Pokemon: The Arceus Chronicles (2022) Movie Review – A nostalgic dive into the magical world of Pokemon

A nostalgic trip into the enchanting world of Pokemon

The idea of watching Pokemon on TV in the evenings, after school is an essential childhood memory that many of us have. It’s true that we’ve often imagined creating our own Pokemon team that mingled different types of Pokemon and their strengths and weaknesses. In the end, Nintendo games only enhanced enjoyment. But, the fact that we were adults meant that we wouldn’t be able to continue.

The new Netflix special turns to the past, in which Ash and Pikachu battle against evil teams with the aim to establish a new world order. Chronicles of Arceus is a wonderful time of nostalgia, amazing animation, and an unforgettable journey into the universe of Pokemon.

The story takes place within the Sinnoh region, which is one of the four major regions within the Universe. Researchers Ash Goh and Goh are in town to investigate the mythology of Arceus. They are unaware that there’s a surprise waiting for them in the form of an adventure that will stop Team Galactic. Their plan of stealing the boss of Team Galactic, Cyrus, back from an alternate dimension creates chaos in the city. Team G is planning to employ Heatran the legendary Pokemon to open the dimension, causing their Alpha Pokemon – the first of its kind to take over.

Pokemon specials are rare and infrequent. The majority of the time the specials are found to be boring and filled out by ineffective expository and exploration of the area. “Arceus Chronicles,” however is a different story and has everything been sorted. In just an hour or so, the time is just right. The complex setup is not used entirely, leaving only the simplest plot to use for the building.

A few minutes later, just after Ash and Goh meet with Dawn and Brock and Goh, we are introduced to the main idea of the story: Heatran. This particular episode should be considered as one of the famous sags from the myth of Arceus. Beyond that, there is hardly a single thing to enjoy.

It is a phenomenon that exists in the black space outside of continuity. The Ultimate series isn’t affected or any other way. However, having solved the issue of running time, Arceus Chronicles maybe leaves the story somewhat fragile. Certain aspects seem to be random and the synergies between the story and the characters are not balanced. For instance, the competition to catch Pokemon between the three characters was just a wasted time since it didn’t lead anywhere. The Pokemon they landed needed to be released minutes after they were taken in the course of the hunt. The hunt was ruined for a good ten minutes of our time on this, which could have been utilized to strengthen the plot.

Things like the unrequited Brock/Cynthia relationship, Team Galactica’s scheming, and Mount Coronet getting wild could have flourished in a setting that was full-season. This structure could have proven to be a hit for those who love to watch. It’s the case with Arceus Chronicles though, they seem to be rather random. The impact of their actions is less. The makers’ focus remains on showcasing their amazing visual effects that have been vastly improved over time. The more rough parts have been streamlined but they still retain the original style and feel of originals.

The fire flash version of Heatran looked so unique and amazing that it brought us back to the time when we watched Charizard similarly spin into chaos. It is a credit to those animators that created the story very well. Being able to watch Arceus alone was an unforgettable moment. We’ve only had the fabled Pokemon as a video game, and very few TV series prior to this. It was as if Jesus himself had ascended to earth to aid the common folk and then left them in His fame. Alongside Arceus and the Lake Guardians, Arceus made the process appear easy and smooth.

Conciliating these strengths and drawbacks in Arceus Chronicles is a bit difficult for the viewers. If you’re a fervent fan of the Pokemon series, with no constraints on objectivity the show is an enjoyable experience. If you don’t possess the final part of the movie, it may appear to be a little boring. Fantastic animation and amazing visuals but a lack of plot “oomph” factor.

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