The cute, cuddly creatures from the Nintendo game (the craze that spawned a TV
series and a merchandising empire) get the big-screen treatment as kid trio
Ash, Misty, and Brock are invited to a mysterious island to partake in a
Pokémon-trainer contest. (The Pokémons -- each a different
aberration of animal with special powers, some cute and benign, others hideous
concoctions -- are stored in small orbs and released by their trainers during
Pokémon jousts). The island is controlled by a maniacal über-Poke
-- cloned and genetically enhanced from a telepathic cat -- who wants to take
over the world and destroy mankind in the process.
The Pokémon Movie is loosely Enter the Dragon with
sweet-and-low mutants. The animation is crisp, and the plot moves along at a
Saturday-morning pace, ideal for children. The main feature is preceded by the
less engaging Pokémon Vacation, a series of googly vignettes
laced with insipid Pokémon banter and trippy imagery. Oh, and Warner
Bros. and Nintendo shamelessly commandeer the programming seams for some
hardcore ad placement.
--Tom Meek
Full Length Reviews
Pokémon: The First Movie 
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