Pokemon 2000 is the second installment in the Pokemon film series, and is very probably the best. The writing, storyline, and animation are all markedly improved from The First Movie, and it really does feel like a cinematic experience. The only thing wrong with it at all is that the Pikachu short film seemed like an excuse to show off some new Pokemon, without having much of a real reason (it's still good, though). Now, if you haven't read countless summaries already, here's the plot in a nutshell...
Wiiiieeeerd stuff is happening all over the world. Climates and temperatures are changing at an alarmingly rapid pace, sometimes going from summer heat to snow in under a minute! The cause of this is a Pokemon collector who is trying to capture the four elemental Pokemon: Zapdos, Articuno, Motres, and ultimately Lugia. His wicked misdeeds are causing nature to go completely out of whack, and it's up to Ash, Misty, Tracey, and Pikachu to find the Elephant In The Room and set things right again.
Even from a summary, it's apparent that Pokemon 2000 is more than an extended episode of the show. In fact, even without the short, it's still easily feature length, and that's more than can be said for The First Movie (which had a runtime of 74 minutes). It may not be an edge-of-your-seat, unpredictable story in the vein of Inception, but it's a satisfying and entertaining one. This is helped along by the dialogue, which is some of the sharpest I've yet seen in Pokemon. There are many memorable bits in here, not few of which involve Team Rocket.
In conclusion, I recommend watching it, even if you're not a die-hard fan of the series. Unless Pokemon Heroes knocks my socks off, I think it's safe to say that 2000 is the best of the bunch. (Oh, and before I finish this review, I want to whine about something. Once again, there is either no widescreen version available on video, or it's very hard to find. Boo, Warner Bros, BOO.)
