Pokemon: The First Movie

If your kid is saying things like "Pikachu," "Squirtle," and "Charizard," then you've already been introduced to the multimedia (and mucho dollar) world of Pokemon. In that case, you'll be forced to rent or buy this movie regardless of any criticism (unless by the time you read this the craze has gone the way of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle). In this full-length version of the popular cartoon series (video game, trading card game, toy line, etc...), hero Ash and his pals Misty and Brock go to New Island to do battle with a twisted genetically engineered Pokemon called Mewtwo. Mewtwo defeats all the Pokemon trainers in battle, and is ready to clone hideous monsters from the defeated critters when he is challenged by the mysterious and rare Mew. Several new characters are introduced along with clever marketing ties, because apparently the gigantic pile of money this stuff is generating is not yet the size of Mt. Fuji. Also contains the short "Pikachu's Vacation."