Pokémon, le film : Blanc - Victini et Zekrom

Maybe I kept watching because Gen 5 is my favorite Pokémon generation. Like the Genesect movie, this one is REALLY pretty - gorgeous visuals, gorgeously-animated action scenes, gorgeous cinematic soundtrack. There are so many scenes in this movie that are breathtaking, especially the ones of the castle flying in the sky, and of the dragon's pulse. They also manage to fill the characters with real depth and emotion (which is something that's severely lacking in movies like the Diancie one). As an example, Victini is adorable and a cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs. As another example, the scenes of Ash regretting that he never got to show Victini the sea are really poignant and really well-done. That's how this movie will make you feel about the characters.

If only so much could be said about the story, which is simply not there. I was held on by the gorgeous visuals, but I didn't see a coherent story whatsoever. The whole thing with the dragon's pulse and the this-which-whatever place you're supposed to put the sword castle, was just too vague and confusing as a plot device. The exposition lasts an entire hour, and when things actually start kicking into high gear, it's forced - Dread made a big mistake because he was ignorant of one not-so-minor detail, but the movie forces him to look like this adamant villain who's okay with hurting Victini, and it's so unconvincing. And they didn't even bother to make the "truth and ideals" thing make sense.

It's another half-baked movie that they had to crank out in a year, but it's got those epic vibes going for it. The Best Wishes films seem actually decent despite their flaws, unlike what a lot of people say. Maybe the Keldeo movie is better than I remembered too...I'm not counting on that though.

Currently bored from being on the Q. I pop in this movie and it's making me even more bored.

Its really corny. It has your typical pokemon cliches.

Verdict is this movie can't save you from boredom.

Many people may disagree, but this is my favorite post-Hoenn Pokémon movie. It felt fresher and was done better than most of the other newer movies.

The story isn't out of this world, but it's pretty interesting. Damon wishes to bring the kingdom back to power by using the legend of the People of the Vale. Nothing particularly new, but it was done the right way, in my opinion. Damon was pretty good as the "misled protagonist."

Ash's relationship with Victini was actually pretty well done, probably the best since his bond with Lucario from "Lucario and the Mystery of Mew." They become so close that they nearly die for each other.

The animation is especially good in this one, very rich and colorful. The action set pieces were larger-than-life and quite epic.

I'm really not a fan of Iris or Cilan, I feel that they are very weak characters. Also, as usual, there are some pretty stupid moments.

In my opinion, this is the most satisfying Pokémon movie since "Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea." I think even fans who have stopped watching the series should give this one a try.

RATING: B+

POKÉMON THE MOVIE WHITE: VICTINI AND ZEKROM (2011) played in a few hundred theaters across the country in morning screenings on December 3 and 4, 2011. It was one of two Pokémon movies to be produced in Japan in 2011, both of which were among Japan's highest grossing domestic releases this year. The second one, POKÉMON THE MOVIE BLACK: VICTINI AND RESHIRAM (2011), is slated to premiere in the U.S. on the Cartoon Network on December 10. I was lucky enough to attend one of the theatrical screenings of POKÉMON THE MOVIE WHITE and am happy to report that it is one of the best of the franchise. I write as a Pokémon fan who's seen every one of the previous movies, including theatrical screenings of the first five.

This movie offers a more streamlined screenplay than the last few Pokémon movies and a pared-down group of main characters. There's about a half-hour of buildup and exposition before the narrative shifts into gear with a steady stream of suspense and excitement once all the characters wind up on a floating castle that rises up into the atmosphere, leaving havoc in its wake, and deliberately recalling Hayao Miyazaki's 1986 classic, LAPUTA: CASTLE IN THE SKY. Not a bad source of inspiration, I daresay.

The setting is a mountaintop town, resembling settlements in the Andes, with a monumental castle that sits atop a peak overlooking the town. The castle is a remnant of the "Kingdom of the Vale," which existed thousands of years earlier elsewhere and, according to legend, following a devastating war, the castle was lifted up by powerful "pillars of protection" and brought to this peak. One young man from the region, Damon, seeks to restore the kingdom and reunite the scattered descendants of the "People of the Vale." He captures a little psychic Pokémon called Victini and harnesses its powers to fuel the pillars and get the castle moving again. Unbeknownst to him, though, such a move releases the stored-up "Dragon Force" that had been contained in the earth below the castle and which now threatens to destroy the world. Our heroes, Ash, Iris and Cilan, along with Damon's mother and sister, work to stop Damon and return the castle to Earth. They learn how to revive Zekrom, an ancient black flying dragon Pokémon, to help them. But first, it must confront Damon's ancient white flying dragon Pokémon, Reshiram.

While Reshiram and Zekrom provide spectacular action setpieces in the film, it's the endearing little Victini, which looks like a beige squirrel with over-sized pointed ears, who earns our sympathy and keeps us engaged with the story. We first meet Victini, which can turn invisible when it wants, as it helps Ash telekinetically during a particularly perilous mountain climbing episode where Ash had tried to rescue some stranded Pokémon. The group gets to meet Victini when it's attracted by the "macarons" (cookies) offered by Cilan, who has baked them himself. Local characters Juanita and daughter Carlita are impressed by the newcomers' ability to coax the elusive Victini into view and then earn its devotion. Needless to say, Damon's cruel attempts to exploit Victini to carry out his self-proclaimed mission outrage Ash and company and get them involved in the action.

The imagery is quite spectacular, ranging from the breathtaking sight of the town of Eindoak situated atop towering mountain peaks, to the scenes of the massive castle floating up in the sky high above the Earth. The castle itself is beautifully designed and laid out, particularly the massive chamber where Damon uses the pillars to power the castle's moves. A helicopter piloted by the town's mayor is the one rescue vehicle summoned to duty, although a robot Pokémon owned by Juanita helps out as well. On the Earth, the purple flames of the Dragon Force spread out of control through the region's forests, forcing hundreds of adorable wild Pokémon to flee in panic. The whole thing is quite compelling throughout. As Pokémon movies go, this one ranks with Movies 1, 6, and 7 as the best of the franchise, although I enjoy all of them and can easily rewatch any of them.

Iris and Cilan are seen in the latest Pokémon TV season, "Pokémon Black and White," currently airing on the Cartoon Network. It's one of the best seasons so far in the long-running franchise and the two new characters are something of a breath of fresh air.

ADDENDUM (12/10/11): I watched the companion movie, POKÉMON THE MOVIE BLACK: VICTINI AND RESHIRAM, in its premiere tonight on the Cartoon Network (interrupted multiple times by commercial breaks). As far as I can tell, roughly 70-80% of it is exactly the same as POKÉMON THE MOVIE WHITE. It simply amounts to an alternate version with Zekrom and Reshiram basically reversing roles. The only footage that's different is that which shows Zekrom acting as Damon's aide and Reshiram being revived by Ash to restore the balance, whereas in the first movie it was the other way around. Damon's other hench-Pokémon are different from those in the first film. For instance, Reuniclus has been replaced by Gothitelle (who is in one of the TV episodes), but they do exactly the same thing. It hardly seems to have been worth the effort. I don't understand the rationale for making two movies from the same material that tell exactly the same story with only slight changes in the cast of Pokémon and then releasing them together.

Starting off the first year of the 2010s, Pokémon's Black and White finally let go of Ash's remaining friends he had met from the beginning of the anime. However, that basic group outline would stay consistent. Venturing into the unova region he would be joined by Iris and Cilan having somewhat similar roles to fill as previous characters. Along with that came a new film entry but released in a very weird way. For some reason two productions were made having the same storyline except for some slightly different scene changes. As for reception of the release, it seemed like many enjoyed it. This is good for familiar fans of the show but to anyone just joining, it still would be hard to get fully involved. Realistically though, this is one of the weaker entries in this shows run of films.

The story feels overly complex dealing with ancient ancestry and how a kingdom was removed from its rightful place. This was done after two legendary dragon Pokémon Zekrom and Reshiram clashed. To settle the spat, another legendary Pokémon by the name of Victini gave its powers to accomplish just that. And it just so happens Ash and his new friends are headed in that direction. Considering again the guys heading it - Mr. Yuyama and Sonoda, this entry or set of entries is nothing to feel invested over. Making it all the less inviting is the release of this film. What is the point of having two similar versions of this story? If it's a director or producer's cut, that's something, but just altering various scenes to fit a different perspective? It just feels very horseshoed in. Which one should a viewer watch, both?

If so, that's truly wasted time. What also doesn't help is the over reliance on main characters with cuteness. Victini is too reminiscent of several other tiny "legendaries" that have appeared throughout the franchise of films. Now, it's just overstaying it's welcome. This doesn't mean the antagonists don't have development, but it is very distracting when the main focus always pivots on the tiny big eyed Pokémon. One other thing to note of is the change in Team Rocket and their approach taken in stories now. Yes, for this they are still relegated to sideline characters, but they are far more competent than what they used to be. Instead of making jokes, puns, rhymes or even blasting off, they actually manage to hold their own. What got into them lately?

The acting is good even though some consider the black and white series main characters not as great as others. Eileen Stevens who voices Iris plays her character well. Having voiced Zorua in the last film, her expansion into a full blown recurring character works. Jason Griffith voices Cilan and his performance doesn't miss a beat either. While he hasn't spent too much time with the franchise, he did voice some minor characters in Pokémon films before as well shows like One Piece and Sonic X. Then there's also J. Michael Tatum playing Damon, Leah Clark as Carlita and Lisa Ortiz as Luisa, who are natives and descendants of the old kingdom. All of whom have experience working on other animes. The animation is also credible.

Being how far the films have come since they began, the CGI components are not as jarring anymore when next to their digitally animated counterparts. Cinematography is still a questionable thing to have in an animated film unless explained. The only shocker here is that it's not who it normally is. This time its Shinsuke Ikeda which is their first time working on a Pokémon film. As for score, the music is again composed by Shinji Miyazaki which again provides a very underwhelming experience. For some reason, the music here is just not that interesting to listen too. Maybe the guy just needs a break? That's probably understandable after working on it for so long. At least he likely didn't have to score music for both versions of the film.

The animation and acting are really the only highlights because they are competently done. That's not to say music or the basic story structure isn't, but it just feels stock. Having a big eyed baby sounding Pokémon at the center of the film has been done enough times now. Additionally, making two versions of the film with practically no differences makes no sense.