'Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us' Is an Improvement, but Not Much

Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us is the sequel to last year’s Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!.  Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu arrive in Fula City, just in time for its annual Wind Festival, which commemorates the time the cooperation of the city’s pioneers and their Pokemon moved the legendary Lugia to help them put out a big fire.  Since then, Lugia visits every year at that specific date to provide them with wind for their wind turbines, which sustains the city’s development through time.  But when this year’s festival is imperiled, Ash, Pikachu, and their newfound friends must work together to save the day.

This movie is better than its predecessor.  It’s because I Choose You! decided to cram the series’ first season and the early movies into its own plot, and thus, not only did it feel rehashed, but its flow was noticeably bumpy.  On the other hand, The Power of Us has an original story.  So it avoids the same problem.

It still does have problems though.  Firstly, for those hoping to see Ash showcase an expanded roster than what he had in the previous movie, The Power of Us proves disappointing as Pikachu is the only one of Ash’s Pokemon that saw action.   Moreover, by not showing the other Pokemon that Ash caught in the first movie, there’s no real sense of continuity.  Secondly, the script lacks sophistication.  To be fair, that goes with most Pokémon movies and the series itself as well.  It’s not a break in the usual. Pokémon has always set out to cater to the tastes and intellect of younger audiences.

Its attempt of producing depth revolves around the theme of human-Pokemon relationship.  And this is somewhat done well, through the arcs of the characters that Ash befriends in this movie.  It’s still pretty hackneyed, but this gives the movie some heart, and that’s a positive.  Furthermore, there are actually five non-Ash character arcs in this movie, and the narrative does a reasonably impressive job in juggling these many characters, while making each one’s plotline worthwhile in its own way.

In the end, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us is just okay.  It provides sufficient entertainment at a basic level.  That means the younger one is, the more enjoyment he or she will derive from it.  On the other hand, there are very little rewards for more mature sensibilities.