The Movie

Over the past ten years, the Pokemon franchise has grown pretty big. Most people, whether they have children (or are children themselves) have a good idea what a Pokemon is and who exactly Pikachu is. On the chance you do not know anything about the huge franchise I'll share my limited perspective. Pokemon is a Japanese game that found its way into cartoons, trading cards, plush toys, video games, books, television, feature films, and just about everything else you can put a picture of a cute little yellow creature and his friends on. The franchise has done well for itself, producing a long running television series Pokemon about a would-be-Pokemon-master Ash, his friends, and the Pokemon Pikachu. In their adventures, they battle other Pokemon trainers, wining tournaments, collecting more Pokemon, and hoping to one day become masters. Pokemon 8: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew details the franchise's eighth feature film (debuted in Japan last year).

On a personal note, I do not know very much about Pokemon. I am a twenty-something year old who does not have children and there is no appeal to me in the trading cards or the video games. Despite, I find that I enjoy the television show. The characters are goofy and the plotlines are never very serious, but it is always playful and fun. It is easy to see why a younger audience is so attracted to it. So, please keep this information in mind while reading this review. I am no Pokemon master and I have limited knowledge and experience with it, besides the occasional episodes I have caught on television. Now, without further ado, here are the details about the feature.

In a time long forgotten, a Pokemon master by the name of Sir Aaron, the Guardian of Aurora, and his faithful Pokemon Lucario were trying to stop a war. The kingdom was in the center of a massive war, and their fate dangling in the wind. Sir Aaron and Lucario wanted to stop the war, save the kingdom, and the countless Pokemon and human lives caught in the fray. Sir Aaron went to the Tree of Beginning, which was said to be the dwelling of Mew, and at the same time, the land was covered in a massive light that ended the war. The light turned everyone peaceful and the Pokemon and humans went home. To everyone, Sir Aaron was a hero for his actions, but in reality there was no proof of Sir Aaron's deeds being the cause of the mystical light. No, the connection was a pure coincidence, or so it would seem. Regardless, years later, he is celebrated as a hero.

Jumping into the present time, Ash, Brock, Misty, May, and Pikachu attend a celebratory tournament of would-be-Pokemon-masters in honor of Sir Aaron's past deeds. At the tournament, Ash takes first place and is granted the honorary title of the Guardian of Aurora and given the staff of Guardian, which was Sir Aaron's. Later that evening, all the participants celebrate with dining and dancing. All the while, mischievous Team Rocket (Jessie, James, and Meowth) are there to spoil everything and steal some Pokemon. But it isn't just Team Rocket who is up to no good, as Kidd Summers wants to capture Mew and learn his secrets. She sends in her Pokemon goons who run a mock while trying to get Mew. At the close of her Pokemon's fiasco, Mew, Pikachu, and Meowth head off into the unknown.

Meanwhile, back at the dance Ash and everyone else is in for a big surprise when Lucario jumps out to say hi. He ruins the mood of the party when he reveals Sir Aaron was not saving the kingdom, but running away. The war was helpless and he turned coat. And when Lucario confronted him about it, Sir Aaron trapped Lucario in his staff. As Lucario tries to get accustomed to life in the present, it comes to everyone's attention Pikachu and Meowth are missing, at the expense of Mew. Ash, Brock, Misty, and May join Lucario and Kidd and head off to the Tree of Beginning, where they hope to find their missing friends. And of course, Jessie and James come along for the ride.

As the story continues, the plotlines focus on three different aspects, which are interconnected. The Pokemon crew has to find their missing friends, learn about the mystery of Mew and his connection to the Tree of Beginning, and help Lucario find himself. In regards to the latter, Lucario has a hard personality and he is distrustful of humans, mainly because his former master betrayed him. Heck, his attitude is so bad he even gets into a tussle with Ash. Part of the story is Lucario's character becoming more humanized and trusting of his new fellows. As the story proceeds, the gang investigates the Tree of Beginning and many unanswered questions are answered.

Overall, Pokemon 8: Lucario & the Mystery of Mew is a decent film. From a serious and analytic perspective, the feature is weak in a number of ways. The plotline is rather limited and the characters have almost no depth (with the exception of Lucario learning to trust humans again). In essence, it has all the elements of a bad movie. However, Lucario & the Mystery of Mew is not trying to be a powerful, epic drama where those elements are key ingredients. No, this Pokemon venture's limited and juvenile plotline, as well as its overly goofy, over-the-top characters, are what gives it charm. This movie is a great production for younger audiences who are fascinated by the Pokemon world. It is corny, cliched, and underdeveloped at times, but it still provides a fun production that will put a smile on your face.

The DVD

Video:
The video is given in 1.33:1 ratio full frame color. As for the quality, I do not have a lot of experience with animated features on DVD and I am not sure what the norm is. In respect to this feature, the picture looks fairly clean during the segments with little or no movement. During the high-motion scenes, there is ghosting, and visible compression artifacts that gives the picture a rough appearance.

Audio:
The audio is in English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound. The sound quality is acceptable and meets the level of expectation I would have for a film. Spoken dialogue is easy to hear, as well as the sound effects and music.

The DVD has English subtitles and supports closed captioning.

Extras:
The DVD release of Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew is a two disc set. The extras located on the first DVD include a behind the scenes featurette, a six minute production detailing the making of the movie, and a slide show, various concept art of characters and Pokemon in the story. The second DVD comes with the hour-long television special "The Mastermind of Mirage Pokemon", which was made for the show's tenth anniversary. The story is entertaining enough, and clearly something you will enjoy watching if you like the show. The second DVD also has a letter from director Kunihiko Yuyama. It talks about the special episode, a note to American viewers, and ends with a thank you. The audio/video details are very much the same as the feature covered in the body of the review. Finally, there is a bonus Pokemon card of Mew and a manga sampler "All That Pikachu".

Final Thoughts:
While I am no Pokemon expert, nor would I count myself a fan of the television series, feature films, video games, trading cards, etc., I still find that I enjoy the occasional Pokemon production. The stories are not very serious. They provide simplistic plotlines and goofy, aloof characters for younger audiences to enjoy. For the older viewers, I suggest you rent this DVD if you are remotely interested in Pokemon, but the younger audience (and Pokemon fans) this release should be a pristine purchase.