"Pokémon 3 The Movie" Review Thread

[Dogasu]

Japanese Movie Three: "Lord of the Unknown Tower"
American Movie Three: "Spell of the Unown"




When a little girl named Mii has her father taken away from her, the newly orphaned child makes a wish to have her daddy back. Enter Entei, the legendary pokemon who decides to act as her father. But when Mii's wish for a mother leads to the kidnapping of Satoshi's mom, it's up to the young trainer and his friends to face the giant crystal tower to defeat their unknown enemy.

This is the review thread for "Pokémon 3 The Movie," airing tonight, November 21st, at 8:00pm ET on Cartoon Network. It is the last of three Pokémon movies being aired by the network this month, and I believe it is also the American TV debut of this movie (HBO never aired this one, right?). I realize that many of you have already seen this movie before, but since this is the basic cable premiere of these movies (and since I'm sure a number of us haven't seen it in a while) I decided to create this review thread.

The assumption is that, like the other two movies, the third movie will air as part of Cartoon Network's Cartoon Theater next weekend, but since the December schedule is not up yet I am unable to confirm that. So I wouldn't be too worried if you're unable to catch it tonight.

This is the last week for Pokémon movies on Cartoon Network. Don't expect to ever see the fourth or fifth movies on the network--since both movies are owned by Miramax (who is in turn owned by Disney), the chances of them showing up on a Turner-owned network is slim to none. However, the network could air "Mewtwo Returns" as a movie, so this may not be the last feature-length Pokémon project to appear on the network.

[Pacific Pikachu]

Out of the five Pokémon movies out in the US so far, this is my second favorite. Heroes beat it out, just barely; but in short, I loved Pokémon 3.

I think it was the fact that it's so...different. I loved the color scheme of the animation (with all the blues and purples and crystal), and the plotline was terribly intriguing to me. It was more original and twisted than the previous two, and had more emotional scenes, along with some really fun battles. I particularly enjoyed the Misty versus Molly underwater battle, being a water Pokémon fan. ^_^

I dunno why, but this movie really struck a chord with me. It was such a cool idea to have Molly's storybook reflect the world she and the Unown created, and this movie had some interesting philosophical messages behind it. I've always been into things involving different realities and such, so this was a nice thing to see in Pokémon. I also enjoyed the lack of a villian; replacing the usual Pokémon collector/poacher/thief/whatever with a scared, lonely little girl. It was easy to sympathize with Molly, even though you still want her to be stopped. There were also a lot of little things to pick up on (i.e, the stuffed Pokémon in Molly's room being the Pokémon she chooses in battle), which makes me appreciate the care that the writers put into the story.

I loved the English score of this one, with the pretty piano and such. I'd say it was about as good as the Japanese score, and it had quite a few similarities with it, too.

I can't really describe why exactly I loved Pokémon 3 so much. I just know that is has a feeling about it that I didn't previously associate with Pokémon, and then I was proud to say they proved me wrong. If I was to try to convert someone to a Pokémon fan (which I have many, many times), I'd always show them this movie first, because it twists their expectations.

[The Muyo]

Until today, this had been the one pokemon movie I hadn't seen, and, upon seeing it, I must say I didn't miss much. A bit of a cruel review, but despite there being several nice scenes, it just doesn't have the story to stack up with Movie Five or Three, relationships and character development to stack up to movie five, or Mew/Vaporeon/Blastoise to bring it even with the first movie. Albeit, it was better than the English version of Movie Five, so I'll have to see the original version of this one before I can give it a real grade, but as it stands now, this movie is fifth in my top five pokemon movies :p

[Kaz]

it just doesn't have the story to stack up with Movie Five or Three

Um. It IS movie Three. Hence the title "Pokémon 3".

Personally, I think the story is brilliant - there's so much opportunity in Pokémon for really weird, darkish storylines and this is a really good example, and I think there's enough relationships to keep any shipper happy - Delia/Spencer, Oak/Spencer, Ash/Molly etc.

Entei just... grr, he's so damned sexy for a Pokémon.

[The Muyo]

Forgive my Typo, I obviously mean movie two, the best of the movies. (How long will it take Blackjack to agree with me? :o)

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Oddly, I like 3 the best. I know that's not the answer you expected from me, as you all know my love for (read: obsession with) a certain violet-eyed Collector, but I found movie 3 to be the best of the lot.

In lieu of saying anything new (I broke my knee last night and can't seem to focus on anything), here's a review I wrote for a newspaper when the movie first came out (...which they never used. But the editor said it made him want to see it, which is something!)

“Pokémon 3” is a Catch!
by Amber Berebitsky

The reason that most movies based on anime shows get panned by the critics is very simple. The movies are made under the assumption that you are already familiar with the characters represented therein. And after reading the (mostly deplorable) reviews of the previous two Pokémon features, I was determined to provide an honest review of these enjoyable movies. So here are the essentials of the Pokémon television series:
Pokémon are wondrous creatures of which there are 251 known species. Each type has its own special abilities, and can be tamed as pets. Ash Ketchum, accompanied by his friends Brock and Misty, and his Pokémon companion Pikachu, sets off on a journey through the fantastic world these creatures inhabit. However, because of Pikachu’s extraordinary power, the trio is followed by two members of the villainous Team Rocket, a sinister underground organization. But fear not--Jesse and James are hardly up to the syndicate’s standards, and have helped Ash and friends on many occasions.
Now that you are armed with a rough outline of the plot, you are ready to see “Spell of the Unown,” the third cinematic offering of the series. And it is by far the best. Drawing from sources as diverse as “NeverEnding Story”, “The Wizard of Oz”, and “Peter Pan”, this is a delightful testament to the power of imagination.
It begins with Molly Hale, a little girl, listening to her father Spencer tell tales of legendary Pokémon. Molly is fascinated with Entei, a lion-like creature which she likens to her father. But Spencer is called away on business, leaving Molly all alone. Cut to ruins in the Middle East. Spencer, a Pokémon researcher, joins his assistant Skyler in unraveling the mysteries of the Unown (unknown), strange Pokémon with the shape of letters. When Spencer picks up a handful of Unown icons, he vanishes, just as Molly’s mother had a few years before.
Molly, now alone in the world, finds the icons among her father’s things, and uses the power of the Unown to summon Entei, whom she, in her isolation, believes to be her father. Entei does as Molly wishes, and turns the Hale mansion into a solitary palace of crystal, cut off from the rest of the world.
Meanwhile, Ash and his constant companions meet up with Lisa, an enthusiastic Pokémon trainer who is eager to show off her hometown. The friends race to the crest of a hill, eager to catch a glimpse of the town--and are met with a frightening sight. Entei’s magic has covered the land, turning it to crystal and preventing passage. The horrifying scene is broadcast on the news, where Ash’s mother Delia sees it. She and Spencer are longtime friends, so she rushes to the site.
Despite having her father with her (or a reasonable facsimile thereof), Molly’s life is still incomplete. Her mother is still absent, so she asks Entei for a mother. Entei sets off to the town, and captures Delia before her son’s eyes. Ash’s sorrow is very real, and so is his determination to rescue her.
So, with his friends and his Pokémon at his side, Ash sets off into the nightmarish Hale mansion to save his mother. But he must confront the power of the Unown, which have been feeding off Molly’s imagination and creating the dreamlike world found inside the mansion to suit her lonely dreams.
Through Molly’s imagination, and the horrible consequences it brings, “Spell of the Unown” has a happy, uplifting ending that stresses the importance of dreams and determination, and the necessity of reality.
“Spell of the Unown” is a remarkable film, and easily the best of the series. It avoids the usual pitfalls of children’s entertainment and treats the subject matter with sensitivity and intelligence. Even the most Poké-phobic of parents will enjoy the clever and insightful dialogue and the beautiful animation.
It is not a perfect movie. The Unown have annoying voices, Lisa and Skyler are important, but only appear briefly, and Team Rocket, the comic relief on the show, are simply tacked in and serve no real purpose here.
But my hat is off to the filmmakers, and especially to Veronica Taylor, who voices the dual roles of Ash and Delia. If they gave Oscars for voice acting, I would consider her the front-runner.
The film is preceded by a short, “Pikachu and Pichu”. Unlike the other two shorts, “Pikachu’s Vacation” and “Pikachu’s Rescue Adventure”, this one is actually enjoyable. The moral of the shorts is always teamwork, and this tale relays that message without being preachy.
So, in short, go see “Spell of the Unown.” It’s a delightful film with likable characters and an intelligent plot. You gotta catch this movie.


--Amber Berebitsky (cammycommando@yahoo.com) has been a Pokémon fan since 1998, and a writer since 1982.

[Orange Soda]

I've seen the movies up through 4, and this one is my favorite. Giving a 5 year old whatever the heck she wants and seeing the results is quite fascinating. And the animation is great, especially all that Crystal stuff, and how they made it beautiful and yet ugly at the same time.

[InfiniteBlue]

The third movie is another favorite of mine, tied in with movies two and four. But instead of giving my reasons why, I have a question for those who've seen a fansub of the original movie:

In the fansub (subtitled by Riibu-chan), Shurii-hakase is referred to in the subtitles as "Shury Snordon", with the katakana as "Sunohdon". Where did that come from exactly? Is that Mii and Shurii's last name, or is Shurii Mii's last name, making "Snordon" the personal name for Shurii-hakase? Dammit, I'm confused... -_-;

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

I know Shurii is the family name, but Spencer's original name has much mystery...

BTW--was the mother ever given a name?

[Trainer Lisa]

This is my second favorite Pokemon movie! Second only to Pokemon The Movie 2000, of course.

Anyway, this movie is my second favorite for a lot of reasons.

The first one, just being the fact that the dubbers gave the female trainer with the Aipom the name, Lisa. I loved that! And I loved every time Ash, Misty, or Brock said her name, cause it sounded like they were actually talking to me! LOL.

And my other reasons would be that it had great animation (in the DVD commentary, they tell you that there was a lot more CG animation used in this movie, compared to the previous ones), the return of Charizard, funny lines (especially the Team Rocket ones), really cool battles, and an awesome story.

So, it's a great movie! ^_^

[wayc]

I have to say 3 is my least favorite by far. I got so lost in its monotony. Even though Team Rocket never has any reason to show up anyway, I couldn't even remember how they got there by an hour into it.

And I always hate episodes and movies where the Pokemon hurt Ash and don't understand his true intentions. And it wasn't even a real Entei. And the Unowns were so bothersome, and it's like the whole movie revolved around them, but all they did was spin, like a power source to everything in the movie that didn't even need to occur.

And the whole Delia acting submissive thing was weird. What exactly was happening? They were just sitting there doing nothing, until Ash and Company finally stopped the Anons a few boring hours later. I think there was absolutely no plot behind it and that it was rushed. I remember hearing about it like directly after the second movie.

I've seen 4-Ever since then and liked it tremendously, so since I didn't like the third, I'm kind of forgetting what it was all about. I should watch it again and give it one more chance probably.

I hope I didn't offend anybody who liked the third movie. I know everyone sees a different type of magic and love when they enter the world of Pokemon, and it's all the constituents of our observations that make the show so wonderful and complete.

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Originally posted by wayc
And the Unowns were so bothersome, and it's like the whole movie revolved around them, but all they did was spin, like a power source to everything in the movie that didn't even need to occur.

But that's just it, they were the power source for the Crystal Tower. And they were fuled by Molly's wishes and thoughts. They were the catalyst for her subconcious, the gasoline to her match.

[Arizima]

I loved the movie a lot of ways. First of all, I think the voice acting was great on this one.

Like when Delia said "Papa?" in that tone of voice when Molly was talking to her.... wow. And Professor Oak's voice was the non-phlegmiest I've ever heard it (I mean, half the time he sounds like he just has to clear about an ounce of phlegm out of his throat, but that's improved by Hoenn.) And I loved the scene when Ash is on Charizard saying, " We gotta do something, Charizard.... We gotta get Molly outta here." Yeah....

But.... they did the eyebrow-mistake with Professor Oak again. But at least it wasn't as bad as when they made them the exact same shade of gray as his hair like they did in half of "The Fourth Round Rumble" Don't they know that your hair goes gray before your eyebrows do!? He looks a heck of a lot older when his eyebrows are gray. *snorts*

But I think when Molly was saying, "Which one of you trainers wants to battle me now?", the animators put far too much detail in her mouth movements. *snort* That was just ugly. And I think there was one line that grown-up Molly said and they used little-kid Molly's voice.

Entei also rocked. He reminds me of my dad, except that my dad doesn't do "Whether it is right or wrong, I will do as she wishes!" type things. But Suicune remains my favorite legendary dog. ^^;;; Speaking of dogs, Entei also reminds me of my old dog, Bucky, physically. (Bucky died around 2 years ago of a cancerous-looking-boil-thing on his leg. *mourns the Bucky*)

Did y'all get the joke when James said, "It looks like a storybook land invented by a five-year old!" and Jessie contradicted him, when James was exactly right? I think there was an anti-Rocketshipping thing, though, when Jessie compared herself to Molly and James compared himself to Entei.... Unless you believe in gross Father-Daughter stuff like that.

Speaking of shippings, at the end, Ash and Brock and Misty were all waving and shouting like crazy as Delia just waved slowly, hand over her heart, looking *very* smitten. And who's leaning out of the car, yelling " Great job! Everything's back to normal!" ? Professor Oak, of course! That was cool. I noticed something in the credits that only someone obsessed with Eldershipping (like me) would notice, though. But I won't bore you with details. Just go to the scene where Sam rolls off the orange couch, and the next scene, and listen closely to the lyrics. I don't think it's coincidental. *snort*

Also.... *obsesses over Professor Oak's seatbelt* I don't know, that thing was just cool. That was the coolest seatbelt I have ever seen. I think we should pair it with Lance's seatbelt from the Gyarados saga and call it Seatbeltshipping.

Over all, it was a wonderful movie and I wanna see it again. Hopefully next time, STUPID PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT STUPID CLONE WARS won't talk over the credits again. *growls*

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Originally posted by Arizima
Like when Delia said "Papa?" in that tone of voice when Molly was talking to her.... wow.

You mean "Mama". This ain't South Park...although that *would* solve the "Ash's Father" debate...

[InfiniteBlue]

Originally posted by Arizima:
Did y'all get the joke when James said, "It looks like a storybook land invented by a five-year old!" and Jessie contradicted him, when James was exactly right?

Pardon me for being dense, but no I don't. Care to explain? ^^;

I think there was an anti-Rocketshipping thing, though, when Jessie compared herself to Molly and James compared himself to Entei.... Unless you believe in gross Father-Daughter stuff like that.

Really? O.o; I just thought they were comparing personalities, never considered it to be in the field of anti/shippy...

And, yes, incest is nasty.