The GamesThe GamesUp until now that means that I shall be looking at Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow for the Gameboy, and Pokémon Stadium for the N64. I shall also be looking at the various Pokémon ROMs for the PC to see how they measure up to the real thing.
Pokémon Yellow
That's all for now on the games. Expect updates soon...
Well, it's out in Britain now having opened on April 14th, and we sent our team of reviewers to go and watch it. So what did they think? Fortunately, unlike some major British newspapers I won't care to mention, we actually got people who know what they're on about. This is an obvious advantage over the hordes of adults who've been reviewing the film, more on which later. All five are big fans of Japanese animation so they weren't fazed by the apparently "unoriginal" style. What exactly is that supposed to mean anyway? This is the first time in ages a Japanimation film has been released in British cinemas! Another reviewer rated the animation as "wierd"! I must laugh at him!! This man is obviously a fan of Disney or the more traditional Western styles of animation. Pity him fellow Pokémon lovers.
On to the soundtrack. This same guy describes it as "scary"! This is a grown up individual of at least forty years of age!!! Scary? Not once did we see one young child in the cinema audience cringe in fright!! They obviously have more sense!! But hey, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I can't say what adults find scary (though I can call them big wusses behind their backs!! No offence intended... Well, not much anyway!) I now have access to the movie soundtrack, and I have to admit its got some reasonable songs on it. Top marks to Mandah for having a Jigglypuff sample in her song lullaby. Britney's song is quite dire actually, but Christina Aguilera's song is pretty good. Billy Crawford's rendition of the Pokémon Theme is suitably dramatic, and has a reasonable beat to it (it also has a massive guitar solo in the middle which at least one of my friends likes - You know who you are!!) There is a big downer on the CD in that Aaron Carter is present. His song is as typically whiny as we're used to, and you can just skip it if you want to. "Brother My Brother" is also quite good, though you may remember it wasn't ideally placed in the movie - It's just not dramatic enough for the final fight. Now here's a track listing, with marks out of ten from me.
1. Billy Crawford - Pokémon Theme (8)
2. M2M - Don't Say You Love Me (8)
3. Ashley Ballard with So Plush - It Was You (6)
4. Christina Aguilera - We're A Miracle (8)
5. Britney Spears - Soda Pop (4)
6. *NSYNC - Somewhere Someday (7)
7. B*Witched - Get Happy (5)
8. Emma Bunton p/k/a Baby Spice - (Hey You) Free Up Your Mind (5)
9. 98 Degrees - Fly With Me (6)
10. Mandah - Lullaby (8) (6 without Jigglypuff)
11. Vitamin C - Vacation (8 - it's catchy)
12. Billie - Makin' My Way (Any Way That I Can) (8 - Not bad Miss Piper!)
13. Angela Via - Catch Me If you Can (7)
14. Aaron Carter - (Have Some) Fun With The Funk (3 - "Boppin'!"?)
15. Midnight Sons - If Only Tears Could Bring You Back (9)
16. Blessid Union of Souls - Brother My Brother (9)
A word of warning though, if you bought the CD to see the "exclusive movie footage" advertised, note that you need an Internet connection to watch it (which isn't really gonna bother you if you can read this, but the warning is there none the less. Oh, and you get a free Jigglypuff promo card - BONUS!!!
And finally to the plot. Well, although it isn't quite as humerous as the atypical cartoon episode, it holds its own. I won't spoil it for you but it envolves the 151st Pokémon, Mew, and Mewtwo's inferiority complex at being a clone - nothing more than "Mew's shadow". What results is a slightly less comicical, and a little darker and more philosophical version of the TV show, packed with enough moral talk to leave even Brock lost for words by the end (almost).
So, is this really a "cynical attempt to continue plundering the pockets of children and parents alike"? I think some reviewers have forgotten that people don't HAVE to spend their money if they don't want to. Only the people who want to go and see the film will go and see it. If you're not a Pokémon fan then what's the point of going to see the movie. Duh!! And if you were a little disappointed, just wait for the next film, out pretty soon in America I believe, or stick to the TV series, just starting Season 2 on Sky1.
: No Rocket motto on the big screen. Outrage!! In fact Team Rocket were given far too small a role in general, seeming to spend most of it wandering around in the lab looking confused. But, apart from this MAJOR TRAVESTY, not a bad film. It was what we expected; good animation, a lot of shouting, much "Uh?!"-ing, and also an opportunity to see some more unusual pokémon like Wigglytuff and the ever entertaining Vileplume. Rather oddly the entire film had a surprisingly dark tone - it was a bit harsh Mewtwo killing all the scientists at the start even if the head guy was comitting a fashion crime with his hair. The usual wacky humour of the series seemed to have taken a back seat to a lot of moralising, NOT ONCE did Misty make her head swell up, Brock didn't get that red line on his face even though he spent about half the film standing next to Nurse Joy and nobody fell over for NO READILY APPARENT REASON. Saying this though, the short "Pikachu's Vacation" beforehand was more traditional in that it featured some pretty silly Psyduck antics, although the little "interludes" when a pokémon would walk across the screen went on for a little too long and become faintly sinister, especially those Chanseys. Have you ever imagined what Chansey's role in an operating theatre is? I think he wants to cut out your liver with a rusty scalpel. But that could just be me. Also, I have to say that the music for the film was pretty forgettable, I'd have much prefered to hear the original J-pop guitar based rock that they got in Japan, in particular the final song was completely naff and out of place for an epic Pokémon showdown. Still, I quite enjoyed it, and its no where near as sinister or manipulative as ANY Disney animation, despite what the press would have us believe. And I got a Mewtwo promo card! YES I ROCK!
One word for ya: "BELLSPROUT!"
: Despite the blatant Star Wars rip-off title I didn't think it was too bad actually. Had some good bits and some bad bits, but they've already been ranted about by the others so I won't bother... One question though, and its back to that title again - just what is he "striking back" from? As far as I know he's only been in one episode... Hmmmm!! Perplexing!
: Why was Electrabuzz a promo card?? Was he IN the film? Hmmm... It was quite a lightweight film, not one to tax the brain too much, but surprisingly sinister in the way Mewtwo deals with the people who clone him... also, Ash seemed to fall off things a lot, for no apparent reason, and some scenes go on a just a little too long, like Mewtwo creating a storm for about ten minutes, and Pikachu attempting to revive a stoned Ash for seemingly an age. And Bellsprout is decidedly sinister in the mini movie. But the high point is Ash doing an athletic flip up from lying, that would fox some luchadors, well only Ultimo Dragon.
: Disappointment!! If you go into the movie expecting a much larger episode of Pokémon, forget it. Although the film wasn't bad, I expected more humour and more highjinks from Team Rocket. AND there was TOO MUCH moral talk, even for Pokémon. Just leave it to Brock to philosophise!
: Well, what can I say? Good film/bad film? Well...I'll give some marks.