Pokémon 2: Die Macht des Einzelnen

Part of the reason for the huge financial success of this movie has to do with all the ads which address Pokemon 2000 as the greatest adventure yet (or something like that). But is it?...not exactly.

Pokemon 2000 is entertaining, but it could have been more. Among the things that it lacks are the sense of a journey, the ethereal ambiance of the first pokemon feature, as well as the antagonistic sense of menace which Mewtow provided. On the other hand Pokemon 2000, is probably a better film for a mass audience, because there is more action and humor, but those alone do not make it the great adventure it promises.

Unlike the first movie, this one feels a bit short given the type of premise (one hero must save the world from destruction). Naturally this hero is Ash. In the movie however, he does not do anything so incredible. It felt to me like any other character could have been the hero, because if you get the help of an almost invincible legendary pokemon like Lugia, you don't need much skill. If this had been a slightly longer story, with a little more adventure, Pokemon 2000 would be a worthy film, but it's probably good enough for young Pokemon fans.

I think kids will probably like this sequel to the first Pokemon movie, but not love it. I certaintly didn't. And not to offend any kids reading this, but this was a pretty stupid movie. Not funny stupid like Dumb and Dumber, but really stupid like in Ski Patrol. True it is a well animated movie that is pretty colorful (thanks to the art of anime), but there is no payoff. The plot is a concocted one that kids might even find confusing, which is not good. But, it isn't in the worst film of the year category because of a few good scenes (and that the first short before the movie will make the dialogue seem like Shakespeare), not that that means this is worth a second viewing. Kids will like it, others might beware it. C+

I thought the P2000 was a lot better. It made more sense. I mean the first was kind of far fetched. That whole thing with Ash being turned into stone. What was that about?! Someone before mentioned about how they were waiting for Misty to say something about her bike. I was waiting for that too..(LOL). I think Ash and Misty have some kind of chemistry between them. I wonder what will happen in the next one.....

Being a Pokemon fanatic, I was thrilled to see a sequel to Pokemon: The First Movie. Then again, I was sort of skeptical, because the first movie was not as "adventurous" as I thought it would be. Also, it is known that sequels tend to be worse than the original film. However, I was proven wrong. This film has better animation, a more detailed plot line, and greater sense of a "movie" rather than an extended version of the television series. Even the short, "Pikachu's Rescue Adventure" made more sense than "Pikachu's Vacation" in the first movie. I know what you all may be thinking, he is probably just some kid who just wants to brag about how good Pokemon is; but the fact is... I'm 20! I can legally walk into a "R-rated" movie! But, I would prefer walking into this delightful feature, because sometimes, with all the horror and boring over-dramatic films out there, it feels good to see a cute & funny animated film with a lesson to be learned at the end (which I'm not going to spoil for you). I highly recommend this movie, because nowadays, we all need to feel like a "kid" to release us from the stress! So, until a third movie comes out, I'll watch this one some more!

This is a rehash of my comments on Gekijô-ban poketto monsutaa: Maboroshi no pokemon: Rugia bakutan. I think they are more appropriate here.

Many of those who claim to hate this movie openly admit to hating Pokemon to begin with. As I had said in my comments on "Pokemon The First Movie," you have to go in to the movie with an open mind. If you go see "Pokemon 2000" because you were "dragged in" by your kids/nieces/nephews/others, you've already decided that you're going to hate it. I'm not saying that you WILL hate it; just that you've DECIDED that you're going to hate it no matter what, just because it's Pokemon. Current Pokemon fans (like me, and I'm over 30!) or more open-minded moviegoers will probably like "Pokemon 2000."

I was glad that Kids WB decided to go with a more "theatrical" score for "Pokemon 2000." Although I would have preferred that more of the Japanese music would have been left in, I think that the orchestral music was more fitting than the bubblegum pop that permeated "Pokemon The Movie."

Like most people, I liked "Pokemon 2000" more than "Pokemon The First Movie," probably because of the overall brighter feel. I personally loved the first U.S. appearance of one of my favorite new Pokemon, the flowery Bellossom. There are points of the movie that I felt could have been expanded on, but overall, "Pokemon 2000" is a fun ride.