Gekijôban Poketto Monsutâ Maboroshi no Pokemon Rugia Bakutan

People should Stop Talking trash about this excellent movie. There is adventure and action, comic situations, good morals, adorable characters (PIKACHU & TOGEPI), beautiful animation, super script, suspenseful events, and everything you can think of that makes an all around great movie, even better. It is also a great way to inspire children that they can make a difference, no matter when times are hard. It Also influences kids That friends are the most powerful tool of all, and can help you when you are down, and out. Very, very cool, and Very, Very Exciting. To simply sum up my point, BOTH KIDS AND PARENTS WILL BOTH ENJOY THIS MOVIE!!!!

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+

Excuse me if i sound a little choked up. But this movie symbolizes many things. It was the best poke'mon movie made, and it was the last worth wile poke'mon movie made. None is better when it comes to this film's greatness. It had everything i was looking for, including more. Being an AAML(Ash and Misty love) fan, i found it particularly enjoyable from that stand point. The biggest clues about this couple in the 9+ years of the franchise existence is right here in this movie. Of course at the time it was in it's second year of existence. It also contained dramatic twists, and memorable lines that stand out in all poke'mon fan's minds forever. No poke'mon experience comes as good as this movie.

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.)

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.