Pokémon 2 : Le pouvoir est en toi

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+

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.)

I for one, and seeing on the internet I am pleased that there are others that are still unashamed pokemon fans out there It really has been so long since I saw the film. I saw the first and loved it and loved this one first, if this one had come out first then the fan base would've remained stronger and not cut the fans in half.

Half leaving and half staying. New Pokemon were brought in this film, they came in the first one as well and then after this there were so many it got ridiculous.

But as someone hoping to be a filmmaker one day, I plan to make a pokemon film for the devoted unashamed fans just to stand up for us, and put us all to rest.

I love the animation in this film, I love Lugias song. I thought it was funny and moving. I better grab this and the first on DVD before the disappear in obscurity

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 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.