Plot: What’s it about?
Ash and Pikachu have faced a lot of obstacles in the past, but thanks to their friendship and help from others, they’ve always been able to come out on top. From small issues like normal Pokemon battles to face offs with Team Rocket to saving entire towns, Ash and Pikachu have beaten the odds many times over. But now it seems the entire world is in chaos, which might be too tall of an order, even for these two long time friends. But as always, they won’t be alone in their treks, as Misty and Brock remain by their sides and will help whenever they can. But this time, they might need to call upon the help of some others, perhaps even those they’re not used to being on good terms with. It seems as though the legends of three mystical Pokemon are more than simple words, as Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres have all come to life and chaos is engulfing everything in their paths. Even the forces of nature seem to be thrown out of balance, which means someone needs to step forward and end this madness. But who will be the one to risk everything to return the sense of balance to the world?
This is the second Pokemon based film to be released on these shores and in all truth, I think the rest will see direct to video issues. The first movie turned out to be a real blockbuster and rang some serious box office, but this second installment fell far short of those numbers. It isn’t that the movie isn’t as good, as I think it is much better than the first picture, but it seems the buzz has started to fade for this once proud license. I hold out hope that the third will find its way into theaters, but all signs seem to point to a straight to video fate for further volumes in the series. But back to this movie, I think it is superior to the first film in all respects, from animation to storyline to total fun factor involved. Of course, you have to like Pokemon to like the movie, but I don’t think any fans of the show will be let down by this motion picture. This is not the animated equal to Citizen Kane though, a rather simple storyline and focus on fun are the main priorities. The ever popular characters dominate the screen and in the end, we’re given a moral to teach the kids and win over the parents. This one is more than worth a rental if you’re a Pokemon fan, but once again Warner has issued a substandard disc for this series.
Video: How does it look?
Pokemon: The Movie 2000 is presented in a full frame transfer, which just plain sucks. I know this is a title that is aimed at younger folks, but I am still unsure why a widescreen option wasn’t included. Maybe small kids don’t understand those black bars, but the rest of us do and we expect all titles to use anamorphic widescreen when possible. Aside from the lack of a widescreen choice though, this is a solid looking transfer. Some edge enhancement is presented at times, but no real problems to discuss here. The film’s juiced color scheme comes off well, the hues are bold and rich, but never smear or bleed in the least. The contrast is smooth also, no detail is loss at all and black levels are well defined also.
Audio: How does it sound?
Man, talk about an active track, I don’t think a second went by when the surrounds were silent. The included Dolby Digital 5.1 track is awesome in all respects, the sound effects are powerful when needed, but also come off as subtle when that’s called for also. The mix is a little overwhelming in a few places, but in the end it all seems to even out and no real problems surface. The dialogue and musical score sometimes take the back seat, but you can always hear what you need to, which is what counts. This disc also contains a 5.1 track in French, as well as subtitles in English and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A bonus film has been included, titled Pikachu’s Rescue Adventure and it should please fans of the show. It isn’t as defined as the film of course, but it is fun and includes all the more popular Pokemon. The disc also includes three music videos, a featurette on the soundtrack, and trailers for this film and the upcoming third movie in the series.
