Pokémon 3: The Movie

Pokémon 3: The Movie: Entei - Spell of the Unown, commonly referred to as Pokémon 3: The Movie, originally released in Japan as Pocket Monsters the Movie: Lord of the "UNKNOWN" Tower (劇場版ポケットモンスター 結晶塔の帝王 ENTEI Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā Kesshōtō no Teiō, lit. "Emperor of the Crystal Tower ENTEI"), is a 2000 Japanese anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the third feature-length Pokémon film. It was released theatrically in Japan on July 8, 2000, and the English adaptation was produced by 4Kids Entertainment and licensed by Kids' WB, was released theatrically in the United States on April 6, 2001.

Like its predecessors, it is preceded by a 20-minute short film titled Pikachu and Pichu, which marks the debut of the mischievous Pichu Bros., who help Pikachu reunite with his trainer after being separated (without Ash even knowing, due to him preparing a party to celebrate the day Pikachu and he first met). This was also the first Pokémon film to premiere in an IMAX theater. The realistic crystallization and Unown created a 3D effect in the film.

This was also the final Pokémon movie to be licensed by Kids' WB and the ninth Warner Animation Group. The next four Pokémon movies were distributed by Miramax Films, although WB currently co-distributes the 8th movie and onward with Viz Media.

Plotedit | edit source
The feature film focuses on the beautiful town of Greenfield. A resident of the town, the research scientist Professor Spencer Hale, conducts research on the elusive Unown. He and his assistant, Skyler, discover a site of ruins, but Hale is sucked into the dimension of the Unown.

His disappearance leaves his young daughter Molly alone, her mother having disappeared previously. Molly finds a box of tablets containing Unown images and begins assembling the letters, which summons the Unown themselves. The Unown use their powers to make Molly's wishes come true, transforming her manor house into a crystal-like palace which spreads across the town and cuts her off from the world. Entei is created to represent Molly's father. Various people come to help sort out the Unown, including Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum (Ash's mother).

Meanwhile, Ash and his friends meet and befriend a trainer named Lisa. They come into Greenfield in the process and agree to join in the rescue mission to save young Molly. However, Entei kidnaps Delia, following Molly's request for a mother as well. Entei's powers hypnotize Delia into thinking she is Molly's mother. Ash, Misty, Brock and their Pokémon head out to the mansion to save Delia, communicating with Professor Oak and Skyler thanks to a PokéGear device given to them by Lisa. Team Rocket try to investigate the mansion, only to be blasted out of the air by Entei into the depths of the mansion. Molly watches Ash's Bulbasaur and Chikorita in action through a television and falls asleep, imagining herself being a Pokémon Trainer. Seeing Ash on TV, Delia snaps out of her trance, which is not noticed by Entei, who then creates a dream version of Molly as an adult and takes her to battle the three. Molly first fights Brock, but Molly's dreamed-up Pokémon are stronger than his; Molly then has a more friendly fight against Misty in an underwater battle, but the winner is not shown.

Ash manages to locate Molly and Delia, but Molly refuses to leave with him and the mansion transforms. Entei refuses to allow Ash to leave with his mother, and fights his Pokémon. Entei defeats Totodile and Cyndaquil with ease, and battles Pikachu. He then blasts Ash and Pikachu off a cliff, but they are saved by the arrival of Ash's Charizard. Charizard, with Ash on his back, battles Entei until he is knocked out of the sky. Entei nearly kills Charizard until Molly commands him to stop and begs that no more fighting happens, which manages to stop Entei. Ash and his friends convince Molly to leave with them, Entei revealing he was created by the Unown to be her father.

The Unown suddenly lose control of their powers and start to seal the group in the mansion. Ash, Pikachu, Charizard, Misty, Brock, Delia, Molly and Team Rocket escape down to the hall where the Unown are. Pikachu and Charizard attempt to break the forcefield protecting the Unown, but they are unsuccessful—until they are joined by Entei, combining their powers to destroy the shield with Molly's support. Entei sacrifices himself and the Unown return to their dimension, reversing all of their effects on the world and returning Professor Hale to the ruins where he originally vanished.

The group ventures outside, where Professor Oak, Skyler, Lisa and others meet them. Team Rocket hides in the mansion upon seeing all of the police outside and declare that they will always have another opportunity to catch Pokémon. In the end credits, Charizard and Lisa depart from Ash's company; Molly is seen with her own Teddiursa and reunites with her father—and later, with her long-lost mother.

Voice castedit | edit source

 * Rica Matsumoto (Veronica Taylor in the English adaptation) as Satoshi (Ash Ketchum in the English adaptation), the main protagonist of the film. He is a young boy who wishes to be a Pokémon master and free his mother from the clutches of Entei.
 * Ikue Ōtani as Pikachu, Ash's first Pokémon.
 * Mayumi Iizuka (Rachael Lillis in the English adaptation) as Kasumi (Misty in the English adaptation), a Pokémon trainer and Ash's travelling companion.
 * Yūji Ueda (Eric Stuart in the English adaptation) as Takeshi (Brock in the English adaptation), a Pokémon breeder and Ash's travelling companion.
 * Satomi Kōrogi as Togepi, a Pokémon owned by Misty.
 * Megumi Hayashibara (Rachael Lillis in the English adaptation) as Musashi (Jessie in the English adaptation), a member of the Team Rocket. Along with James and Meowth, she follows Ash into the Crystal Tower.
 * Shin-ichiro Miki (Eric Stuart in the English adaptation) as Kojirō (James in the English adaptation), a member of Team Rocket.
 * Inuko Inuyama (Maddie Blaustein in the English adaptation) as Nyarth (Meowth in the English adaptation), a member of Team Rocket. Unusually for a Pokémon, he has the ability to walk upright and is capable of human speech.
 * Yūji Ueda (Kayzie Rogers in the English adaptation) as Sonans (Wobbuffet in the English adaptation), a Pokémon owned by Jessie.
 * Shin-ichiro Miki as Lizardon (Charizard in the English adaptation), a Pokémon owned by Ash that returns from Charicific Valley in time to save Ash from a pinch.
 * Unshō Ishizuka (Rodger Parsons in the English adaptation) as the Narrator
 * Mika Kanai as Chikorita
 * Yūji Ueda (Kayzie Rogers in the English adaptation) as Hinoarashi (Cyndaquil in the English adaptation)
 * Chinami Nishimura (Kayzie Rogers in the English adaptation) as Waninoko (Totodile in the English adaptation)
 * Megumi Hayashibara (Tara Jayne in the English adaptation) as Fushigidane (Bulbasaur in the English adaptation)
 * Yūji Ueda as Yorunozuku (Noctowl in the English adaptation)
 * Shin-ichiro Miki as Hitodeman (Staryu in the English adaptation)
 * Shin-ichiro Miki (Eric Stuart in the English adaptation) as Nyorozo (Poliwhirl in the English adaptation)
 * Ikue Ōtani (Rachael Lillis in the English adaptation) as Tosakinto (Goldeen in the English adaptation)
 * Shin-ichiro Miki as Zubat
 * Rikako Aikawa (Rachael Lillis in the English adaptation) as Rokon (Vulpix in the English adaptation)
 * Unshō Ishizuka as Iwark (Onix in the English adaptation)
 * Akiko Yajima (Amy Birnbaum in the English adaptation) as Mi Snowdon (Molly Hale in the English adaptation), a five-year-old girl from Greenfield who organizes the kidnapping of Hanako. Her Pokémon consist of Kingdra, Mantine (voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi), Mokoko (Flaaffy in the English adaptation), Himegura (Teddiursa in the English adaptation) and Gomazō (Phanpy in the English adaptation)
 * Naoto Takenaka (Dan Green in the English adaptation) as Entei, a legendary Pokémon created by the combined forces of Mi's dreams and the power of the Unown. He serves as the main antagonist but turns good at the end.
 * Takenaka and Green also voice Doctor Sully Snowdon (Doctor Spencer Hale in the English adaptation), Mi's father and a student of Doctor Orchid.
 * Ai Kato (Lisa Ortiz in the English adaptation) as Rin (Lisa in the English adaptation), a bandana-wearing Pokémon trainer who battles Satoshi in Greenfield. Her Pokémon consist of Aipom (voiced by Etsuko Kozakura), Granbull, Mankey, Kirinriki (Girafarig in the English adaptation), Butterfree and Nuō (Quagsire in the English adaptation).
 * Hirohide Yakumaru (Ted Lewis in the English adaptation) as John (Schuyler in the English adaptation), Doctor Sully's assistant.
 * Kōichi Sakaguchi as the Cameraman
 * Yoko Soumi as the Reporter
 * Unshō Ishizuka (Stuart Zagnit in the English adaptation) as Doctor Orchid (Professor Oak in the English adaptation), a Pokémon scientist and the teacher of Doctor Sully.
 * Ishizuka also voices the Narrator (voiced by Rodger Parsons in the English adaptation).
 * Masami Toyoshima (Veronica Taylor in the English adaptation) as Hanako (Delia Ketchum in the English adaptation), Satoshi's mother and a childhood friend of Doctor Sully.
 * Tomokazu Seki (Ted Lewis in the English adaptation) as Kenji (Tracey Sketchit in the English adaptation), Doctor Orchid's assistant.
 * Ayako Shiraishi (Megan Hollingshead in the English adaptation) as Nurse Joy
 * Chinami Nishimura (Lee Quick in the English adaptation) as Junsā (Officer Jenny in the English adaptation)

Box officeedit | edit source
Like its predecessors, for the film's theatrical release, select theaters would give away exclusive Pokémon trading cards, to capitalize on the success of the trading card game.

Pokémon 3: The Movie opened in theaters in Japan on July 8, 2000. The film was released in the United States on April 6, 2001, debuting at #4 on its opening weekend, earning $8,240,752 from 2,675 theaters, less than half as much as first-place finisher Spy Kids. The film proved less successful in the box office compared to previous films. During its 10-week box office run, Pokémon 3: The Movie made a significant profit-margin, with a worldwide gross of $68,411,275 ($17,052,128 in North America)

Receptionedit | edit source
The film received generally negative reviews from film critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 22% "Rotten" approval rating, a significant improvement from the two predecessors, based on the reviews of 55 critics, with the consensus being, "Critics say that the third Pokémon movie has a better plot than its two predecessors. This is not enough, however, to recommend it to those not already fans of the franchise". The film also has a 22 out of 100 on Metacritic.

Home mediaedit | edit source
Pokémon 3: The Movie was released on VHS and DVD on August 21, 2001.

Viz Media has announced that a limited edition Blu-ray Steelbook containing the first three Pokémon films will be released on February 9, 2016, along with single releases on DVD (These are: Pokémon: The First Movie, Pokémon: The Movie 2000 and Pokémon 3: The Movie). In accommodation with the 20th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, a digitally remastered version of the film was released on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play on February 27, 2016.