Reviewer's Rating 3 out of 5
Pok茅mon 2000 (2000)
PG

Just dare to be mildly ironic or slightly critical of this new film, or indeed anything in the Pok茅mon universe, and children everywhere will be dashing off the most horrid emails to you or, if they see you on the bus, place chewing gum on your seat before you sit down. Yet, even taking those nightmares into account, it has to be said that what "Pok茅mon 2000" badly needs is a screenplay to match the surrealism of its characters. These strange-looking creatures, united by their reassuring roundness, deserve more than standard issue action scenes and bland American dialogue. In addition, the film either speeds by at a rate of knots or grinds to a halt.

A few set-pieces, though, do stand out: weird, almost entirely spherical fish swimming in the water, a boat crashing down hundreds of steps, and a jagged 'chicken' lit up by golden electric energy are certainly transfixing.

And the six new Pok茅mon, introduced in both the main feature and the short which precedes it ("Pikachu's Rescue Adventure"), are well up to expected oddball standard: they include Lugia, a legendary Pok茅mon rumoured to lurk beneath the ocean's surface; Hoothoot, an owl-like Pok茅mon who lives in the trees; and Ladyba, a ladybird Pok茅mon with a swarm of friends. They are all involved, in their own eccentric ways, with Ash as he fights to restore balance to the world by fighting off a baddie who has toyed with the weather and shown a fondness for collecting Pok茅mon.

Read a review of "Pok茅mon: The First Movie".

Read a review of "Pok茅mon 3: The Movie".

End Credits

Director: Kunihiko Yuyama

Stars: Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Addie Blaustein, Eric Stuart, Ed Paul, Michelle Goguen, Eric Rath, Neil Stewart

Genre: Family, Animation

Length: 80 minutes

Cinema: 22 December 2000

Country: USA

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