An expansive library of Pokemon Movies [9+10]

The world of Pokemon is full of fantastic beasts and adorable animals in every shape, size, species and ability known to man! Within this amazing planet is also a plethora of theatrical movies based off the anime based off the video game. Over the years I've noticed a change in these movies which I wish to talk about.

[Released in 2005 and based primarily on the third generation of Pokemon games, Ruby and Sapphire in 2003 as a teaser to the fourth generation of Pokemon, Diamond and Pearl released in 2007]

I remember this one being one of my favourites as a kid when it eventually started being aired sometimes (not anymore of course) on CartoonNetwork in the UK.

Probably because how insanely story heavy it is!

But now that I rewatch it years later, I still love it for the same reasons except now I have questions.

To begin with, There's a War!

Between two neighbouring kingdoms. They do not elaborate at all. Instead they just agree it could destroy everything.

In response to this a hero and his Lucario are sent out to stop the war. This hero has control over something called the 'Aura' which, if course, some Pokemon have control over as well. Most notably Lucario himself who can learn the ingame move, AuraSphere.

Just incase any questions pop up on what that flower in the image just used is. It's just a contrived plot device not to dissimilar to Undertale's Echo flower in which it relays holographically and audibly moments in time that it records.

Anyway...

The hero locks away Lucario with... Magic? The Aura? into his staff to keep him safe as he goes off to the tree of life to create a wave of harmony using, you guessed it, the Aura to stop the war.

The tree of life is vaguely explained to be incredibly old, actually a naturally forming stone structure and has connections through its age to Mew who is also said to be one of the first Pokemon to exist being an ancestor to all other Pokemon.

Hundreds of years later the local kingdom still celebrate the victory of this hero (After that particular noun use I think I'll start using the heroes actual name now, Sir Aaron) with a Pokemon tournament in medieval attire. Ash of course wins it and becomes this years hero and is even given a costume and the same staff that Sir Aaron locked Lucario away in. Lucario senses Ash's apparent Aura and is released from the staff.

Meanwhile Mew takes Pikachu and Meowth away to the tree of life during some antics giving some motive to Ash and his friends to go and save them. Lucario tags along because of his constant service to the queen or some honour reasons.

The tree apparently has a sort of anti-virus system which spawns goo monsters that for some reason are shaped like fossil Pokemon to destroy any humans because it only recognises Pokemon as... pure? The Regi's are there too

I feel as if some might expect me to say "I guess" after mentioning the Regi's being in this movie but other than my fondness for these Pokemon, I think they fit very well.

The Regi's are just guardians and always have been. Golems of the elements even though steel is mostly man made. Autonomous beings not capable of emotion or facial expression on the account of the most of a face they have are 7 dots.

That being said, Having these deeply robotic Pokemon simply as extra natural security alongside some equally unfeeling blobs that eat people fits them too well!

The story ends with Lucario sacrificing himself to stop the tree of life's system from destroying itself after Mew, who is directly connected to the tree, used up its power to save Ash from the system. It's kinda interesting to see that people and Pokemon actually die in this movie but I don't feel any weight compared to when Ash "died" in the very first Pokemon movie. Not because he's the main character but because this movie is set up with a deep lore in a magic kingdom where wizards and magic are a thing and not just certain Pokemon that have very powerful abilities. In short, it's a fairytale and therefore enforces the point that this comes across as just a bedtime story with little bearing to any kind of canon. And now my final point before I end this incredibly long review.

Lucario and Mewtwo are the same

A tad ironic that Mewtwo is a clone of Mew but subsequently got cloned again in the form of Lucario.

Plenty of people on the internet have pointed this out. From the energy balls they throw everywhere to their associations with Mew and their ability to talk through telepathy and even their characters.

I didn't mention it in the play-by-play because it changed nothing in the stories progression but Lucario's character development is trusting humans again after feeling betrayed and abandoned by Sir Aaron sealing him in the staff and assuming that Sir Aaron also abandoned his kingdom.

Mewtwo also hates humans after only being used and lied to since birth but then (much like Lucario) changes his mind after witnessing the love Ash and his Pokemon have.

[Released in 2006 and based primarily on the third generation of Pokemon games, Ruby and Sapphire in 2003 as a teaser to the fourth generation of Pokemon, Diamond and Pearl released in 2007 and the Pokemon Ranger

spin-off game also released in 2006]

This is the worst.

Out of the 10 Pokemon movies I've watched over the past 5 weeks, this is the very worst.

My reasons? It has the Pokemon Rangers and Pirates as well as some of the worst writing I've seen yet in this movie analysis series.

Seeing the poster alone is self-fulfilling, not to mention the title and how it doesn't even use the iconic Pokemon logo which doesn't make sense considering they use it in the games themselves!

What is a Pokemon Ranger?

A Pokemon Ranger is in short just someone who stops poachers and the like as well as protects the environment. Stop forest fires, saves people and Pokemon from rock slides. An interesting kind of archetype of Pokemon trainer, I agree but I've played two of the games and they are not as interesting as they are built up. Instead of capturing Pokemon you... well they keep the name but capturing means drawing loops around a Pokemon enough to befriend it by force. Still an interesting concept but the games were so incredibly boring!

Now onto the story!

Captain what's-his-face (because I don't want to put in the effort for this film) wants the Manaphy egg to hatch Manaphy so it will lead him to an Atlantis clone made by people we'll never meet just to steal some expensive crystals for his own gain.

Meanwhile Ash, company and a Pokemon Ranger (as well as some unimportant water themed entertainers with a submarine) go after him. May (Ash's Hoenn girlfriend) becomes Manaphy's mum or whatever. Also unimportant.

Notice how I summed up the entire plot of the story is one paragraph? They probably put as much time into their characters as you did reading that paragraph.

What I find ironic is the beginning of the film compared to Pirate Pokemon and the Pokemon Ranger.

It starts exactly the same as usual. Wondrous Pokemon and whatnot being countless with habitats filled with numerous creatures backing it. Then they rattle on about how some people use Pokemon for their own egotistical needs in the name of dark.

This does indeed reflect Admiral unacknowledged as a good character junior and his motives.

However even though the Pokemon Ranger doesn't use Pokemon for the same reasons, he really is egotistical and narcissistic.

All throughout he announces how he's a Pokemon Ranger and how they're amazing;y talented people who never lose as well as does what he can to build up expectations on himself.

And then there's this uninspired hack!

I've never been more insulted by a character in Pokemon in my life!

For starters he's a generic pirate. No interesting backstory or quirks. He's just a pirate with no motive but to pillage for treasure, has a Chatot as a parrot and has a terrible Pirate accent.

He's the worst and his writing doesn't help that fact! Here's some examples of what he was spouting from that crustaceaous crevice he calls a mouth!

"Remember, there are two types of men in this world... those who have unlimited desires and those who do not!"
"I don't know the meaning of the phrase "give it up. Capiche?" "Really? I'll lend you my dictionary."
"Remember, there are only two types of people on this planet... those who are chased and those who do the chasing. I know which is better. I go for the role of chaser every time."
"Anything that has no owner belongs to me."
"Remember, there are two types of men in this world of ours... those who look good with rare jewels and those who do not. For my money, the Sea Crown and I are a match made in the heavens above."

"There are two types of men in this world... those who are completely crushed and those who do the crushing." "What's he wearing? A mecha suit? Wow." "I didn't think a guy like that took vitamins." - Vitamins! - Pika. "I'm not the type to be crushed."

Putrid writing. Just putrid.

And I'll conclude with this: