Pokémon

Pokemon Movie - The Rise of Darkrai

The 10th Pokémon movie introduces Dialga and Palkia, two Legendary Pokémon from the "Diamond" and "Pearl" versions of the game. Ash, Brock, Dawn, and Pikachu visit the town of Alamos, which is dominated by two lofty towers that represent space and time. Alamos has been plagued by nightmares and supernatural events that the arrogant Baron Alberto blames on Darkrai, a powerful and elusive Pokémon. Alice, a gentle musician whose grandmother discovered Darkrai, disagrees. Her professor friend Tonio proves the escalating problems are caused by a clash between Dialga and Palkia. Unless the humans find a way to end this battle, the space-time fabric will tear and Alamos will be thrown into another dimension. Ash and Pikachu save the day, with some help from Dawn and Alice. The Rise of Darkrai (2007) is most the elaborate Pokémon feature to date: the CG effects range from the graceful towers to fireworks and energy storms. The drawn characters and computer-generated special effects are better integrated than in the previous features. The results are sure to delight Pokémon fans. (Unrated, suitable for ages 6 and older: cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon

Ash may think he's seen everything when it comes to Pokémon, but is he ready to face the mysterious Darkrai in his latest awesome adventure? While touring Alamos Town -home of the Space-Time Tower -with the beautiful Alice, Ash and his friends discover that the town's special garden has been decimated! Baron Alberto, a dashing but arrogant fellow, immediately blames the destruction on Darkrai. As if it just overheard the accusation, Darkrai appears and confronts our heroes!
Who is Darkrai? Is it a friend... or a friend in disguise? And as a battle between Legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia rages directly above Alamos Town-and threatens to tear a hole in the space-time continuum-will Ash and his friends survive this showdown and learn Darkrai's true nature?

Stills from Pokémon Movie - The Rise of Darkrai (click for larger image)

Pokemon Movie - Lucario and The Mystery of Mew

Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, the eighth Pokémon movie, ranks as one of the best features in this popular franchise. Director Kunihiko Yuyama and writer Hideki Sonoda sensibly keep the adventures and threats to a scale that's appropriate for the characters. (The first movies put the world at risk, and while Ash Ketchum is a good kid, he's not someone who can credibly save the planet.) Ash, Brock, Max, and May journey to Cameron Palace for a tournament that celebrates the valor of Prince Aaron, who saved the realm from destruction 1,000 years ago. Ash and Pikachu win, but the mischievous Mew kidnaps Pikachu, whom he's befriended. Prince Aaron's Pokémon companion Lucario awakens from the victor's staff to lead Ash and the gang to the Tree of Beginning, a mountain that is also a living entity. Ash risks his life to rescue Pikachu, proving the depth of their friendship to Lucario. The film includes lots of CG effects, most of which work well with the drawn animation: the earlier Pokémon films tended to look like two different movies spliced together.

The two-disc set also includes The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon: A 10th Anniversary Special. In this 40-minute adventure, Dr. Yung invites Misty and Ash to take part in a special tournament on his new battle system. Yung creates formidable Mirage Pokémon from raw data, culminating in a super-version of Mewtwo, the powerful psychic Pokémon from the first features. Once again, friendship and kindness triumph over greed and arrogance, although the special ends with the words, "To be continued..." (Unrated, suitable for ages 8 and older: cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon

Pokemon the First Movie - Mewtwo vs. Mew

The world domination of Pokémon begets their first theatrical movie. This adventure is a little more complex and dark than the popular TV series, but kids who live for the show will gobble up this film and ask for seconds. Those baffled by the show's popularity, however, will see nothing better here. Mewtwo, a new type of Pokémon designed by scientists to be the ultimate fighter, decides he wants to rule the world and challenges all the great Pokémasters to battle. Of course, our intrepid heroes Ash, Misty, and Brock are there to tangle with Mewtwo and spoil his devilish schemes. The film is a tad more emotional than the show (that is, there is some emotion), with Ash sacrificing himself to defend his beloved Pikachu (but don't you worry, Ash will be just fine).

Would you really expect the makers of this worldwide phenomenon to radically change its winning formula? The feature is only 55 minutes long, but there's also a 20-minute short, "Pikachu's Vacation." For the Pokémon novice, this escapade will truly baffle: the narrated tale has virtually no dialogue except Pokémon speaking their names (Bulbasaur, for instance, will only express emotion by using variations of his name: "Bulba, Bulba-SAUR!"). It's a real curio. --Doug Thomas

The adventure explodes into action with the debut of Mewtwo, a bio-engineered Pokemon created from the DNA of Mew, the rarest of all Pokemon. Determined to prove its superiority, Mewtwo lures Ash, Pikachu and others into a Pokemon match like none before. Mewtwo vs. Mew. Super-clones vs. Pokemon. It's the ultimate showdown ... with the very future of the world at stake! Also, includes the mini-movie Pikachu's Vacation and never-before-seen bonus footage!

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by M. Haigney & N. Grossfeld
Featurette:"Pikachu's Vacation" - 19:00 with chapters
Music Video:"Don't Say You Love Me" by M2M (3:42)
Other:Preview of "Pokemon: The Second Movie" (1:00) "Mewtwo's Origin" (2:17)

Pokemon 4Ever: Movie

The fourth Pokémon feature follows the pattern set by the previous three--and falls into the same traps. The TV series depicts the modest adventures of Pokémon trainer Ash Ketcham and his friends Brock and Misty as they roam an imaginary world, fighting matches and making friends. The features add elaborate CG effects that don't mesh with the flat, drawn characters, and over-scaled threats that feel beyond Ash's abilities to resolve. Forty years ago, Sam, a young trainer, meets the 251st Pokémon Celebi (it looks like Tinkerbell with a goldfish for a head). To escape a mean hunter, Celebi brings Sam to the present day, where they meet Ash & Company. They also meet the evil Iron Mask Marauder who's supposed to be a member of Team Rocket, but who's much nastier than the comically inept Jessie, James, and Meowth. The Marauder corrupts Celebi with a "dark ball" and forces it to create a monster out of trees, branches, etc., that is blatantly copied from the Night Walker in Princess Mononoke. Ash and his friends eventually save the day, the Pokémon, and the forest--but it all feels like we've been there/done that. --Charles Solomon

All of your favorite Pokémon characters are back and are joined for the first time by the legendary Pokémon Celebi and Suicune in this latest exciting Pokemon adventure! In order to escape a greedy Pokémon hunter, Celebi must use the last of its energy to travel through time to the present day. Celebi brings along Sammy, a boy who had been trying to protect it. Along with Ash, Pikachu, and the rest of the gang, Sammy and Celebi encounter an enemy far more advanced than the hunter left behind in the past. This new enemy possesses a Pokeball called a "Dark Ball," which transforms the Pokémon it captures into evil and far stronger creatures. When Celebi is captured, the fate of the entire forest is threatened. Let POKÉMON 4EVER transport you to a world of adventure as Ash, Suicune, and the rest take action to save the day!

Pokemon Heroes: The Movie

The fifth Pokémon movie takes Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu to the city of Altomare, a thinly disguised Venice guarded by the shape-shifting Pokémon Latios and Latias. Two new agents of Giovanni's, Annie and Oakley, are out to capture these rare Pokémon--reducing Team Rocket to the role of spectators. Latios and Latias are linked to an elaborate, computer-generated mechanism that defends the city, controls the tides and brings fossil Pokémon back to life. Ash and Pikachu foil the evil plan with some help from Misty, Brock, and Bianca, a girl who lives in Altomare with her kindly grandfather. The contrived story suggests that as far as features are concerned, the Pokémon franchise has pretty much run dry. (The film earned less than $1 million in its U.S. theatrical release.) Extras include a Camp Pikachu short and a Pokémon Heroes trivia game. (Rated G, all ages: minor cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon

The fifth installment of the phenomenally successful POKEMON series takes place in a mysterious city on water. Set against a baffling maze of canals and alleyways, Ash, Pikachu, the rest of the gang take on a slick new pair of thieves in this glamorous, high-stakes adventure story. The film introduces two new Pokemon characters -- Latias and Latios, who possess strong psychic abilities and the power to disguise themselves as humans!

Pokemon Season 1 Box Set - Indigo League

Pokémon scored an immediate hit when it debuted on American TV in 1995: Adapted from a Gameboy game created by Satoshi Sajiri, the diminutive "pocket monsters" spawned a multibillion dollar franchise on both sides of the Pacific. The initial mania died down after a few years, but the games and the animated series and features have remained popular. Although it's unabashedly product-based and overly cute at times, Pokémon remains an agreeable children's entertainment that stresses friendship, perseverance, and good sportsmanship. The first broadcast season introduces the main characters and follows them through first part of the game in its original Red and Blue versions. Aspiring Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum must establish a bond with Pikachu, the ultra-cute, but initially recalcitrant "electric mouse." He leaves his home in Pallet Town and quickly befriends fellow-trainers Misty and Brock. As the trio wanders through forests and towns, Ash begins collecting Pokémon and fighting other trainers. (The fights are very tame: Pokémon faint when they're exhausted, but are never injured or killed.) The three friends also outwit inept comic villains of Team Rocket, Jesse, James, and Meowth. Ash gradually matures through his experiences: In episode 20, he learns self-sacrifice when he allows Butterfree, the first Pokémon he caught and trained, to find a mate and depart for their nesting grounds. The original motto, Pokémon Getto Daze! (Let's Get Pokémon!) became "Gotta Catch 'Em All!" and many fans are still trying to do just that, although the initial number of 151 Pokémon, has more than tripled over the years. (Unrated, suitable for all ages: cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon

Enjoy the Pokémon story from the beginning! Meet our hero, Ash, in his hometown of Pallet Town where boys and girls are encouraged to begin their Pokémon journeys! Join the Indigo League in this special box set of 26 episodes from Season 1 of Pokémon!

Pokemon - The Movie 2000

Thanks to a greedy Pokémon collector, Earth's weather patterns are askew and its population doomed unless Pokémon trainer Ash can return three glass balls to their proper place in this second Pokémon feature. Unlike the television show, the movie features little violence and no Pokémon battles in the classic sense. Instead, the focus is an environmental one: what happens when humans interfere with the harmony of Earth's elements--in this case fire, ice, and lightning. Even Team Rocket have a (temporary, to be sure) change of heart, joining Ash and Misty in their effort to free the three imprisoned birdlike Pokémon who regulate those elements. The good intentions of this 76-minute film, however, don't make it any less dull for grownups (even though this feature is better than the first). Even more mind-numbing than the feature is the lead-in short, "Pikachu's Rescue Adventure," in which Pikachu and Pokémon friends follow Team Rocket's feline down a hole into a Munchkinland-type place. Without the humans for dialogue, viewers must endure a full 20 minutes of nothing but the squawks and squeaks of pocket monsters. As the movie's title song says, "We all live in a Pokémon world." (Ages 3 and older.) --Kimberly Heinrichs

Pokemon Movie - Pokemon Ranger & The Temple of the Sea (Amazon.com Exclusive 3 Disk Set)

Pokemon Ranger and The Temple of the Sea:
It all started with a legend passed down from the People of the Water... Somewhere in this world, there is a Sea Temple created by the People of the Water. The Sea Temple contains a hidden treasure called the Sea Crown, but no one has ever seen the Sea Crown, or even the Sea Temple, because the temple is protected by a secret mechanism. The temple drifts through a vast ocean undetected, waiting... waiting...

Ash and Pikachu meet Lizabeth, a descendant of the People of the Water, and learn about the legend. They also meet Jackie, a Pokémon Ranger on a secret mission to protect a Manaphy egg (Manaphy is mysteriously known as The Prince of the Sea) and find the Sea Temple as well. The Phantom plans to obtain the Sea Crown and take over the world - but first he needs the Manaphy egg. Now Lizabeth and Ash must help Jackie protect the egg and stop the nefarious pirate! What is the Sea Crown? How does Manaphy's mysterious power connect it to the Sea Temple? Can Ash help Jackie complete his mission?


Premium:
3 Disc BONUS: OVA + Pokémon Advanced Battle Vol. 1

Pokémon - Season 1 Part 2

As the first season of the runaway hit fantasy Pokémon concludes, Ash, Misty, and Brock continue their journey to the Pokémon League, a journey that was the focus of the original Red and Blue versions of the game. Most of the episodes follow a set pattern: Ash and his companions encounter a trainer with a new type of Pokémon; the initial friction between them disappears when they ally to combat the comic villainy of Team Rocket. At the end of each episode, the trio walks into the sunset, having made a new friend. Ash makes little progress in his quest to become a Pokémon Master, except in episode 31, when he wins the Soul Badge (the sixth of the required eight) at the Fuchsia City Gym. But each program offers a lesson that emphasizes friendship, perseverance, good sportsmanship, and/or ecological awareness. In episode 36, Ash tries to get Pikachu to stay with the wild members of his species, but their emotional bond proves too strong. The trio wins the respect of a punk cycle gang when they ride 10 miles in the rain to take medicine to a sick Pokémon. Although it's product-based and excessively cute at times, Pokémon is far more entertaining than such smarmy, shamelessly commercial properties as Strawberry Shortcake and The Care Bears. Pokémon debuted in America in 1995, and a new group of kids are convinced they've "Gotta Catch 'Em All" (the English translation of Pokémon Getto Daze!, literally "Let's Get Pokémon!"). (Rated A, all ages: cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon

Join Ash, Brock and Misty on their continuing quest to collect Pokémon, make friends, and battle their way to the Indigo League! This Part 2 Season 1 box set includes 26 episodes of Pokémon fun and adventure!

Pokemon 3 - The Movie

The most elaborate of the features to date, Pokémon 3: The Movie, Spell of the Unown introduces new Pokémon that debuted in the fall of 2000 in the Gold- and Silver-edition Gameboy games. En route to the Johto Tournament, Ash, Brock, and Misty visit the mountain village of Greenfield, where they encounter an 8-year-old girl named Molly. Her father, Professor Spencer Hale, disappeared when he set off to study the Unown, a group of 26 Pokémon that resemble letters. The Unown build a baroque crystalline shell around Molly's palatial home, send the leonine Entei to watch over her, and grant whatever she wishes--except the return of her father. What Molly really wants is a family: she refers to Entei as her father and has him kidnap Ash's mom to be her mother. Ash charges to the rescue with the help of Pikachu, Charizard, and Cyndaquil. In the climactic battle, Ash is joined by Brock and Misty, as well as the usually villainous Team Rocket. ("We figure if we don't help you, we're outta showbiz," Meowth explains.) Molly's father eventually reappears, but the viewer never sees the reunion with his daughter. Ash, Molly, and the other two-dimensional characters simply don't fit into three-dimensional, computer-generated crystal settings, and large sections of Pokémon 3 look like two movies unsuccessfully spliced together. A short is also included, "Pikachu and Pichu," in which the popular electric Pokémon wanders through a big city, getting into mischief with the mouselike Pichu brothers. --Charles Solomon