I was really liking this movie until the last half where it falls apart. The last half is, I think, a highlight of what is wrong with (most of) movies after this one (and maybe before this one, I can't remember anything past movie 5 lol).
They want to move Satoshi from The Chosen One status but instead of doing it smart, the writers seem to just... not have Satoshi do anything. He has plenty of pokemon but doesn't use any but Pikachu to protect his back or stall Kodai. They have Satoshi frozen by Psychic for most of the "final" battle (why can't Pikachu resist? Because you'd think if Psychic was always that OP everyone would use it). Satoshi and Pikachu don't really try struggling, Pikachu feels slow in this movie until the last moment. I don't care for the direction, it slows the final half down and makes it annoying to watch.
There's the reliance of Pokemon movie tropes too:
-potions don't exist in the movies so everyone stands around getting teary-eyed when a pokemon passes out. There's never an attempt to say: "Let me capture it so I can take it to the Pokemon Center and get it healed."
-The Legendary Beasts came along but their presence is mostly pointless and they don't do anything worthwhile other than make an excuse for Zoroark to be tired when she gets to Kodai. And they're shiny... because.
-The lack of consistency. I don't know why the movies can just connect to each other but at least choose whether it's connected to canon or not. Satoshi somehow knows about Serebii yet doesn't remember Entei?? Was that another movie he forgot and I'm forgetting that part?
-Satoshi lying about "we'll definitely come by!", lmao no you won't why even add that.
-Characters forgetting key details just so the plot can happen: the secretary knew Kodai could see the future yet not once think he may have saw her betraying her? Or that Zoroark is on the airship, how about freeing her to stop Kodai? The secretary's role felt contrived because the literal only purpose she served outside helping the villain was freeing Satoshi-tachi.
-The lack of reasoning why the goons help out the villain. They're just there to be evil but we never get a real reason. Money? Pension?
They didn't use Nyarth well either; why not have him translate the roars? Surely he understood that it's a call for battle and thus could say "uh, let's not".
Having Zorua talk but not having Zoroark say a word... why not at least have her give her thanks via telepathy? It's made obvious immediately she can do it since she told Zorua not to. And what are the rules for telepathy anyway? Is it everyone in an area? Or certain people? Again, the movie uses both when it's convenient.
Beyond that, I do like how the movie has the local wild pokemon be involved in protecting their city. It's same thing I liked in the Genesect movie; this shows pokemon are capable independent thought and able to choose sides without being captured.
I sorta liked the return of Serebii but it does kinda suck it's a new one rather than the old one. A lot of times these "cameo"s don't hit nearly as hard because the "returnee" is someone else and thus has no nostalgia to them beyond being the same species. It feels like a wasted opportunity.
The best action scene was with Takeshi's pokemon fighting the Scizor like it was a swordfight that it was done really well. I wish we could see more battles with such dynamicism rather than the rest of the slow fights. I know the games are turn-based but that simply doesn't translate to the animation and it breaks the fights each time I see pokemon just waiting to be hit. I DO like that many times the captured pokemon didn't need commands to fight, I want more of that.
Kodai was an okay villain. Seeing Zoroark get her revenge not once but twice was great. Especially when he staggered off like a coward. The side characters are good too, made the city feel lively. Zoroark rocked, and Zorua was cute and you got the sense he did try his best despite being pampered by his mom.
And I did like how it ended with Rocket Gang floating off and enjoying themselves (until the gag at the end...) and Zoroark indulging Zorua by being his Pikachu. It did get me for a second, haha. I certainly wouldn't have minded for them to come back, but alas...
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