The "Pokemon" movies provide a good argument for the installation of personal viewing screens in movie houses, similar to many airlines' in-flight movies systems. This way, adults can watch another movie while their young children thrill to "Pokemon". The initial "Pokemon" movie may well have been the first smash hit in movie history where a goodly percentage of the audience -- those parents who drew the short straw and accompanied their kids to the cinema -- was bored out of its skull.
The Pokemon phenomenon has not seriously abated since November's release of "Pokemon the First Movie", so this second installment should create another small-fry superhit for Warner Bros.
Clearly, Nintendo of America, which manages the Pokemon franchise, and Warners, were in a hurry to get a new Pokemon movie into theaters. So "Pokemon the Movie 2000" is something of a rush job: a 22-minute short, "Pikachu's Rescue Adventure", and an 80-minute feature, "The Power of One", from Pokemon's original creators in Japan, have been slapped together and adapted into English by director Michael Haigney and 4Kids Entertainment Prods. president Norman J. Grossfeld.
Once more, the aggressive crudeness of the animation will make fans of that art form wince. One can only hope those same parents will take their youngsters to see "Chicken Run" or "Fantasia 2000" to generate some appreciation of what glorious things animation can really do.
The virtually pre-literate "Pikachu's Rescue Adventure", keeping dialogue to a bare minimum, follows that Pokemon hero's escapades in an underground forest. "The Power of One" sees young trainer Ash Ketchum attempt to save the world by restoring the harmonious forces of nature, symbolized by three Pokemon birds: Moltres (fire), Zapados (lightning) and Articuno (ice). To do this, he must battle against, of all things, a greedy Pokemon collector, who has thrown nature out of balance.
To follow any of this, one must have a thorough understanding of the Pokemon or "pocket monsters," which young children (called trainers) collect and "train" in order to play an interactive video game. Without such understanding, the film could just as well remain in Japanese for adults.
And that bewilderment will only increase when parents realize they are essentially paying for the privilege of watching a 102-minute commercial for games and products.
POKEMON THE MOVIE 2000
Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
Warner Bros. Kids presents
a 4Kids Entertainment production
Producer: Norman J. Grossfeld
Director, Japanese production: Kunihiko Yuyama
Director, American production: Michael Haigney
Screenwriter: Takeshi Shudo
English adaptation by: Norman J. Grossfeld, Michael Haigney
Director of photography: Hisao Shirai
Art director: Katsuyoshi Kanemura
Music: Ralph Schuckett, John Loeffler
Editor: Jay Film
Animation producers: Toshiaki Okuno,
Shukichi Kanda
Animation production:
Shogakukan Production Co.
Color/stereo
Voices: Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart, Addie Blaustein, Ted Lewis, Ikue Otani
Running time - 102 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
The Pokemon phenomenon has not seriously abated since November's release of "Pokemon the First Movie", so this second installment should create another small-fry superhit for Warner Bros.
Clearly, Nintendo of America, which manages the Pokemon franchise, and Warners, were in a hurry to get a new Pokemon movie into theaters. So "Pokemon the Movie 2000" is something of a rush job: a 22-minute short, "Pikachu's Rescue Adventure", and an 80-minute feature, "The Power of One", from Pokemon's original creators in Japan, have been slapped together and adapted into English by director Michael Haigney and 4Kids Entertainment Prods. president Norman J. Grossfeld.
Once more, the aggressive crudeness of the animation will make fans of that art form wince. One can only hope those same parents will take their youngsters to see "Chicken Run" or "Fantasia 2000" to generate some appreciation of what glorious things animation can really do.
The virtually pre-literate "Pikachu's Rescue Adventure", keeping dialogue to a bare minimum, follows that Pokemon hero's escapades in an underground forest. "The Power of One" sees young trainer Ash Ketchum attempt to save the world by restoring the harmonious forces of nature, symbolized by three Pokemon birds: Moltres (fire), Zapados (lightning) and Articuno (ice). To do this, he must battle against, of all things, a greedy Pokemon collector, who has thrown nature out of balance.
To follow any of this, one must have a thorough understanding of the Pokemon or "pocket monsters," which young children (called trainers) collect and "train" in order to play an interactive video game. Without such understanding, the film could just as well remain in Japanese for adults.
And that bewilderment will only increase when parents realize they are essentially paying for the privilege of watching a 102-minute commercial for games and products.
POKEMON THE MOVIE 2000
Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
Warner Bros. Kids presents
a 4Kids Entertainment production
Producer: Norman J. Grossfeld
Director, Japanese production: Kunihiko Yuyama
Director, American production: Michael Haigney
Screenwriter: Takeshi Shudo
English adaptation by: Norman J. Grossfeld, Michael Haigney
Director of photography: Hisao Shirai
Art director: Katsuyoshi Kanemura
Music: Ralph Schuckett, John Loeffler
Editor: Jay Film
Animation producers: Toshiaki Okuno,
Shukichi Kanda
Animation production:
Shogakukan Production Co.
Color/stereo
Voices: Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart, Addie Blaustein, Ted Lewis, Ikue Otani
Running time - 102 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
- 7/21/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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