It’s even more noticeable now that greater effort is being put into the TV series’ storylines. Early Pokémon movies offered higher stakes, some even going so far to reach apocalyptic proportions ( The Power of One), which could be argued as going a tad too far-which I suspect is the reason why Pokémon movies have gradually downgraded their situations from “saving the world” to more believably “saving the day.” That’s fine, but remember that this formula isn’t much different from what we see in the TV show-and therein lies the issue I’ve found with more current Pokémon movies that don’t feel much more momentous than an extended TV episode. Even hero Ash can feel secondary to these legendary pokémon sometimes, so obviously if a Pokémon movie’s legendary pokémon is uninteresting, chances are the rest of the film will be as well.īut there have been some Pokémon movies that feature an enjoyable legendary pokémon, who unfortunately is involved in a generally uninteresting scenario/adventure for our heroes. Then there are some legendaries that come across as annoying ( Giratina and the Sky Warrior), or worse are simply filler characters as an excuse for the movie to have a legendary pokémon cameo (too many to count in Hoopa and the Clash of Ages!). Some legendaries have terrific backgrounds ( Lucario and the Mystery of Mew), others have relatable personalities ( Genesect and the Legend Awakened), and some form strong relationships with our human heroes ( Jirachi Wish Maker). Because these movies usually center on said legendary pokémon, I usually find a film either hits or misses depending on the actual personality/portrayal of said pokémon. Again, every Pokémon movie is fundamentally similar-Ash and friends encounter a legendary pokémon and must save the day. The movies’ plots are another, pardon the pun, story. ![]() If there’s one place the Pokémon movies haven’t lost their edge, its visual presentation. Best of all, each Pokémon movie’s visuals improved over the years, to the point that I consider the new ones to be sheer eye candy. Even though the early Pokémon movies had their share of animation/CGI issues, the films still looked much better than anything the TV show offered. These films touched upon serious elements and proved that Pokémon can be more than just a silly, happy-go-lucky Saturday morning kiddie cartoon.Īnd let’s not forget how the Pokémon movies’ production values (music, animation, CGI) have always been a highlight. ![]() The earliest films often involved darker elements, too, such as significantly more dangerous adventures for Ash and friends, including more violence and even an occasional death. Like I said above, the Pokémon movies used to be a special opportunity for the series to try things it normally wouldn’t in the TV show, most notably better storylines that couldn’t be justified in half-hour TV episodes. Frankly, I applaud the Pokémon anime for still being around after twenty years, and I hope it’ll be around for another twenty, too! But that doesn’t mean I haven’t craved something “new” from the series, either, especially from its movies. Now, don’t think I’m necessarily criticizing Director Kunihiko Yuyama and his team-I’d run out of ideas after 19 movies, too, especially whilst juggling the Pokémon TV show at the same time. ![]() But let’s face it after 19 films, it’s become more and more obvious how each Pokémon movie’s concept is fundamentally the same-it’s just that some stories are much better executed than others. Each movie has at least one thing going for it, so I can’t say any are major flops. I’ve followed and adored the Pokémon anime for the past twenty years, and for a while its films were always special, often refreshing, detours from the redundancies of the TV series. Finally a Pokémon movie I’m really, really excited about!
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