POKeMON 3: THE MOVIE

Year: 2001
USA & UK: Warner Bros
Cast: Veronica Taylor, Eric Stuart, Addie Blaustein, Ikue Ootani, Ken Gates, Amy Birnbaum, Dan Green, Stan Hart, Peter R Bird, Lisa Ortiz, Kathy Pilon, Lee Quick, Ed Paul, Kayzie Rogers
Director: Michael Haigney
Country: Japan
UK: 90 mins
USA Rated: G
UK Certificate: PG
USA Release Date: 6 April 2001
UK Release Date: 13 July 2001
UK Release Date: 25 May 2001

Synopsis

Young Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum and his loyal friends journey to the beautiful mountain town of Greenfield, where they will encounter the Unown, the most mysterious of all Pokemon.

The third big-screen installment in the infinitely popular Pokemon mythology is really two stories in one. The feature-length adventure, "Spell of the Unown," is accompanied by a bonus 22-minute short, "Pikachu and Pichu," starring the much-loved Pikachu in its own adventure with the mischievous Pichu brothers, with a Dixieland jazz-inspired score imported from the original Japanese release.

Many of the more than 100 new Pokemon that were introduced for the first time in October of last year in the Gold and Silver edition Pokemon Game Boy games will make their animated debut in "Pokemon 3 The Movie," including Entei, the ferocious-looking beast with the big roar and the gentle heart.

Even Charizard, a Pokemon that Ash had released and now lives in Charicific Valley, will make a surprise return to help the young trainer during a particularly difficult battle, marking the first time the two friends have been together since they said goodbye in one of the Pokemon television show episodes.

The most interesting new Pokemon showcased in POKeMON 3: THE MOVIE are the ultimately mystifying and elusive Unown, 26 cryptic entities shaped like letters of the alphabet ("like alphabet soup, without the soup," according to Pokemon Meowth) that have the power to bring human thoughts and dreams into reality.

It is the Unown that create a challenge for Ash far greater than any Pokemon battle he has ever experienced before. With help from Pikachu and all his faithful Pokemon, plus friends Brock and Misty and even a little unexpected assistance from Team Rocket, Ash must rescue the young orphan Molly from the mystical forces that threaten to transform her life into a dreamworld prison. At the same time, Ash must also struggle to bring his own mother back from the realm of the Unown before she is lost forever and he becomes an orphan himself.

No one is sure what the Unown are capable of, once they unleash their full power....but Ash and his friends are about to find out.