Pokémon Heroes

Infobox_Film
name = Pokémon Heroes


caption = The DVD cover for Pokémon Heroes
director = Kunihiko Yuyama
Jim Malone
Derek Black
producer = Norman J. Grossfeld
Yukako Matsusako
Takemoto Mori
Choji Yoshikawa
writer = Norman J. Grossfeld
Hideki Sonoda
starring = Veronica Taylor
Rachael Lillis
Eric Stuart
Maddie Blaustein
Phillip Bartlett
Lisa Ortiz
Megan Hollingshead
Wayne Grayson
Tara Jayne
Ed Paul
Kayzie Rogers
Masashi Ebara
Megumi Hayashibara
Kerry Williams
Ikue Ootani
distributor = Toho (Japan)
Miramax Films (US)
Alliance Atlantis (Canada theatrical)
Universal Studios Home Entertainment (Canada DVD, distributing for Alliance Atlantis)
released = July 13, 2002 (Japan) May 16, 2003 (USA)
runtime = 71 min.
country = Japan
United States
language = English
Japanese
budget =
imdb_id = 0347791
preceded_by = "Pokémon 4Ever"
followed_by = ""|nihongo|"Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias"|劇場版ポケットモンスター 水の都の護神 ラティアスとラティオス|Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā Mizu no Miyako no Mamorigami Ratiasu to Ratiosu|lit. "Pocket Monsters the Movie: Latias and Latios, the Guardian Gods of the Water Capital" is the fifth movie in the "Pokémon" series, complimenting "Pokémon: Master Quest" (the last season of "Pocket Monsters" story arc in the Japanese version). The original Japanese version was released in theaters on July 13, 2002, and the English adaptation saw NY/LA theatrical release on May 16, 2003, before making its way to video and DVD in January 2004. It was distributed by Miramax Films, not Walt Disney Pictures.

Although Cartoon Network currently airs the film, it recently aired on Toon Disney on November 27, 2007 (because Miramax, owned by Disney, released this animated film), being the fourth "Pokémon" film to air on Toon Disney (the first three being ', ', and "Pokémon 4Ever").

In the United States, this film was rated G by the MPAA.

Plot

"Camp Pikachu"

The story behind this short revolves around the Pichu brothers as they attempt to find a train back to the big city. Along the way, they are helped by seven of Ash Ketchum's and Misty's Pokémon (Pikachu, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Phanpy, Corsola, Togepi, and Psyduck), and a Wynaut. Meanwhile, Meowth and Wobbuffet are hiking in the back country.

Along the way, they sit around a campfire, where the older Pichu brother, along with Wynaut, scare the younger brother with the help of a Duskull. They also encounter a Volbeat, who guides them to a mill where they could stay the night.

"Heroes: Latias and Latios"

The main film's setting is in the water-themed Johto city of Altomare (which means "High Sea"), based on Venice, Italy. The city is watched over by two legendary Pokémon, Latias and Latios. The story behind the two involves an evil Pokémon Trainer using a Kabutops and an Aerodactyl to terrorize the citizens, until the original Latios came to the city, using his powers to drown the evil Pokémon and turning the streets into canals. However, Latios died and his children were left orphans. His soul is within a special jewel, the Soul Dew.

The Soul Dew is sought by Annie and Oakley, two members of Team Rocket (in the original dub they worked alone). The Soul Dew controls the Defense Mechanism of Altomare, a special device built in case of disaster. Meanwhile, Ash Ketchum, Misty, and Brock are visiting Altomare on their travels. Ash and Misty participate in the Tour de Altomare, a water chariot race. Misty wins, after Ash takes a wrong turn thanks to an invisible Latias and Latios. Ross, the former champion of the race gives the friends a tour of the city in his gondola and tells them of the city's guardians. Annie and Oakley are in the city now and stalk Latias, who has disguised herself as a human girl. Latias is saved by Ash and Pikachu. Team Rocket are also in the city and decide to stalk Annie and Oakley.

The trio of heroes later visit the city's museum where they meet Lorenzo, the curator, who explains the city's legendary past and also introduces them to the Defence Mechanism of Altomare (DMA for short). Ash spies a girl, Bianca, who is identical to Latias' disguise. Ash pursues her, and then Latias in disguise, across the city, eventually discovering a beautiful hidden garden where Latias and Latios live. When Latios and Bianca attack Ash, Lorenzo arrives to clear up all the tension between Ash, Bianca and Latios. Latias and Latios play with Ash and Pikachu, and later Lorenzo reveals to Ash the Soul Dew. However, Annie and Oakley's spy robot is watching this and later the two villains steal the Soul Dew and capture Latios. They use both to control the DMA. Latias flees to Ash for help, and later the two and Pikachu race across the gridlocked city to the museum. Oakley goes power hungry and causes iron gates to pop up across the city, then revives the dead Pokémon to capture Latias. After a long chase through the city, Ash and Latias cause the undead Aerodactyl to crash into a building, and are saved from the Kabutops by their friends' Pokémon. The heroes arrive at the museum to find the DMA going haywire and Latios badly injured. After freeing Latios, the Soul Jewel fades and turns black, causing the DMA to maulfunction and all the water in the city leaves suddenly and returns as a giant tidal wave. Latios and Latias use their psychic powers to destroy the tidal wave, but Latios dies in the process, due to being greatly weakened by when he was used to control the Defense Mechanism. The water returns to the city, washing away Team Rocket in the process. The undead Pokémon return to their fossil states, and Annie and Oakley end up trapped inside the DMA.

Latios becomes a new Soul Dew and is placed as the new guardian of Altomare. Ash, Misty, and Brock head off to leave Altomare, but Bianca/Latias (it is unknown who it actually is, however seeing as she doesn't speak it's quite probable that it's Latias, but it could be Bianca because it showed that Bianca's hat was in her room) stops them before they leave and hands Ash a drawing of him and Pikachu, giving Ash a kiss before disappearing. As the group leave on a boat, they see three forms of two Latios (possibly Latias' brother and father) and Latias in the air. Thus there is a greater probability that the girl who kissed Ash was Bianca, because Latias was flying. The end-credits show Annie and Oakley are let out of the DMA and put in prison where they examine the possessions of Lawrence III.

Japanese version

The Japanese version had a few key differences from the English version.

*Annie and Oakley were not affiliated with Team Rocket.
*The Soul Dew does not have the soul of a Latios inside it at all.
*The English version cut out the prologue where Annie and Oakley were reciting the legend of Altomare from the book they were about to steal:

A long time ago, Altomare was just a small town. One day, an old couple walking along the beach found two unconscious children lying in the sand. They brought the children home and nursed them back to health. Seeing as they didn't seem to have parents, the old couple decided to take care of them as their own children. Later though, a dark cloud covered the skies above Altomare and rained down shards of darkness. Anything these shards touched became dark as well. One shard was about to hit the old couple when the children started to glow and all the shards were destroyed. The two children floated up into the air and revealed themselves as Latios and Latias. More Latios and Latias appeared, one of them carrying the Soul Dew. Their power, combined with the Soul Dew's, shone upon the dark cloud, vanquishing it. In gratitude for their help, the two Latios and Latias gave the Soul Dew to the old couple. They departed yet soon returned to their "parents".

Cast

Box Office

The film was a major box office flop, only making $20,121,538 at the Japanese box office and $746,381 at the United States box office, making it the least successful film in the series. However, it should be pointed out that the movie was only released in 196 theaters in the United States. On a side note, future Pokemon films are now released on DVD in the USA, as opposed to a theater release like in Japan.

External links

*imdb title|id=0347791|title=Pokémon Heroes
* [http://www.pokemon.com/heroes/ Official Pokémon.com site]
* [http://dogasu.bulbagarden.net/comparisons/movies_specials/mov05.html Dogasu's Backpack's English/Japanese comparison of Pokémon Heroes]