Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns (2000) Review:

In order for sequels to be successful, the story that continues the original narrative must be cohesive enough to make sense. For the Pokémon franchise, while the very first theatrical film made bank on its budget, it was largely panned for its contradictive message and characters only fans would understand. Since then the series has turned out a feature every year in between seasons, so it’s no surprise the only people who would continue to follow these entries are obviously fans. The first film may have many viewers riding their experience on nostalgia but it can’t be said for the two sequels that came after. One made almost no sense while the other stepped it up slightly, but still felt lesser compared to the original. Now, the first direct-to-video release sees the return of the first film’s antagonist. It’s almost an equal,…sort of.

With pretty much all cast and crew members returning again, there really isn’t a change in the quality of the effort put into the production. The only thing that truly matters at this point is the screenplay, which was originally written by Takeshi Shudo and English adaptation by Michael Haigney. Stepping in and taking full control of direction was Masamitsu Hidaka, who before only served as assistant director for the past entries. Ash, Pikachu, Misty, Brock and Team Rocket meet a couple of people along the way at a location called Purity Canyon. It just so happens that Mewtwo and the cloned Pokémon he created have made a home for themselves there. But Ash and company aren’t the only ones headed towards Mewtwo’s direction. Turns out Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket wants to reclaim Mewtwo as well.

What works in this feature is the story acknowledging what happened in the past and confirming the current status in this entry. Learning that Giovanni did not have his mind wiped after the events of the first film at least explains why he’s on the hunt to find and control Mewtwo. Also seeing main characters not reacting to Mewtwo the same way they did in the first film was on point as well. Although it does beg the question why Mewtwo didn’t confirm Giovanni had his memory zapped. Guess Mewtwo just assumed Giovanni was killed after he blew up his gym. However, what doesn’t work story wise is Mewtwo’s internal struggle. At the end of the first film and start of this feature, Mewtwo states he understands his wrongs now knowing it’s what you do with life that determines your character. Then he proceeds to exile himself and company from society because he feels they are different.

Why is it that Mewtwo can’t make up his mind? It’s one thing if he and his clones were living among other Pokémon and then ambushed,…it’s another to understand the mistake and then go back on it. What caused the change in comprehension? It’s confusing when that happens. That is not to say the performances are not credible though. All returning voice actors do as good a job as they have been doing throughout the series. Dan Green who also voiced Entei in the last feature replaces Jay Goede as the original voice of Mewtwo. Both sound pretty similar and while Green is more recognizable, Goede definitely had a talent for having an imposing voice as well. Again, there’s cinematography from Takaya Mizutani but not sure how that’s utilized in production of the feature.

Animation on the other hand looks spectacular in this entry. This is the first film to use digital ink and paint coloring instead of the usual traditional animation cel. While classic animation is always great, the digital animation in this feature provide a much sharper and more vibrant image to the world of Pokémon. For the music, much of it is recycle tracks from the first movie composed by Ralph Schuckett and John Loeffler. Which in a sense is appropriate, but because it is a new story, viewers may be expecting some new themes to appear. But that is not the case, which could leave people who find the most entertaining storyline so far disappointed. Reason being is it will only remind the viewers of the scenes the original music belonged to.

The story stays true to last events no problem thanks to the returning crew and cast members for the production. The animation is also very crisp and colorful, now if only the music was more than just recycled and Mewtwo’s characterization wasn’t so flip floppy.

Points Earned --> 5:10

Scanners (1981) Review:

Director David Cronenberg may have started making himself known in the mid 1970s, but it wasn’t until the 1980s did his recognition finally take off. The first film to start that decade for him was this film. What people tend to remember the most was the explosion scene at the early start. Shocking yes and unexpected. However, to some unfamiliar with Cronenberg’s history, one would think perhaps things would only get more horrific. After all, Cronenberg had directed several of his own horror films before and of course would be best known for his remake of The Fly (1986) later on. That is not the case for this particular film though. Despite it having some gross moments as one would know what comes from Cronenberg, this genre is not exactly the same as the others.

As usual, Cronenberg is credited as writer and director for this feature. Making this story different from the others is its background. A company called ConSec is a weapon producer and is looking to harness the power of a specific type of individual called a Scanner. These beings have telepathic powers that allow them to control others minds. Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack) a scanner is being sought out to hunt down and bring in another scanner named Darryl Revok (Michael Ironside) who’s killing innocent people and scanners alike. The man giving Cameron the orders is Dr. Paul Ruth (Patrick McGoohan), who also works for ConSec. However, so does Braedon Keller (Lawrence Dane) who feels Dr. Ruth’s studies are irrelevant and wants it discontinued. Now, it’s up to Vale to stop Revok with the help of Kim Orbist (Jennifer O’Neill).

The fact that Cronenberg wrote the screenplay completely different from his other stories which contain similar themes, it’s an eyebrow raiser. There are elements of grotesque horror, but nothing that is meant to be scary. The story takes on a much more scientific espionage approach. There’s twists to how the story plays out and it’s not all about the violence. In fact, there’s not a whole lot despite the explosion scene being the most remembered. Even if the cast does not contain well recognized actors, the performances themselves deserve credit. Of the actors involved Michael Ironside is probably the most recognizable and by far gives the best showing. Not only does he play an interesting antagonist but also a somewhat sympathetic one. Many people know Ironside from later films like Total Recall (1990), Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) and even Terminator Salvation (2009).

Jennifer O'Neill as Kim is a looker for sure and develops her character when meeting Vale. Patrick McGoohan as Dr. Paul Ruth has some of the best dialog explaining much of what needs to be known about Scanners. McGoohan would later be in Braveheart (1995), The Phantom (1996) and even Treasure Planet (2002). Lawrence Dane as Keller plays to what some may see as an obvious character but still puts in good effort. Unfortunately, Keller seems to be the character who knows the least about what’s going on around him. Dane would later have roles in Of Unknown Origin (1983), Darkman II: The Return of Durant and Bride of Chucky (1998). Sadly, the one actor who seems the least experienced is Stephen Lack as Vale. While Lack can perform, his line delivery feels off and often robotic. It’s unclear as to whether that was how the character should have sounded,…but it is odd.

Visuals for the film were good. Special and practical effects all were handled well for whatever gory scenes were actually shown. Some of it even looks digital even though that’s highly unlikely for 1981. Behind the camera was Mark Irwin, the same cinematographer for The Blob (1988), RoboCop 2 (1990) and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994). Here though Irwin’s skill doesn’t feel as perfected, as the shots just aren’t that interesting to look at mostly. Lastly the musical score composed by Howard Shore is a uniquely memorable mix of clicking synthesizers and classic orchestra to bring out the ESP-like themes in the film. Another notable part is that the film does have a recurring motif for the story which will help viewers remember the music a lot better.

A film by David Cronenberg revolves around horror, but this is not that kind of film. The story here takes a different angle and making horror a lesser priority but not sacrificing characters either. The cinematography and the main lead felt like fine tuning was needed. Yet the music, effects and acting pick up the remainder of what falls short.

Points Earned --> 7:10

Pokémon 3: The Movie – Spell of the Unown (2000) Review:

As what would be expected since Pokémon’s TV series release in the United States, movies were on their way too. Following the same structure as the other entries, after Season 3 came to a close the third theatrical film was released as well. And if the prediction was the story would revolve around a powerful new Pokémon, then the formula is beginning to become familiar. Thankfully, the story displayed in this entry is a lot more believable considering the realm this show has created for itself. It’s known by now that the adaptation of the Japan dub hasn’t been very well done for past entries. Thankfully, the story here is more on par with the first film as oppose to the second one. However, to say it’s going to win over any new people is a doubtful claim.

The story this time is about a friend of Ash Ketchum named Molly (Amy Birnbaum) whose widower father Professor Spencer Hale (Dan Green) is researching legendary Pokémon called Unown. Unfortunately, after getting trapped in the Unown’s dimension, orphan Molly captures the attention of the Unown as well making her dreams real and bringing forth Entei as her protector. Of course it just so happens, Ash and company are headed towards Molly’s location by chance. According to imdb, directing this feature was no one else by Kunihiko Yuyama who also worked on the first two films for Japan. No English adapting director this time. The writing was also handled again by Takeshi Shudo, Hideki Sonoda and Marc M. uncredited. While the setup is essentially doing what is always does, the plot here at least feels like it fits into the series. Unlike Pokémon 2000 (1999) which alluded to Ash Ketchum being the so called chosen one.

What also makes this entry more interesting to watch is the antagonist Ash and company square off on. Here, Entei is seen as a villain to Ash & company at first, but that’s only because of the circumstances experienced and feelings Molly exudes when her father disappears. That is much more understandable that just some random rich boy hanging out in a floating fortress collecting rare Pokémon for some unexplained reason other than throwing the world into chaos. At least it’s explained and makes logical sense to a degree. On top of that, the stakes are little higher too because of Molly’s relation to Ash’s family including his mom and Professor Oak. There are some who would probably think this entry is more annoying though because of the focus being placed on a whiny little girl. Again, the character has more to it than the last one. So there’s that.

Of course this does not make up for development of the protagonists. Ash Ketchum, Misty, Brock and even Team Rocket are more or less in the same passenger seat as the audience. None of them really learn anything new that changes them. This is okay to a fan of the franchise, but as its own entry it doesn’t really work. Adding to that are more shoehorned characters like Lisa, a trainer Ash has a battle with at the start of the film. Her contribution could have been handed off to any other character to perform. So really, her role is about as important as Maren or Melody from the last film. Also some plot conveniences appear throughout the film that may have the viewer scratching their head. Like how can one character find a missing person in an ever changing labyrinth so easily? This doesn’t take away from the voice acting though.

Like the last two films, the English dub cast all perform like they usually do and that’s to their credit. Consistency is met there. The only new addition to the cast is Dan Green who most people can recognize instantly. His performance is also on point with everyone else. Cinematography again was handled by Hisao Shirai as there must be a reason behind it, but it’s not clear. There’s also Hisashi Kagawa serving as chief animation director and it shows, as now this film contains much more apparent CGI with unowns. While the action may not be as abundant as the last film, the movement still looks great. Lastly again Ralph Schuckett disappoints because no score was released and the music itself works for the scenes but isn’t memorable. It’s amazing how well his and Loeffler’s work from the first film sticks, but everything else has not.

Fans of the series should find this entry more interesting to watch than the last movie. Development of the main characters, plot conveniences and music still may not be at its best. However, the animation and voice acting are still great, and the foe the heroes battle against is not just a simple one note individual.

Points Earned --> 5:10