I came into this one ready to hate it, considering that the "Pokémon" films from the X&Y saga hadn't been exactly stellar. "Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction" was mediocre and "Hoopa and the Clash of Ages" was the worst "Pokémon" film yet. However, this film really surprised me. Not only is it the best X&Y film, I would even say that it is the best "Pokémon" film in around a decade.

Volcanion was one of the better legendary Pokémon in a while. While I was a bit annoyed at him at first with how he had the typical "disdain for humanity" personality, he got to be a much more likeable and engaging character as the movie progressed. His relationship with Magearna surprisingly was quite interesting and felt very real.

Similar to the "Victini" movies, this film doesn't really break any new ground but somehow manages to make things feel fresh. It has interesting new variations on themes used before in the series that managed to keep my attention.

The action scenes are an absolute blast and probably some of the most exciting the "Pokémon" films have had in a while. The film is also complimented nicely by impressive animation and CGI and a great musical score.

There are just a few negatives. There were some pretty stupid scenes in the film here and there, though thankfully they are mostly confined to the first half. Also, the main villain wasn't really all that memorable.

Aside from "The Rise of Darkrai", "Victini and Zekrom/Reshiram", and "Genesect and the Legend Awakened", all the post-Hoenn entries in the series have been a chore for me. This film, however, proved that there is still some steam left in this franchise. A highly satisfying "Pokémon" film that is definitely worth checking out.

RATING: B+

It's sad to see the pokemon movies get fewer and fewer reviews, showing how the show has gotten less popular over the years. Now, I know I probably shouldn't be liking this movie because it is pretty cliché and it doesn't really set any new ground for the series, but I still enjoyed it. It's probably because of the characters. It was great to see Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont in probably the best film in the XY series. We still didn't get any shippy hints with Ash and Serena! I really do praise this film for how good the animation is. Another big highlight was Team Rocket. They really did serve a purpose in this movie.

They appear and actually do briefly work for the main villain. After the main villain no longer needs them, they do go after him and as Meowth is held hostage, they save him. Okay, so they weren't that useful, but dang it, I just love those guys so much! I love being introduced to all these new pokemon with their unique designs. Even Volcanion is a pretty cool guest pokemon. You'd think Ash would be used to pokemon using telepathy by now. How'd he change clothes while still being attached to the belt? It has a pretty heartwarming ending and while goofy, I do like the idea of them becoming honorary pokemon. ***

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