Yesterday I went to see the Pokémon movie with a couple of friends, and boy was it neat. The anti-Pokémon chaps have a strong case, the phenomenom is getting out of control, but any flak this film gets will probably be unfounded. This is coming from somebody who's never really been a Poké-maniac: this film is one of the best of the year so far!

Story

Well, should I or shouldn't I? Well, if you've already seen the film, you don't need to know this. If you haven't seen it, then you won't want to know this. Suffice to say to film's full title is: Pokémon, the first movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. And yes, it
heavily involves Mewtwo lashing out at mankind and Poké-kind. Well, I'll probably provide a multitude of plot spoilers as I got along anyway *^_^*.

Animation and soundz

Oh yeah, it's animated, but some parts have obviously been tarted up with computer graphics. It's most predominatly seen in Mewtwo's lair/stadium. I doubt plain animation would do complete justice to those scenes, despite the skill of these Japenese guys.

The movie/film (I'll call it what I like) is slightly lacking in soundtrack. This is probably a good thing, it's fine as it is.

You have a slightly souped up version of the Pokémon Theme tune at the start, as Ash scraps with a challenging trainer. I'm sure I could hear screaming guitar in there.

Then, during the big fight at Mewtwo's place, there's a song bearing relevance to the fight, and the underlying message of the film. Ooops, did I mention 'fight' and 'message'? I did. If you've yet to see the film, don't read on.

The moral of the story

It's not exactly subtle. What starts of as a story of Mewtwo trying to battle the world, becomes as message to us all. It's so strong and blatant, I'm thinking "Did they make this film and say 'while we're at it, let's carry an important message to the viewers', or is this film just a carrier for the message?"

What is the message? Well, first we'll get into the circumstances that bring it about.

Mewtwo has been cloned andbrought into existance. Peeved about being nothing more than an experiment, he destroys the lab he was born in and nearly takes Giovanni out too, when they meet up.

Mewtwo goes on to invite a couple ok Pokémon trainers to his island. Of course they don't know that it's Mewtwo who's invited them. When they turn up, he appears and kidnaps their Pokémon, and clones them, taking the opportunity to soup them up a bit. He then reveals his
plan to kill everybody he can find, but the trainers disagree. A big fight ensues.

Ok, I just told you the story, but it's still not substitute for watching the film.

During the fight, certain things happen. As it drags on, the Pokémon get exhausted. They are fighting to the death, not giving up, not relenting. The trainers watching saw how the situation is stupid, nobody should be fighting against their will, fighting is wrong! Above their heads, the warmonger Mewtwo fights with Mew.

The first Pokémon to suss things out are the two Meowths. They bare claws, then Meowth says "Hey, I can't attack myself." The clone agrees, but Meowth says "How can I know you won't pull a fast one?" The clone gives a speech, with the real Meowth providing a translation for Team Rocket.

Extract: "We all share the same air, the same earth, the same water. Maybe if we looked at the things that are the same, instead of what's different, well, who knows?"

And that's where it should get blindingly obvious. The message is that of living together peacefully, a sort of anti-racism thing. We all know how people are all too willing to deck a guy because he's got black skin, or take the p**s out of somebody because their
religeon is different. The film is saying: "Hey, give peace a chance."

Mewtwo sums it up brilliantly at the end:

"Clearly it is not the circumstances of one's birth that matters, but what one chooses to do with his life."

Mewtwo

Just to round off, a bit about The Big M.

Being genetically enginered, Mewtwo thinks like a human, but has the psychic capabilties of a god. You see his pyrotechnics when he blows up the lab, and fights with the trainers. Combine the resentment of a human and the capabilities of a killing machine, and you have a
chap to be feared.

He's got a deep voice, and a great way of thinking. This guy is the king of Pokémon. Out of Jigglypuff, Meowth and Mewtwo, I can't figure who is best.

You see Jigglypuff sing, and pull faces and slap people, and you think "he's the best."

Then you hear Moewth and his funny voice and cool jokes, and the funny faces he ends up pulling (you see plenty of them in the film). He must be best.

But when you get a film-full of Mewtwo, he knocks them all flat. The only thing I don't like about him is his mouth. You just fall in love with him.

Then you see Jigglypuff and Meowth again, and the cycle continues...