For research purposes, this hitchhiker went and saw Pokemon - the First Movie. As it was the first weekend the cinema was packed. Lots of parents, probably with no clue about what a pokemon is, were taking their children in. Product marketing seems important to Nintendo, Creatures, Time Warner and probably Wizards of the Coast. When buying tickets Pokemon playing cards were given out, and again when the children entered the theatre itself they were given more cards. Now this hitchhiker plays several card games, Illuminati : New World Order, the ubiquetous Magic : The Gathering and several others, so card games are not an athema, however it is easy to sympathise with parents and schools about the way this particular game seems to be targetted at children.

The theatre was busy, and the only seats available were in the pit, right at the front of the cinema. Once surrounded by bewildered parents and their children the film started. The heat in the cinema was unpleasant at first, but was quickly adapted to, when the first part started. Yes like matinees seen in the cinemas in the 1970's, there was a smaller cartoon first - Pikachu's Vacation.

Pikachu's Vacation

This short film was probably put in to acclimatise parents to the wierd-looking, magical, mutant creatures that their children adore. This film probably didn't calm any fears that they may of had about pokemon. It was strange, very, very strange, even for a pokemon cartoon. This Reseacher generally followed the television series, but this short film was way wierder than anything in that.

The cartoon style is more or less the same style as the cartoon seen on television. If you havn't seen the television series then another similar style is The Mysterious Cities of Gold, though Pokemon is looser. Abstract tears and stars appear around the characters heads. The size of body parts change during the film, if a character gets angry then, when they are shouting, the head becomes huge, half the screen, with the recipient cowering in a quarter of the screen. All in all it is pretty effective, well more effective than some Czech cartoons. However there is one difference. In this short story the actual story is interspaced with psychedelic¹ shots, swirly backgrounds, multiple copies, strange noises, with a pokemon on screen, 'speaking'. One particular one was of a pokeman called Slowpoke - bright, acid yellow and green pulsating background, with a picture of a slowpoke, saying 'snore'. This word takes a minute to say, in a drone and the pokemon's mouth just kept getting bigger. Freaky.

The 'story', as such, was of a pokemon-only resort and the pokemon adventures that happen within. The pokemon will be familiar from the cartoon series, with the same human characters as well. In the film all the pokemon of Ash, Brock and Misty go to the park, and are 'observed' as if by a wildlife documentary. Pikachu and the rest are roaming around, when the 'baby' wants to sleep. It is unable to because of another group of 'bully' pokemon. Our Pikachu and his gang challange the nasties to various challenges, ending with one of the good guys, Charmander, getting stuck in a pipe. Eventually they all have to work together, Pikachu, his friends and trhe bullies, to help Charmander. Once he is released it is the end, and Pikachu and his friends have to return back to Ash, Misty and Brock, for the film proper.

Pokemon - The First Movie - Mew Vs. Mewtwo

After the bizarre first cartoon, this provided some much needed sanity. Well as much sanity as can be found in a cartoon about an electric mouse. This part follows the cartoon series even more faithfully, and if you like the television series then this will be right up your alley. The scene opens on a strange, flying pokemon. It is interspersed with views of a laboratory. As it turns out the dreams are being experienced by Mewtwo, a gentically 'enhanced' pokemon. Developed from deoxyribonucleic acid found in a fossil of the ultra rare Mew. This is the first time the experiment works, and as the scientists, of Team Rocket, gloat and congratulate themselves Mewtwo destroys the lab.

After the destruction of the lab, Mewtwo came under the wing of Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket. After being tricked into thinking he was a partner with Giovanni, and becoming an ultra-competant pokemon fighter, Giovanni drops the bombshell that Mewtwo is only a slave². Mewtwo goes mental and escapes, and starts setting up to take over the world.

It is here that the 'gang' appear³ resting on a cliff top. Another fighter comes to challange Ash, and they begin to battle. Pikachu again shows his unwarrented god-like powers⁴, and Ash wins the fight. After the fight a flying, dragon pokemon delivers a message to Ash, an invitation to all the greatest pokemon masters, to battle the best pokemon master in the world. Ash accepts and makes his way to a packed ferry that will take them all to the island, where the battle will take place.

However Mewtwo has other ideas and raises a storm, stopping the ferry, and only allowing the most determined masters to cross. Several attempt it, one flying, one swimming etc. Ash cannot make it, but Jesse and James from Team Rocket come along, pretending to be vikings, and offer them a lift. They finally make it to the island, though the boat is ripped to shreds. Here the gang meets up with the other trainers, but Team Rocket are locked out.

After a quick look at the other trainers who braved the storm, all with big tough evolved pokemon, Mewtwo arrives with genetically enhanced versions of the trainers toughest pokemons, and beats them. Mewtwo then tries to steal all the trainers pokemon, using his own pokeballs. They are all captured, except Pikachu, and enhanced clones made of them. Pikachu tries to run, and with Ash's help, manages to be pulled free of the machine, destroying it and releasing all the other pokemon.

Mew, the rarest pokemon, after following Team Rocket for a while, finally shows himself. Mewtwo sees this as a chance to prove himself, and attacks. A pitched battle ensues, where it appears there are no winners, the pokemon just keep fighting, even though exausted. Mew and Mewtwo fly around, in their psychic bubbles attacking each other. Pikachu refuses to fight his clone and Ash realises this is the only way to survive. He raises to the centre of the arena, just in time to be turned to stone by getting caught where a psychic blast from Mew and one from Mewtwo meet.

It all stops, as Pikachu goes mental and wears himself out trying to shock life back into Ash's stone body. Strange things effect this researcher and a tear did escape from this old warhorses eye at this point. All the surrounding pokemon also started weeping at the despair of Pikachu, and the tears healed Ash. Mewtwo realised the errors of his ways, and turned time back to before Ash got on the ferry. Mewtwo then followed Mew out to explore the world, and the island is transformed into a paradise, lucky for Team Rocket who are trapped there.

The Aftertaste

This was an unusual offering. The atmosphere was a lot darker than the television series and raised several things that the television series just glosses over, or doesn't mention at all. It is, especially the first film, a bit trippy, it is probably best to follow the Dead Kennedys advice and 'see that movie stoned'. However it does, whether intentionally or not, raise the issue of getting two creatures to fight each other, and that no matter how you were raised it is your actions that make you.

Near the end, as they resolved the last battle, it became a bit preachy, maybe even condescending. The moral is spelled out in easy to understand language, but it is for children so what do you expect. I must admit that though, at some points, my seat became uncomfortable, once the film started the cinema was quiet and the kids seemed wrapped by the film, entranced by these 'pocket monsters' continually saying their own names. All in all this is not a bad way to spend a rainy afternoon, and if children are any part of your equation, and they like pokemon, then this will give you a wee bit of peace. This researcher gives this film a 6/10, and the kids probably gave it 7.5/10 or even 8/10, but if you despise Pokemon then 2/10 would be advised. The one thing that wasn't raised in the film was the fact that it is, basically, one huge advert for the unstoppable industry that is Pokemon.