed the franchise during their childhood and remains a fantastic choice for any fan of the series today. Rating: 7/10. I highly recommend it, especially to fans of the first and second generations of Pokémon. It delivers exactly what it promises: a grand adventure featuring some of the most iconic Legendary Pokémon in the entire franchise. =================================================================================================================Versão em Português===================================== Uma aventura épica que marcou uma geração. Esse foi, sem dúvida, um dos filmes de Pokémon que mais gostei de assistir. Muito disso acontece porque ele coloca em destaque alguns dos Pokémon lendários mais icônicos de toda a franquia: Articuno, Zapdos e Moltres. Para quem cresceu jogando os primeiros games da série, esses três sempre representaram o auge do poder elemental. Encontrar um deles durante a aventura já era um momento inesquecível, e conseguir capturá-los fazia qualquer treinador se sentir praticamente invencível. Ver os três reunidos em um filme foi algo incrível. A animação também merece muitos elogios. Considerando que o longa foi lançado em 1999, o trabalho visual impressiona bastante até hoje. As cenas envolvendo os lendários possuem ótima direção, efeitos muito bonitos e uma sensação de grandiosidade que poucos animes conseguiam transmitir naquela época. Sempre que os Pokémon entram em conflito, a escala das batalhas realmente passa a impressão de que o equilíbrio do mundo está em risco. Outro ponto que eleva bastante o filme é a trilha sonora. A música acompanha perfeitamente os momentos mais importantes da história e ajuda a tornar as cenas ainda mais emocionantes. Nos confrontos entre os lendários e durante a aparição de Lugia, a combinação entre animação e sonorização cria sequências muito memoráveis. Falando em Lugia, esse filme foi responsável por apresentar um dos Pokémon mais populares da franquia. Sua primeira aparição é construída de forma muito impactante, transmitindo toda a imponência dessa criatura lendária. O design é excelente, seus poderes são impressionantes e sua participação na história faz com que ele rapidamente se torne o centro das atenções. Mesmo quem nunca havia visto Lugia antes consegue entender por que ele se tornou um dos mascotes da segunda geração. A história continua seguindo aquele estilo clássico dos primeiros filmes de Pokémon: simples, voltada para um público mais jovem e carregada de mensagens sobre equilíbrio e respeito à natureza. Não é um roteiro extremamente complexo, mas funciona muito bem dentro da proposta da franquia. Existe um clima constante de aventura, mistério e descoberta que torna o filme muito divertido de acompanhar. Algo que sempre achei interessante é que essa aventura acontece durante a jornada de Ash pelas Ilhas Laranja. Embora os acontecimentos do filme não interfiram diretamente na história principal do anime, ele funciona muito bem como uma aventura paralela. Isso permite que o roteiro tenha mais liberdade para criar uma ameaça em escala mundial sem se preocupar tanto com a continuidade da série. Além disso, o filme possui um clima que lembra bastante algumas produções do Studio Ghibli. A forma como a natureza, as lendas antigas e os elementos místicos são apresentados cria uma atmosfera diferente da maioria dos episódios do anime. Não chega a ter a mesma profundidade das obras do estúdio, mas essa influência pode ser percebida em vários momentos da narrativa. No geral, considero este um dos melhores filmes clássicos de Pokémon. Ele consegue reunir aventura, ação, humor e momentos emocionantes em uma história simples, mas muito divertida. É uma produção que desperta bastante nostalgia para quem acompanhou a franquia durante a infância e continua sendo uma ótima opção até hoje para qualquer fã da série. Nota: 7/10. Recomendo muito, principalmente para quem gosta da primeira e da segunda geração de Pokémon. É um filme que entrega exatamente aquilo que promete: uma grande aventura envolvendo alguns dos Pokémon lendários mais icônicos de toda a franquia.

Better than the first movie for the simple fact of not ripping off stuff from other IPs (I'm of course talking about the Cell saga of DBZ) but there's still the problem the first movie had, which means this movie (which has no real plot to speak of like the rest of all the Pokemon animes, understandable since it's based on a videogame IP) takes itself too goddamned seriously in respect to what the main series did, with stuff that wouldn't look out of place in the likes of the second half of Evangelion...with the slight problem that this, at the end of the day, is still a vehicle to sell you battles between cute monsters and applying to it serious overtones doesn't gel particularly well, no matter if the main writer of this as well as the main series (which is still better than these two movies, as usual from the movies spinned off from the main series) Takeshi Shudo was, at the time, suffering of depression a là Hideaki Anno and he clearly used these movies to cope with it, unlike the main series that is as fun (and as well written, I might say) as the two Minky Momo shows he penned. Also, I don't know you but the romantic angle of the relationship between Kasumi and Satoshi forcefully added in the mix in this movie reeks a mile of your bog-standard battle shounen romantic relationships that no one, particularly the real-life men who are into the female characters of said shows, are interested in seeing, and I don't get it. Particularly when it comes to characters that are VERY popular as waifus like the most popular of the women in the IP like Kasumi is, it's just grating. As for the rest, the chara of the three Pokemons added in this show (the real reason why this was produced to begin with) is very good, the battles are good, The Fan-favourite Team Rocket takes action instead of doing nothing like it happened in the previous movie and the best part of it all is, like in the first movie, the appareance of another Legend wirh a capital L of japanese voice acting such she is Kotono Mitsuishi-sensei in the pants of the commander of the small ship from which the whole movie starts. All in all, recommended but don't expect this to be as good as the main series in its proper japanese form is (objectively speaking) because it isn't. Thank you for reading my review.