Brief Summary
In this episode of "Pokémon Gotta Watch Them All," the hosts review "Pokémon Genesect and the Legend Awakened." They discuss the movie's plot, its strengths and weaknesses, and its use of Mewtwo and mega evolution. The hosts also rank the movie among the other Pokémon films they've reviewed.
- The movie has cool scenes, but the inclusion of Mewtwo feels forced.
- Ash's role in the movie is minimal.
- The movie's plot is a rehash of Mewtwo's story with Genesect.
- Mega Evolution is not well explained.
- The Genesect are trying to find a home.
Intro
The hosts introduce the podcast, where they watch and rank every Pokémon movie. This week, they're discussing "Pokémon Genesect and the Legend Awakened." Dante is absent but his notes will be used.
Synopsis
The synopsis of the movie from the Pokémon website is read. It describes how a group of Genesect threatens a city's power supply and attracts the attention of Mewtwo, leading to a confrontation that Ash and his friends must stop.
Impressions
The hosts share their initial thoughts on the movie. One host feels the movie has cool scenes, but the inclusion of Mewtwo feels forced and unnecessary. Ash's role is also criticized as being insignificant. Another host agrees that Ash contributes little and that the Pokémon of the habitat are more important.
Genesect and Mewtwo
The discussion shifts to Genesect and Mewtwo. One host asks if the others are familiar with Genesect and its drives, comparing them to Arceus' plates. The hosts discuss the theory of Genesect being Kabutops scientists. They also criticize the use of Mewtwo, suggesting that the plot is a rehash of Mewtwo's story with Genesect.
Mega Evolution and Marketing
The hosts discuss the marketing of Mewtwo and Charizard, and how they are often used to promote Pokémon. One host feels that this movie was a missed opportunity to showcase other Pokémon and mega evolutions, such as Gengar.
Gengar and Missed Opportunities
The discussion focuses on Gengar and how it has been underutilized in the anime and movies. One host recalls an episode where Ash encounters a Gastly, but notes that Gengar has never had a significant role until Pokémon Journeys. The hosts agree that this movie could have been a good opportunity to give Gengar some spotlight.
Alternative Mega Evolutions
The hosts brainstorm alternative mega evolutions that could have been used in the movie instead of Mewtwo, such as Blaziken, Lucario, Alakazam, Charizard, or Gengar. They argue that using a non-legendary Pokémon would have better showcased the power of mega evolution.
Charizard and Ash's Role
The hosts discuss how Charizard could have been used to enhance Ash's role in the movie. They suggest that Ash's bond with Charizard could have been a focal point for Genesect to understand coexistence and friendship.
Mewtwo's Unnecessary Presence
The hosts continue to question the necessity of Mewtwo's presence in the movie. They suggest that other Pokémon, such as Alakazam or Gengar, could have fulfilled Mewtwo's role. The main issue is that using a legendary Pokémon diminishes the impact of mega evolution.
Gen 6 and Mega Evolutions
The hosts discuss other Gen 6 Pokémon that could have been used for mega evolution in the movie, such as Mega Aggron, Mega Blaziken, or Mega Houndoom. They also suggest using characters from the anime, such as Clement's Blaziken, to showcase mega evolution.
Marketable Pokemon
The hosts discuss which Pokémon are marketable and likely to be chosen for promotion by the Pokémon Company. They mention Gengar as a recent favorite and suggest that any of the marketable Pokémon would have worked better than Mewtwo in the movie.
Why Mewtwo?
The hosts express their agreement that Mewtwo's inclusion in the movie was unnecessary. One host shares that they enjoyed the movie more than expected, while another was disappointed. They discuss the use of CG in the movie and the design of the Genesect.
Genesect Overkill and Fight Scenes
The hosts discuss the Genesect, noting that having five of them felt like overkill. They also talk about the fight scenes, with one host disliking the chase scenes and finding them too long.
Mega Evolution Explanation
The hosts criticize the lack of explanation for mega evolution in the movie. They also question why Mewtwo Y was used instead of Mewtwo X, which they feel would have been a better fit for the fight scenes.
Mewtwo's Portrayal and Missed Opportunities
The hosts discuss how Mewtwo is portrayed in the movie, with one host sharing that someone who had never seen Mewtwo before found the character underwhelming. They suggest that Mewtwo X should have been used and that there were missed opportunities for more dynamic fight scenes.
Mewtwo's Potential and Fan Expectations
The hosts discuss how Mewtwo could have been used more effectively in the movie. They suggest a scene where Genesect and Mewtwo clash, leading Mewtwo to transform into Mewtwo X. They also discuss the need to clarify mega evolutions and the expectations of fans who are familiar with Mewtwo from previous movies.
First-Time Viewers and Mewtwo's Impact
The hosts discuss how the movie might be perceived by first-time viewers of Mewtwo. One host shares that someone who had never seen Mewtwo before found the character underwhelming and weak.
Chase Scenes and Genesect's Motivation
The hosts discuss the chase scenes in the movie, with one host disliking them and finding them too long. They also talk about Genesect's motivation and how they are portrayed as being fed up with Mewtwo.
Genesect's Appreciation and Ash's Role
The hosts discuss how the movie made them appreciate Genesect more. They also talk about Ash's role in the movie, with one host arguing that he had a bigger purpose than in Keldeo, but another disagreeing and saying that Forretress had more screen time.
Marketing and Special Focus
The hosts discuss the movie's purpose of marketing Pokémon, particularly Genesect. They suggest that the movie should have focused more on Genesect and the team of four, rather than including Mewtwo.
Mewtwo's History and Callbacks
The hosts discuss how the movie could have been improved by incorporating Mewtwo's history and callbacks to previous movies. They suggest that Mewtwo could have played off of his history with Ash and that other mega evolution Pokémon could have stepped in to help.
Ignoring History and a Bigger Cast
The hosts discuss how the movie ignores the history of the Pokémon franchise. They also note that the movie has a much bigger cast of Pokémon, which is a positive aspect.
The Mewtwo Rights Issue
The hosts explain that the reason they couldn't use the original Mewtwo is because the writer who created it passed away, and his estate owns the rights to that Mewtwo. This is why they have to use a different Mewtwo and can't use the lore of the original.
Artificial Pokemon and Themes
The hosts discuss the theme of artificial Pokémon and how it doesn't work well in the context of the Pokémon universe. They argue that the idea of Pokémon not fitting in is not a good theme, especially considering the movie based on a cloned Pokémon.
Genesect's Ignorance and Mewtwo's Role
The hosts discuss Genesect's ignorance and how it drives the conflict in the movie. They also talk about Mewtwo's role and how he tries to explain to Genesect that they can coexist with humans and other Pokémon.
Baby Genesect and Water
The hosts discuss Baby Genesect and how it is portrayed in the movie. They also talk about the use of water to simulate crying and how it adds to the emotional impact of the scene.
Mew's Potential Role
The hosts suggest that Mew could have been a good replacement for Mewtwo in the movie. They also discuss how the original Mewtwo would have been too powerful for Genesect.
Genesect's Home and Sociopathic Leader
The hosts discuss how Genesect is trying to find a home and ends up deciding to build a nest in a foresty area in the middle of a city. They also talk about the sociopathic leader of the Genesect and how his lack of dialogue creates a barrier to communication.
Inconsistencies and Ignorance
The hosts point out inconsistencies in the Genesect's behavior, questioning why they are so attached to one specific location when they could easily move to a different city or forest. They also discuss whether the Genesect are truly ignorant of the world around them.
Destiny and Mewtwo's Message
The hosts discuss the Genesect's belief in a destiny place to live and how it clashes with the reality of their situation. They also talk about Mewtwo's message to the Genesect, urging them to understand that they are not supposed to be there.
Seismic Toss and Mewtwo's Actions
The hosts discuss the seismic toss move used by Mewtwo and whether it was intended to be a way of getting the other Genesect to listen. They also talk about how Mewtwo's actions are not always consistent with his message.
Mewtwo's Logic and the Original Mewtwo
The hosts discuss how they could have stayed without the logic of getting rid of the Mewtwo that they got. They also talk about how the concept with Mewtwo works, but without the original, it kind of falls short.
Bonds and Psycho Powers
The hosts discuss the idea of dragging Genesect off world to show them all the bonds people have. They also talk about how the original Mewtwo could have used his psycho powers to show them different parts of the world.
Ash's Role Revisited
The hosts revisit Ash's role in the movie, debating whether he played a bigger role than in Keldeo. They discuss how Ash's team played more of a guidance role and how Ash was the tie that kept Baby Genesect from turning full evil.
Ash's Significance and Mansplaining
The hosts continue to debate Ash's significance in the movie, with one host arguing that he could have easily been replaced. They also discuss a scene where Ash explains homesickness to Genesect, with one host jokingly calling it "mansplaining."
Pikachu's Awareness and Ash's Blindness
The hosts discuss a scene where Pikachu sees Genesect, but Ash doesn't, highlighting Ash's obliviousness.
Ash's Connection and Humanity
The hosts discuss how Ash felt more significant as the connection to humanity that Genesect was supposed to feel. They also talk about how Baby Genesect picked up that connection sooner than the other four.
Human Interaction and Lore
The hosts discuss how the Pokémon movies used to rely on human interaction, but now the Pokémon have so much lore that a human is no longer needed. They argue that humans should be used as support and that the Pokémon should drive the story.
Recreating the First Movie
The hosts discuss how this movie was supposed to be a recreation of the first movie for a younger audience. They also talk about how the movie could have been made better with a little more explanation or Pokémon on Pokémon interaction.
Human Element and Legendaries
The hosts discuss the need for a human element in some Pokémon movies, particularly when dealing with legendaries. They also talk about how legendaries often get telepathy as their hidden ability in the shows and movies.
Dante's Opinion
The hosts read Dante's opinion on the movie, where he says that he loves it and that it's amazing. However, he also points out some flaws, such as the fact that the conflict is resolved too easily and that Mewtwo's inclusion feels forced.
Mega Evolution and Power Scaling
The hosts discuss how the mega evolution in the movie didn't feel like it made Mewtwo any stronger. They also talk about how the marketing of mega evolution spoiled the surprise and made it less impactful.
Marketing and Transformation
The hosts discuss how the marketing of mega evolution spoiled the surprise and made it less impactful. They also talk about how the transformation scenes in anime are often done in a way that makes them feel powerful and exciting.
Dante's Conclusion
The hosts read Dante's conclusion, where he says that the movie is not the worst thing they've watched, but it's not much better.
Movie Ranking
The hosts discuss where they think the movie belongs in their ranking of all the Pokémon movies. They debate whether it should be above or below certain movies, such as Pokémon Ranger and Jirachi Wishmaker.
Ranking Placement
The hosts continue to discuss the ranking placement of the movie, with one host arguing that it is better written than many of the movies below it. They eventually decide to place it at number 12.
Top 5 Discussion
The hosts discuss their top 5 Pokémon movies and whether there are any movies that are unnecessarily high in their ranking. They also talk about the upcoming movies and whether they might jump into the top 5.
Hoopa and Hype
The hosts discuss their excitement for the upcoming Hoopa movie and whether it will live up to their expectations. They also talk about the trilogy and how they were worried that it wouldn't be as good as they remembered.
Upcoming Movies and Top 5 Contenders
The hosts discuss the upcoming movies and which ones they think will be contenders for a spot in the top 5. They also list their current top 5 movies.
Poll Challenge Introduction
The hosts introduce the poll challenge, where they pick Pokémon that appeared in the movie and put them into a poll against each other. The audience votes on their favorite Pokémon, and the host with the most points wins.
Pokemon Picks
The hosts reveal their Pokémon picks for the poll challenge: Forretress, Skarmory, Sableye, Houndoom, and Staryu.
Stableye and Mega Evolution
The hosts discuss Sableye and how it could have had a mega evolution in the movie. They also talk about how a mega Sableye could have saved Mewtwo from a techno blast.
Favorite Bird Pokemon
The hosts discuss their favorite bird Pokémon, leading to a debate about Staraptor and other bird Pokémon.
Poll Challenge Summary
The hosts summarize the poll challenge for this week, listing the Pokémon picks and urging the audience to vote for their favorite.
Outro and Next Week's Movie
The hosts thank the audience for watching and announce that next week they will be watching "Pokémon Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction." They also urge the audience to hit the thumbs up button, join the Discord, and subscribe to the channel.
