Pokémon 4ever : Celebi, la voix de la forêt

The film begins with a fantastic chase through the forest. The whole forest is beautifully created, and the anime style fits in nicely with the stylized CGI. The plot is fairly simple. A boy saves a time traveling Pokemon and is brought forward 40 years where he meets Ash and co. They must battle a Pokemon hunter that wishes to enslave the super awesome Pokemon. It's a fun movie that actually adds to the relationships of those in the Pokemon universe. Once again it has an obvious eco message, but you also get to see a huge CGI woodland monster type thing, so I ain't complaining. Again, this is just for Poke fans, but may be entertaining enough for those outside their comfort zone.

The fourth installment in the Pokemon film series is quite a different one. With more of a time travel feel to it, this movie will entertain most fans of the show at it's use of this phenomenon. Attempting to show to use more of a moral about friendship this film does...and that is quite a little overdone. It should be noted that time paradoxes were very much avoided, and they ought to be commended for that. Still, it contained a little too much childishness for comfort, being not an example that Pokemon isn't just for kids. If you,like my father, are watching it for the sake of your child's happiness...don't worry. You'll be entertained somewhat and will not sit through as long of a film as the other three. Still not nearly the best they can do, your family Pokemon fan will like it.

Pokemon 4ever is just a kids' version of Princess Mononoke. Celebi is even called the "Spirit of the Forest." The monster is just like the Nightstalker from Mononoke. There is a healing lake, Suicune looks like the spirit and acts like the wolf gods from Mononoke.

The only good thing about the movie was its revelation at the end. If you pay close attention to foreshadowing, you can guess the secret as I did.

Of the first four Pokemon feature films, Pokemon 4ever has the strongest Disney vibe, and I feel like it is a good choice for the youngest pokemon viewers. For the more adolescent fans (however many there are), I am more dubious to recommend this. Pokemon 3 may have been dark, but the story was imaginative and had some wisdom and emotional depth. Whereas Pokemon 3 could almost have been a family movie, Pokemon 4ever is easily just a kids movie.

Pokemon 4ever takes Ash and friends out of the darkness and back into sunlight. As beautiful as this fourth entry is, it is also quite corny. All pokemon movies integrate a new legendary pokemon into the story. Pokemon 4ever showcases Celebi; a forest spirit who is chirpy, but nothing more. Celebi has about as much personality as the sugar fairies in Fantasia. She may be a pokemon, but a character she is not. Equally unmemorable is the cackling antagonist, who dresses like the terminator's second cousin and behaves like a shallow Disney villain.

Pretty much the entire film takes place in the Johto region forest, (having been aired at the end of the fourth season) This is a visually spectacular piece of landscape, which becomes the setting for a less than spectacular storyline. Pokemon 4ever, may be concise and simple in plot, but not only is it rather shallow, but it feels strangely rushed.

Pokemon 4ever also has the kind of syrupy ending that tries to pull to emotions out of us which it has not earned. The pokemon world can offer a variety of strong story possibilities, but this movie does not exploit them. This is essentially a Disney movie, that has pokemon in it. My conclusion is that Pokemon 4ever is a visually strong but thinly written entry in the adventures of Ash Ketchum.

I just returned from the un-expectantly entertaining Pokemon 4. It is a matter of great wonder to me that others did not find the rich storylines in the film as enlightening as I did. I suppose the unfortunate reality is if a film doesn't cater to the 'lowest common denominator', its success domestically (and more and more in foreign markets) is questionable at best.

At first I wish to address the flaws. The animation, as has been pointed out before, is at best sub-par. But where they skimped on artistry in the drawings of the characters, the storyboard simulated camera angles and image composition are superb. The film lover will note the use of techniques from film auteurs such as Orsen Wells (note the second part of the opening scene, which is quite obviously an homage to the master) or Sam Peckinpah (pay close attention to scenes leading up to the first Pokemon Battle and try to tell me you aren't reminded of Straw Dogs). I also thought the sound was pretty crummy.

That aside, the film was a pure masterpiece. As in the preceding three Pokemon movies, the story centers on the loveable 'Pikachu'. Pikachu looks like an overfed mouse that can use his powers to fight other Pokemon, sometimes to the death. All Pokemon (Japanese for 'The Monster who lives in the pocket') have special powers. It has been said that Pikachu is the most powerful of all of these, but to find out that one must become a 'Pokemon Master'. As a parent, I am still confused to what that really means, and I suspect that in 10 years, the entire lexicon of Pokemon movies and television programs will be required viewing in the more credible Psychology and Philosophy departments in Universities around the world.

Countering the hero that Pikachu presents us is yet another Pokemon, who is called 'Meowth', brilliantly voiced by the multi-talented yet under-rated Addie Blaustein. Meowth, unlike every other Pokemon can speak in English (who only know and converse in Japanese. As a side note, I hope in the DVD version the English translation of the Pokemon's conversations will be provided). Meowth travels with a hapless game of criminals called 'The Rocket Team', who battle with Pikachu and his owner Ash to become Pokemon Masters.

Within these two characters lie the classic storyline of the Epic struggle between good and evil, truth and deception, black and white. It is highly recommended that the casual fan revisit the entire running of the TV series in order (including the surreal yet awe inspiring Jhoto Journeys) and the films before returning to this work.

Nine out of 10. Near perfection in my book.