The Washington Post 


July 21, 2000, Friday, Final Edition 

SECTION: STYLE; Pg. C01 

LENGTH: 581 words 

HEADLINE: 'Pokemon 2000': More Power to Them 

BYLINE: Rita Kempley , Washington Post Staff Writer 

BODY: 


It's Pikachu redux: The adorable anime mouse reprises his plucky screen persona 
from last year's "Pokemon: The First Movie" in "Pokemon the Movie: 2000," the 
Anglicized version of the original Japanese adventure. A rollicking, witty 
collision of cultures, film genres, scrambled plot lines and product placement, 
this escapade is sure to enrapture young aficionados as well as boost Nintendo's 
sales of Pokestuff. 

Though Pikachu's vocabulary is limited to pika and pikachu (Japanese for 
"squeak" and "Didn't you hear me squeak?"), the electrified rodent's diction is 
unfailingly impeccable--never mind that its expressive little face says it all. 
And when it's really Poked off, it puffs up those apple cheeks and "hurls" 
lightning bolts at the enemy. 

In this high-voltage, aerial-battle-filled yarn, Pikachu's skills are sorely 
tested by three ancient birds--Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno. It is said that the 
impressive trio maintain nature's balance by controlling the ruling elements of 
fire, lightning and ice lest Earth be destroyed. Legend has it that their 
peaceful coexistence will be disrupted and "the Earth will turn to ash." 
However, it is prophesied that a human champion will emerge to save the day. 

As fate would have it, the fabled fowl (three of six "newly discovered" Pokemon) 
are subsequently rousted from their roosts by Jirarudan (a k a Lawrence III), a 
Pokemon collector who is really out to capture Lugia, a sea monster controlled 
by the three birds. Should he succeed, Jirarudan would become the world's most 
powerful collector of Pokemon. And that would be a bad business because he would 
have too many Pokeballs. 

Meanwhile, Pikachu, the conscientious young Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum and 
their courageous gal pals Tracey and Misty just happen to be sailing in the 
vicinity when the blue skies suddenly fill with glowering clouds. Angry winds 
rise and the ocean begins to buck and heave. With enormous difficulty, Ash et 
al. manage to reach Shamouti Island. And that's just the beginning of what 
becomes an epic battle between the good guys and the avaricious villain. 

It seems odd, though, that the powers behind the Poke empire would have a 
problem with greedy collectors like Jirarudan. After all, the movie does 
introduce those six "newly discovered" pocket monsters, and unless millions of 
little people get the urge to acquire them, the Pokemon will go the way of 
Cabbage Patch Kids. But at least the movie stresses ecological and moral values 
along with subliminal capitalistic ones. 

Subtitled "The Power of One," the story, written by Norman Grossfeld and Michael 
Haigney, teaches children that each of them can make a difference in this world. 
Aside from a saccharine exchange between Ash and his mother, the movie manages 
to make its points without getting sticky. 

It's rather droll, in fact, with many clever gibes. And along with a camp 
sensibility reminiscent of old Godzilla movies, the soundtrack rocks with 
PokeRap. 

"Pokemon 2000" drags a bit, is repetitious and could do better by the story's 
heroines. But none of that seemed to concern the rapt young fans at a recent 
sneak preview of the movie, which plays along with the charming short "Pikachu's 
Rescue Adventure." Surely even a kid who doesn't know Mew from Mewtwo (on the 
off chance that one exists) will feel welcome in the magically wacky land of the 
Pokemon. It's Pokey-dokey by me. 

Pokemon the Movie: 2000 (103 minutes, at area theaters) is rated G.