This is real children's stuff! The normal person (if one exists) isn't really going to know what the hell Pokémon is. You've got all these cute looking monsters with special powers and abilities and for some reason they're fighting each other. You see chances are that the normal person isn't really going to care. The film is based on the ever so popular TV series… and that TV series is based on the ever so popular video game! And that usually means 'adults beware'!<br /><br /> The film is about Pokémon (of course), which translates as 'Pocket Monsters'. The main character is a Pokémon trainer by the name of Ash. He and his friends Brock, Misty and his loveably cute Pikachu accept a challenge to face off a rare evil Pokémon by the name of Mewtwo. Mewtwo is an experimental Pokémon that was genetically created by scientists. But just like Frankenstein, the experiment went berserk. So you see it's up to Ash and his friends to stop him. Now if none of this makes any sense to you then you might as well stop reading and forget about the film. It'll be probably be as complicated than an Alfred Hitchcock film!<br /><br /> Now to be honest, I actually quite like the TV series. It's enjoyable and funny. But the film is a very poor effort. There is a nice link between the TV series and the film that sheds some light on a few things, but it's only worth watching for that reason. Oh, and for the 'blink and you'll miss it scene' when a Tentacruel hugs Team Rocket! Also the animation isn't really anything ground breaking. There are a few noticeable touches but it isn't really that different from the TV show.<br /><br /> One great thing though was the villain Mewtwo! Now he was a proper bad guy. But this being a children's cartoon means you've got one of those violence is wrong messages and unfortunately there's also one of those dreamy endings. It's all highly predictable, simple and to put it straight, not very good.<br /><br /> Before the film there is the horrifically cute short titled 'Pikachu's Vacation'. It shows all of Ash's Pokémon basically having fun and are talking in their own way (as most Pokémon can only say their name). Subtitles might have been a benefit for the parents that were dragged to watch this. Why this precedes the film is quite a mystery, though I can only suggest that it's because the film itself is too short.<br /><br /> It may be awful but it's going to do very well and make a stack load of money mainly due to the incredible hype and a clever marketing campaign about collecting rare trading cards. In fact because of the success of this film, two sequels are on the way.<br /><br /> Kids are going to love it! Parents aren't going to understand it! The wise one is going to stay away from it!<br /><br />My Rating - 4 out of 10