Pokemon 3: Spell Of The Unknown Is The Best Pokemon Film (Spoilers)

An experience I think many of us are familiar with: When we were children there was a work of art, be it a show, a game, a song, or a film that in our innocence and unfiltered wonder stuck with us. There was no time or space for introspection or a deeper understand, we relied on raw emotional feedback that instinctually told us that this was meaningful, important, and of high quality. Only to come back to it a decade later with a deeper understanding of the difference between good and bad art with one of two outcomes: either we question why on earth the child we were thought that this was actually good and laugh at it through the lens of a smarter more worldly adult. Or, and hopefully this is ultimately the case, we find that it “holds up” to everything we thought we were seeing and more through an older and wiser test.

Pokemon films often received a bad rep amongst contemporary critics. Presumably under the guise of “this is a children’s film AND it’s based on a strange property from Japan that will probably not become the most profitable entertainment brand in the world by 2024.” Fortunately now as we understand the overlap of audiences that reach wide demographics, not only is it not “gosh I hope no one sees me reviewing this ‘film’” but to those of us who can see artistic value beyond the target audience, I’m here to tell you that not only is Pokemon 3: The Movie (though it’s lesser known and better subtitle is “Spell Of The Unknown”) a “good Pokemon film” but detached from it’s franchise it is a good film in it’s own right.

Directed by Mr. Pokemon Cinema himself Kunihiko Yuyama, the opening scene is a heartwarming and gentle prelude to what is ultimately anything but. Molly Hale and her father, a renown Pokemon researcher Spencer Hale are sitting in bed looking at illustrations of legendary Pokemon from a book. Molly opines that her favorite is Entei, to which her father imitates one “well then I AM Entei! Roaaarrrr!” As the two frolic around her large bedroom that is apart of a frankly gargantuan mansion. I guess Pokemon researching is a lucrative field in the Pokemon economy. As we learn the exception of her life are tender moments like this with her father. The majority of her time is spent alone with her butler with nothing but the empty uninhabited space. As her father is called away on yet another urgent research assignment she is put to bed by her father as we see pictures of her family, an absent mother, and a conspicuously familiar Pokemon professor, Pokemon trainer and his mother.

Suddenly the film cuts to a barren desert(?) Where her father has traveled back to, it’s quite remarkable how geographically diverse the Kanto region is. As he is researching with his assistant he notices a box of tiles, full of strangely shaped Pokemon that seem to represent the English alphabet. One appears quickly behind him before more appear in the room and he is transported away to a gravity less light blue limbo realm teeming with Unknown as far as the eye can see as his partner, back in the real world scream out for him in vain.

Molly back in her hometown of Greenfield excitedly runs outside as cars pull up, expecting her father to be home, only to find that it is his assistant who has come back with the bad news. “Now the poor young miss is all alone in this world,” says the family butler. A stark and bleak realization. The box of Unknown tiles  in the excavation site now at Molly’s feet as she tearfully mourns the possible definitive continuation of her loneliness, the open illustrated book of Entei next to her. The Unknown spring to life promptly noticing Molly’s affection with Entei in relation to her father. And there he stands, Entei. An apparition sent by the Unknown, potentially occupying her fathers soul to give her the companionship and company she so desires and honestly at such a young age, needs. Coincidentally with her fathers voice too. “Papa!” she gleefully exclaims, to which a confused yet willing Entei eventually bellows “if that is what you wish.” As suddenly all around her mansion grows prickly and icy crystals, like ocean waves sticking to every single surface the house and beyond as the title drops.

The film’s goes along at an absolutely rocket pace. There isn’t much I left out in the opening plot synopsis. It’s not just the opening that portrays what is seemingly a week in these peoples lives in mere minutes, trimming the fluff and excesses, but it’s every important plot point for the rest of the films runtime which itself is a scant 74 minutes long. After a quick opening credits sequence with an obligatory Pokemon battle, all of the major characters, the trio of Ash, Misty, Brock, Professor Oak, and Ash’s mother all converge on Greenfield after seeing a news report on the disappearance of Spencer Hale and the crystallization of the town. Professor Oak being the teacher of Spencer, Ash and his mother knowing them as family friends. “How much more can Spencer go through?!” remarks Ash’s mother to herself as she looks at old pictures before heading out. The difference being that unlike so many episodes of the show or other Pokemon movies for that matter, Ash, his mother and Professor Oak actually have a connection to this family. Unlike the other “characters of the day” who show up once and then leave just as quickly these are people they actually know. Not to mention the fact that Brock and Misty actually play an active role in the narrative moving forward and aren’t sidelined like in previous or future films. In fact they accompany Ash for 95% of the film. It adds to the all encompassing feel to the film and backs it up thematically as well.

Continuing with the thunderbolt pace of the film, Entei comes bounding through the crystal fields. Ash’s mother stands up to it (recklessly so, I can see where Ash gets it from) is hypnotized into thinking she is Molly’s mother simply because Molly enviously saw Ash and his mother embracing on the television coverage, and is promptly KIDNAPPED by Entei as he hypnotizes her with one of my favorite lines in cinema history: “YOU. ARE. MAMA." Her eyes blackened. Easily the best motivation Ash ever has in a Pokemon film. “Ash wait, you don’t know what’s out there.” grunts Brock struggling to hold Ash back from chasing towards the crystalized manor. “She’s gone I couldn’t save her.” as he pounds the crystal with his fist, desperately disappointed. This is HEAVY subject matter. Unlike so much of Pokemon Ash’s volcanic anger we see time and time again this particular reckless abandonment feels earned given his situation and his connection to all parties involved, not just his mom, and it involves a little girl who is retreating into fantasy to recreate her absent parents.

The Unknown, who are essentially the thread pullers, are cute and whimsical, giggling as they go. Brilliantly at odds with the chaos with which they bring upon the world. Pretty strong for a Pokemon that can only use Hidden Power. The escalation of conflict is conveyed brilliantly through momentary shots of the world being overtaken by the crystal. A bulldozer, not a Pokemon, tries to break through, and is promptly swallowed up by Molly’s anger. I’m not sure why in a world of element wielding behemoths someone thought a manmade construction vehicle could crush through something the Pokemon could not even do, but I digress. Molly angrily stomps her foot “leave us alone!” as the Unknown, circling around above her head in harmony wriggle violently when Molly’s emotions are activated. An extension of her brain almost as if cells in a brain reacting to the distressed stimuli.

And what of the crystals? Why specifically them? As Professor Oak explains from reading the research left behind by Spencer Hale, “Unknown have the power to create thoughts and dreams into reality.” This not only explains why we’ve seen what we have so far in regards to Entei, but also the world of eerie, waxy crystal. A manifestation of the coldness she felt of being alone, feeling effectively abandoned by her parents. A symbolic representation of these feelings turned to a tangible surface, powerful enough to engulf the surround world within it.

As Ash and friends break through the crystal and start working their way towards Molly and Ash’s mother, they are met with a strange wide open field and gentle breezes. How can this exist in a house? As Molly sleeps even this is possible, but it raises a further question: When Molly wakes, where do Misty and Brock go when she challenges them to Pokemon battles with her imaginary Pokemon? Do they cease to exist even though we see them climbing up massive sets of stairs trying to get to the top? The lines between reality and fantasy aren’t quite as well defined as they maybe should be.

These battles in which Brock and Misty take place are clearly narrative crutches to allow Ash to find his mother (who has since snapped out of her trance through seeing him scaling the building on TV) and continue climbing the seemingly endless elevation. But within these battles is an interesting effect that again is thematically congruent. As Molly hugs her fake Pokemon they quickly disappear into the crystalline substance of which they came. It’s a fleeting and intangible happiness that cannot be held onto for her. It’s the materialism of fake connection that whisks away as she chooses a new temporary partner.

As Ash finds his mother, Molly asleep in her lap, they have momentary “what’s happening/what’s going on” type conversations as she wakes. As they gently explain to Molly that she is not her mother and that Entei isn’t her father, Molly violently reacts. Quite literally builds physical walls around herself. As we make our our way to the final act which, as is standard for Pokemon films, coincides with a final battle between Ash riding on his Charizard, who saw him on TV and made its way back to help him out, and Entei. Again it’s that motif of real connection that permeates many of its story beats and character moments. And even in the continuous conflicting mind of Molly, Ash’s mother still puts her arms around the little girl as if she was her own. And when confronted with the reality of Ash’s friends, Pokemon (and even enemies in the form of Team Rocket) team up to save him and his Pokemon she sees what she is willfully ignoring. Even if they are not constant, it is the real connections that matter.

As the Unknown begin to act of their own volition, detached from Molly’s psyche they start to destabilize the house, Entei explains that in order to break the forcefield surrounding the Unknown she must believe in his ability to do so, as it is her belief that created him in the first place. (But if the Unknown made Entei, how can he defy them?)

In the end, Molly believes in the possibility of her dreams making a tangible difference in the real world. Sending the Unknown away and restoring her mansion and the world around back to its natural and organic state.

Now as we’ve established, it’s primary audience is kids so it’s not allowed to do anything overtly deconstructive or having lasting consequence once Molly’s father is let free from the Unknown dimension like having him haggard and disheveled asking “WHAT YEAR IS IT?” or speaking in tongues due to his prolonged exposure away from society so he’s completely fine once he is released from the realm of the Unknown, which he is upon Molly breaking free of them. In a post credits scene we see Molly playing with a real Teddiursa as her father enters in with a woman, presumably Molly’s mother. Interspersed between this are shots of Professor Oak and Ash’s mother taking part in mundane activities throughout their day, cleaning the kitchen, at their computer, waiting for that next moment of connection.

Deriving meaning from everything we have seen, the havoc being wreaked on the world around everyone, it almost felt like a child having a temper tantrum, Rebelling against reality itself. Lacking the emotional intelligence and experience to know that the disconnection, if fostered correctly, is always temporary. Life has a way of working itself out without violently forcing our desires and wants to the detriment of others. The wheels of reality may turn slowly, but they will always make that rotation if time is given and belief is maintained. Thoughts and dreams are immaterial and in their unfiltered “perfect” state, cannot simply be adapted to the reality without it not only affecting others, but their loved ones as well. We can’t experience the joy and authenticity of reality if lived through dreams and wishes.

Ultimately this is not the analysis of a 9 year old Peter watching a fuzzy bootleg taped off of broadcast TV from Cartoon Network, but a weathered, smarter, and emotionally intelligent adult. Who has been through and will continue to go through life, overcoming it in all of its randomness and unexpected strife knowing that I’m lucky through all the disconnection and disorientation that even if I do not see them as regularly as I like, the connection is always there.

“The battles may be hard, but the friends are real.”