7/10
Has one of the best Pokémon backstory and concept but it's a little confusing in terms of plot.
8 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (2005) sets in a charming medieval themed location named Rota. It has a special adventure and a balanced mixture of fantasy, history, nature and science. They are exactly what makes the animated feature unique but they could be interpreted in different ways.

I personally feel Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (2005) has one of the best Pokémon backstory and concept but it's a little confusing in terms of plot. Let me explain why, as brief as possible.

With spoiler minimised; at first it is Lucario's story but then it shift the focus to the villain-who-is-actually-not-a-villain, who is hunting down Mew. After that, the focus is on searching missing Pokémon. Nature comes in naturally as the plot progresses but all of the sudden, at one point it feels like as if the whole plot turned into a sci-fi horror. It's not really scary, it's pretty interesting in fact due to the science elements but well, too much focus change!

There are a lot of flashbacks throughout the animated feature and there are several different types of relationship story going on too. It's not a big deal I guess since there are plenty of unique characters and a lot of other fantasy going on. With all that Pokémon and the newly introduced spiritual energy Aura which is the essence of every living creature as they have said it; to me, all these sure seems to be a great effort but it feels confusing even though I get the story in the end.

In the end, I feel that the results of the efforts are less effective and there are plenty of other minor issues as well but I do not want to be too analytical since this is not a movie analysis! No fun isn't it if the review is all criticism?

Now, what is great about Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (2005) are the Pokémon stories themselves. They are super cool and cute. For instance, Mew, who was once an extremely rare Pokémon, which supposedly almost no one have ever seen it before in present Pokémon time, shows more of her true playful behavior and her many transformations. There is cosplay involved in this one as well, Pikachu is even dressed up for a while! Pikachu also seems to be much more animated or much more himself compared the previous Pokémon films and just like the TV anime series, as his sweet personality does stand out here. Last but not least, Lucario's story is unusually interesting and the sight of the Legendary Titans Regirock, Regice, and Registeel are also amazing! I can't be spoiling it for you, you have to watch it yourself!

If you are easily moved, there are several touching scenes that would make you tear a little. I guess ultimately this is Pokémon's shot at something different than all of its previous films; a special adventure with a balanced mixture of fantasy, history, nature and science!
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