#(i could also see her using mewtwo for thematic reasons and because some of his build is similar to samus but

[aparticularbandit]

Viv mains Samus in Smash Bros. and you cannot tell me any different.

America sometimes grumbles and tells her to pick a different character.

Viv picks Dark Samus.

"That's the same thing!" "No, it is not. Dark Samus is a separate character I can choose. She is not only a skin of--" "UGH."

[zdbztumble]

I’m now eight for nineteen on Pokemon films, having just watched 4Ever. Not really up to writing a full review of it; it was OK, and arguably the third best of the ones I’ve seen IMO, but I find I don’t have a lot to say about it. Plus, I have requested reviews I’ve been neglecting. Still, a few brief thoughts:

 - Why was Brock the narrator at the beginning?

 - Granted, all I have for comparison at this point is Lucario and the Sinnoh trilogy, so this may not be fair to say ‘til I see more, but the OS films seemed to aspire to a much more...well, cinematic scope than their successors. There’s a much grander scale to the art direction, there’s more ambition in the directing in terms of multiplane and moving camera, and the layout of the plots feels much less episodic, in the four OS entries that I’ve seen compared to what was done in Sinnoh (Lucario, I would argue, kept up the cinematic ambitions and structure).

 - I’d also argue that, in terms of thematic material, the OS (and Lucario to a lesser extent) were less afraid to go there. The Sinnoh trilogy, on paper, deals with some weighty concepts; the breakdown of Space-Time and the wrath of God. But, partly because the scope and scale of those films is less grand, partly because the tone is lighter and the final consequences less extreme, and partly because the character reactions to rather dramatic events in those movies are so muted, the full power of such concepts doesn’t really land, especially not in The Jewel of Life, where Arceus came off as so...well, mundane IMO. Contrast that with the OS films. Mewtwo’s (cut in the West) origins actually go there in talking about issues of birth shaping identity, and the film later brutally shows the conflicts that can result when we let differences and old grudges blind us (and there was, y’know, the fact that a little girl dies, Mewtwo kills a whole bunch of scientists, and Ash’s death gets a huge reaction, even with its contrived out.) The worldwide scale of the disruption of nature caused by the Bird Trio in Revelation Lugia is illustrated on-screen and the heavy weight put on Ash’s shoulders by the prophecy is clearly felt by him. Molly’s trauma at losing her family, and the dangerous implications of the power she was given, are on display throughout the third film. And in 4Ever, not only do we get several stark examples of the power of dark balls (most notably in the corruption of Celebi) and another “disruption of nature” plot, but Celebi actually dies. That little point in the plot gets a pretty big reaction from the cast too, and it’s earned. There’s an out for that death too, but it’s...well, I was gonna say “better” but...it’s less stupid than Ash’s revival in Mewtwo Strikes Back. The “friendships standing the test of time” thing had a great payoff too.

 - Could just be the forest setting and giant twig monster, but this one seemed to have a heavy Miyazaki influence.

 - Hey, look at that! A film besides Revelation Lugia that gives the TRio a reason to be in the movie! Not nearly as entertaining or interesting a reason, but a reason!

 - If Ash could carry Sam on his back - a boy taller and arguably heavier than he is - he could’ve carried Misty. And, since you 86′d a major arc for the Johto series just for this movie, maybe you could’ve used this moment to throw a bone to a certain quasi-romantic secondary subplot you were neglecting in the episodes at that point. Just sayin’, staff. Just sayin’.

 - Speaking of Misty; she and Brock, and arguably Ash as well, didn’t have a whole lot to do in the first movie, that clearly being Mewtwo’s story. Ash was the only one of the three to really become involved in that story in a big way, as something of a deus ex machina, though unlike in the Sinnoh trilogy, he becomes involved because the real focus character, Mewtwo, chose to involve him, rather than Ash just stumbling into a mess. Revelation Lugia, of course, made Ash a prophetic hero, and gave Misty the biggest role I’ve seen a travelling companion get in these movies, while Spell of the Unown gave both companions time to shine even as the story focused on Ash again. 4Ever is the first of these movies that seems to have fallen into the trap of having Ash and friends be incidental to the story in progress. Ash doesn’t even save the day here; he’s just Sam’s back-up. And his travelling companions have possibly their weakest roles in any of these movies (again, that I’ve seen) here. At least in the Sinnoh trilogy, Dawn was usually involved as Ash’s back-up, even if Brock was neglected. Brock and Misty here just get screwed over for content.

 - I only have one OS film left, so I need to ask - does anyone know why Pokemon Heroes isn’t available for purchase on YouTube or iTunes?