YU-GI-OH THE MOVIE
aka YU-GI-OH THE MOVIE: PYRAMID OF LIGHT
Year: 2004
USA & UK: Warner Bros Pictures
Cast: Dan Green, Eric Stuart, Scottie Ray, Wayne Grayson, John Campbell, Amy Birnbaum, Tara Jayne, Maddie Blaustein, Darren Dunstan, Ben Baron, Mike Pollock, Andrew Paull, Ed Paul, Lisa Ortiz, Marc Thompson, Sebastian Arcelus
Director: Hatsuki Tsuji
Country: Japan
USA & UK: 89 mins
USA Rated: PG for scary combat and monster images
UK Certificate: PG contains mild fantasy violence and mild peril
USA Release Date: 13 August 2004
UK Release Date: 13 August 2004
Synopsis
Based on the comic book, trading card and television series phenomenon, YU-GI-OH! THE MOVIE is the story of Yugi Muto, a boy captivated by a card game sweeping the nation. But there's more to the game than meets the eye, for it contains ancient mystical energies that can change the course of history!
Deep below the sands of Egypt, an old evil has awakened. Anubis, who was defeated centuries ago by Yugi's mysterious alter ego - the Pharaoh - has returned for revenge to destroy Yugi and take over the world! Can Yugi and his friends conquer their most powerful foe yet before the planet is buried in the sands of time?
Yugi will have to work with every friend and Yu-Gi-Oh! playing card he can find to defeat an all-new, all-powerful villain introduced in the film: Anubis, the Egyptian creature that Yugi's alter ego defeated several millennia ago. The Pharaoh, whose spirit lives in the mystical Millenium Puzzle that Yugi wears around his neck, defeated Anubis thousands of years ago and was thought to never be heard from again. But, when Anubis is accidentally reawakened during an archeological dig, he is hell bent on conquering the world - and getting revenge on Yugi in the process.
Named after one of the oldest and most important gods in ancient Egyptian mythology, the God of the Underworld, Anubis commands a brigade of resurrected mummies and two fearsome Sphinx monsters who aid him in his quest for vengeance, forming an army of creatures unlike any Yugi has ever faced. As the film progresses, Anubis grows stronger and stronger, seemingly feeding off of Yugi's lost life points, eventually transforming into a towering monster who isn't about to let anyone, especially Yugi, get in his way.
Yugi owes much of his dueling success to his his grandfather, Grandpa Muto, who owns a game shop and taught him everything he knows about playing the card game. Grandpa is also credited with helping Yugi build his powerful deck of monster cards. A former Egyptologist, Grandpa discovered Yugi's Millennium Puzzle. Meanwhile, Yugi is brought closer to the truth behind his Millennium Puzzle, a 5,000 year-old artifact given to him by Grandpa Muto. His discovery that Anubis also wields a Millenium Item - the Pyramid of Light, an upside-down version of Yugi's Puzzle - seals Yugi's fate as the one destined to save the world from destruction.
Even the King of Games needs help sometimes in battling both his archrival, Seto Kaiba, and Anubis, his newest and most powerful foe so Yugi turns to his trusted friends for backup. Yugi's posse includes:
Joey, a streetwise gamer. Although he's impulsive and quick tempered, he has proven himself to be a loyal friend and an excellent duelist, often aiding Yugi in his battles.
Tristan, one of Joey's oldest friends, is also one of Yugi's most vocal supporters. Although he and Joey often argue, Tristan is the first one to lend a hand when his friend needs help.
Tea, the only girl in Yugi's inner circle of friends, serves as the voice of reason for the boys, and a constant reminder of the importance of their friendship and the power it can have. Tea's support helps Yugi to believe in himself time and again.
Every champion needs a challenger, and Yugi's is Seto Kaiba, an extremely wealthy high school student who serves as the CEO of his own multi-million dollar high-tech gaming corporation, KaibaCorp. A card gaming expert and former world champion, Kaiba is solely responsible for creating the state-of-the-art equipment used to enhance the game, including the patented holographic technology needed to make the monsters and magic seem real. Intensely driven and power-hungry, Kaiba is extremely jealous of Yugi's success in the gaming world. YU-GI-OH! THE MOVIE will transport fans to an exciting new dimension when Yugi finds himself engaged in a heated battle with his archrival Seto Kaiba, who is fiercely determined to finally defeat Yugi and claim the title of King of Games. Suddenly, the imaginary monsters in the players' decks become real and the duelists are thrust into a dangerous realm where they must fight for their very lives - and the fate of the world.
Kaiba's spunky little brother Mokuba invariably finds a way to hang around the dueling action. Much more compassionate than his big brother, Mokuba often finds himself caught between his respect for Kaiba and his own conscience.
Thought to have disappeared after being defeated in the first season of the TV show, Maximillion Pegasus makes his triumphant return in YU-GI-OH! THE MOVIE. The original creator of the card game, Pegasus has been hiding out on his own private island, retired from the gaming world. That is, until now. But is Pegasus returning as friend or foe? The mystery is about to unfold, and fans can expect some long awaited questions to finally be answered.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Phenomenon
The brainchild of manga artist/writer Kazuki Takahashi, YU-GI-OH! began as a comic book in Japan in 1996 and has flourished into an immensely successful global brand, spawning a highly rated animated television series currently airing in over 60 countries and 20 languages, video game franchise and trading card game. The show follows the adventures of mild mannered high school student Yugi Muto, who becomes a seemingly invincible hero when he plays his favorite card game. (Translated, Yu-Gi-Oh! means "King of Games.") The card game pits players against each other in "battles" fought using playing cards emblazoned with wildly imaginative creatures. Each card features different monsters, spells and traps with varying strengths and weaknesses. Duelists strategize to use the most powerful combination of cards from their "decks" to defeat their opponents and become master duelists. Bringing Yugi to the big screen was the next logical step in taking the YU-GI-OH! phenomenon to a whole new level.
While the YU-GI-OH! TV series was originally created for the Japanese market and later translated into English for American viewers, YU-GI-OH! THE MOVIE was developed specifically for Western audiences based on the overwhelming success of the franchise in the U.S. In creating the storyline for Yugi's first big screen adventure, the Japanese filmmakers and the American production team faced the challenge of telling a complete story in less than 90 minutes, while remaining true to the spirit of the TV show, which tells a story over the course of a 50-episode season. The movie also needed to remain consistent with the television series while also appealing to audience members who aren't familiar with the show.
The film takes place shortly after the completion of the Battle City Tournament, a long and challenging competition Yugi entered in Season Two of the TV series to learn about his enigmatic past. The end of Season Three marks the conclusion of the Tournament, and this is where the film's story begins. Fans can expect events in the movie to ultimately affect episodes in Season Four, creating a multi-layered interactive universe for the Yu-Gi-Oh! aficionado.
The popularity of the YU-GI-OH! TV series sparked a worldwide phenomenon among fans who yearned to play a real life version of the card game. This excitement led to the creation of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist League, which counts over 600,000 participants, with card play taking place at over 4,500 retail locations. 20,000 Yu-Gi-Oh! enthusiasts are expected to attend the 2004 Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship, which takes place on July 25th in Anaheim, California, featuring the best duelists from around the globe facing off in the ultimate competition to determine the World Champion.
In addition, four new Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards have been created for the release of YU-GI-OH! THE MOVIE and will be free with the purchase of admission exclusively in theaters showing the film. Fans can also look forward to the YU-GI-OH! THE MOVIE soundtrack with music inspired by the film from featured artists such as The Black Eyed Peas, Jean and Fatty Koo. A 4Kids Lane production and distributed by RCA Records.