Wolff rating: FAIR
Plot summary: Mewtwo, a genetically-engineered (and -enhanced) clone of Mew (the rarest Pokemon), is mad as hell and isn't going to take it any more.
Biased, pithy comments: Pokemon isn't a game, a movie, or or a comic book; it's a lifestyle. Much as children my age ``collected'' knowledge about dinosaurs (long-dead and largely irrelevant to my current life except as fuel for my car), kids these days collect trivia and merchanidise from Pokemon (fictional and largely irrelevant). Your whole life could be Pokemon, assuming you didn't mind bright colors and cutesey anime drawing. I can see why Stan Lee and other comic artists can be revered as gods; they create these worlds that only exist inside their own heads, but they get millions to share in their illusion. They are the myth-makers of our era, and their stories become part of the fabric of our civilization. However, that doesn't mean every story they tell is gold, and in this case that's apparent. The colors, the action, and the animation are a step above an episode of the TV show, but it makes no grand step forward in understanding or depth for the lives of these Pokemon and their trainers, nor does it make any sense whatssoever without knowing a fair bit about Pokemon before you start. You and your kids won't be any smarter or wiser for watching the film, and I at least wasn't particularly entertained---the movie consists of largely endless fighting between clones, and you see one Pokemon fight, you've seen 'em all. Still, what am I doing reviewing this? It's a popular movie that kids will enjoy (and I have enough confidence in kids to say that they won't enjoy it more than once or twice---``Lion King'' it ain't), and nothing I say will have any effect on that.
Other Notes: Particularly nutty is the arbitrary discussion of how fighting is, like, bad, despite the early parts of the movie that show fighting as essentially a good. I think what they mean to say (if one tries to make sense of the odd translation) is that friendly competition is good, but all-out war where people really get hurt is bad. I think that's an idea most cultures agree with, but stating that thesis in this manner doesn't help people draw the line between friendly and unfriendly competition. For the record, I actually don't think knowing about paleontology is irrelevant, but the comparison isn't entirely unwarranted. (Besides, dinosaurs are cool.)
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart, Ikue Ootani, and other voice actors.
Directed by: Kunohiko Yuyama