Pokémon 3: The Movie

*English is NOT my first language! Review will be edited... eventually!* I can clearly remember, when someone older than me, and actual native english speaker - not like me - once described this movie, as a 'Silent Hill for children'. Linkara, was that you? Anyway, I can fully agree with him, because despite being about pokemon, this movie is dark. And sweet... like a salty liquorice! What I especially love about this movie, is that the setting for the story itself is actually in this time made... well, smaller, and thus more personal, than the first two movies. The first two movies - while still quite good- where all about saving the world, with rather bizzare messages and morals like, "the war is wrong, even though our entire franchise kinda sorta supports it", and "the power of one may sometimes be all that's needed... even if that one is kinda sorta pokegod" and so on, but this movie took it to the whole new direction. What if the stakes, and motives, where actually personal, rather than universal? Like say, a little girl is in mourning over her lost family, literaly whishing herself a new one, and thus endangering all around her, consuming anything and everything that stands between her and her illusions? Now that's... rather good idea, I'd say! It's all and good, if the heroe saves he world, or something, that is important to everybody, but what if he has to save something, that only he actually cares, and only he can loose - his mother! This plotpoint alone would have made this movie an awesome on it's own, but this is not actually the main focus, no! It's about a little girl, and her passion to life forever in this magical personal dreamland, where everyhting is beautiful and peaceful, everything she wishes or desires will happen and become true, and no one can never just come, then go, and leave you forever. While the first pokemon movie was all about accepting one's birth as it is, and the second was... well, saving the world, this movie is about acepting the emotional pain of isolation and loneliness, loss of the loved ones, and how to let go of something that you love and treasure the most... which is for Molly, her family. That's a real pickle, even for some of us adults to handle, but for a little girl...damn! The music, and the art in this movie, are both just breathtakingly beautiful, and precise. The music fits perfectly for every scene, and in every picture, packing every frame with absolute emotion, that I can only adore. When you want to cry, you cry. When you want to feel the adrenaline, you will feel it! "If that is what you wish" is still one of my favourite pieces of musical soundtracks, even on this very day! The action - a.k.a the actual battles - are also finaly done right, right from the opening credits! The battles themselves aren't overly done, or even on the majority of the runningtime, but substaine both entertainment, and focus to the plot, without feeling forced. The main characters are the very same nuckleheads that we pokemaniacs know and love - gotta love that ol' Brock - and even the ever so obnoxious Team Rocket gets a fairly decent amount screentime and some laughs in, and even some of their most heroic moments are captured in. Nice! The story itself... well, it's good and all, but it can be mayde little bit too cheesy or horned in sometimes - remember, we have to sell this movie outside of Japan, so we can't be too subtle, now can we - and the lessons a bit corny as well for my taste, but hey... it's a 90's anime series for ya, so what did you expect, really? Also, if you didn't like the desings of the little critters, after the first genertion, then you may not like all these new little monsters you see here either - Aipom is actually kinda creepy! As a child, I didn't really love this movie, because of the story - I just liked the Entei, music, and the awesome battles... just like any stupid child would. Also, I never really liked that Casey-dude, so I was more than thrilled, that they left him to rot somewhere, after the second movie! Now, as an adult, I can see the themes, the personal stakes, threat of the situatuon, and the contradictions of the morals of grief, loss and sadness, and now, I love this movie even more! This is everyhting, that pokemon is to me, when done right, and I would recommend this to anyone, who at least knows, what the pokemon is! If you still like pokemon, you are not too old to enjoy this movie, and you should... if for nothing else, but for nostalgia. Story: 10 Art: 9 Sound: 9 Characters: 8 Enjoyment: 9 Overall: 9

the third pokemon movie, spell of the unknown~ just wow. i must have watched this sometime in the past as a child because i feel like i've seen it before but it was so long ago i couldn't remember what happened. here i am again to review yet another pokemon movie. the movie had this sort of lonely sad aura about it for most of the time. mostly because of one of the main characters molly and what she had to deal with throughout and before the movie. so far through all the movies i've watched, the sense of friendship, determination, and believing in whatyou love was even stronger in this movie. the use of entei, the legendary fire beast pokemon, made it all the more epic and powerful. the pokemon battles are hot and so are the emotions. overall, this movie had me on the edge of my seat and eager to see what would come next. this is thus far, one of my favorites in the pokemon movie series. the art in this case was just as classic and beautiful as the previous movies and looked great in my eyes. the only thing i found a little odd was the unknown animation. it seemed like they were a little too 3d to fit the rest of the movie. i didn't mind too much and that was only at a few small points in the movie. sound effects were awesome. the music was great. it was intense and fit perfectly to the scenes and mood of the point it played. all the voice actors are present from the original english dub, making it nostalgic to the previous movies and series. i really liked the choice of entei's voice of dan green, he just seemed to fit the part and made entei sound epic. all the characters therefore are powerful and tie greatly into the pokemon series. the use of a legendary pokemon in this case was amazing. it was great to see another classic legendary pokemon play a major role in a movie. overall, i really enjoyed this movie for it's epic points and fire hot pokemon battles. so far, this is one of the best pokemon movies in the series and i would suggest it to pokemon fans :D

"Haven't seen so many strange letters since the last time I placed a personal ad" You're right there James. Being a Pokemon fan as I kid I enjoyed watching this movie.... It is a family film to be enjoyed by adults and children alike and one-liners like the one quoted above will keep the adults amused while the kids enjoy it for the hell of it. There are times when the 'fourth wall' is broken too that made me want to jump up and high-five someone. But if you are the grumpy kind of person that wants this movie picked apart......then fine....here it is......I must say a coupleof things from an adult point of view too. Although this movie plays a bit deeper into it's characters than the first two movies, unlike it's predecessors, the third instalment just seems like an extended episode of the TV series......which.....if the first two films were like this too....would've been expected and acceptable. The only time when it really feels like a movie is during the prologue and the title sequence.....but once that first Pokemon battle starts over the opening credits.....you know you've really seen all this before. I also have a bit of a concern with the campaigning of this movie also.....the movie's subtitle contains the word 'Unown', so you assume that the whole thing is going to be focused on the Unown but, somehow, as the film goes on, you find yourself tricked into accepting Entei as the main villain, even though deep down you know that Entei isn't....then finally...at the end....you awake from the trance. So there....I managed the impossible.... I picked apart a Pokemon movie down to the bone. Thank you MyAnimeList for making me rip apart my childhood. It's done. If you're like me and had a good childhood because of this franchise then you will only read the first two paragraphs...... ........if you regret your childhood and everything about it ever since Santa didn't get you that present that you asked for for Christmas.......take advice from the rest.