Monday 26 February 2018

DVD REVIEW: POKEMON THE MOVIE 20 I CHOOSE YOU!

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Pokemon The Movie 20 I Choose You!
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 12
Running Time: 75 Mins
Audio: English Region 2
Due Out: 12/2/2018
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes 

Ash turns up late to make his choice of Pokemon, so he only has one to pick from - the dreaded Pikachu. The professor warns him that Pikachu is a problem and a lightning user as well. Ash might be excited to be training his new Pokemon but Pikachu doesn't like him from the start. A run in with some rival Pokemon changes Pikachu's outlook though as he steps up to the challenge of using his lightning power to drive his rivals away.

What changes Pikachu's mind is Ash's unconditional friendship and how he wanted to protect him. Since this meeting the two have been inseparable as Pokemon and trainer. Once Ash meets his fellow trainers and their Pokemon, this is where he makes bonds with some and enemies with others. This is where we get right back to the beginning where Ash has to prove how good he can be as a trainer and soon take part in events and tournaments. Ash first has to go on his own journey with Pikachu as they have to get used to each other in a strange environment.

This movie takes us back to the time when Ash had started out as a Pokémon trainer getting used to being around his personal Pokémon. A shaky start means that he has to work at their friendship more than most, but as Ash possesses valuable skills in making friends and solving puzzles, it isn't too long before Pikachu finally trusts him. I can tell you now that when you watch it, memories of the first series will come flooding back as well as how you felt the first time you ever saw it. Pokémon The Movie 20 I Choose You! is full of scenes from this series that you will have felt were memorable; Ash saving Pikachu from certain death and protecting and nurturing another Pokémon are ones that stick in my mind the most.

This time, Ash and co are searching for the legendary Pokemon, Ho-Oh and on their journey, or at least the start of it, Ash has to go on his own journey which will lead him to finding himself and the friendship of Pikachu. When Ash does save the abandoned Pokémon, he comes under scrutiny as their kind seem to follow the law of the jungle; weakness is not tolerated, and a Pokémon must go his or her own way in life, so Ash's actions are considered taboo to them when he decides to ignore what the other Pokémon say.

Followers of the series will notice that there have been changes made in this movie; but considering this is a re-working of the original series episodes, it was inevitable that this would serve as an alternate universe kind of movie setting where certain characters would have less screen time, or be omitted all together. As there have been more episodes featuring Ash, his character has become more intricate as a result, whereas at the start he appeared to be one dimensional as we had seen him for the first time. Here, Ash starts out as a beginner in every way even before he chooses Pikachu, he is nervous, edgy and inexperienced, but he turns into a wiser character toward the end of the movie where we may tend to think of him differently as a result, unlike in the original series where his actions and words screamed nerdy kid, at times annoying.

Though more effort has been put into Ash's character development, there needed to be more put into the other characters or the story ends up being one-sided. The production value is high, as expected, as is the characterisation of Ash, and the movie will be well received by fans of the series who will see this as an updated version of it.



Bonus Material: None.

Summary: Ash is right back at the start of his adventure and we see it through him in a high production feature.







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