Recap: Pokémon-Hoopa and the Clash of Ages

Hello everyone, and welcome to my look at Pokémon: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages! While this may not be the best film in the series, it’s still very fun in how insane it is! So, let’s open it up!

We open on the appearance of Unbound Hoopa, who sounds kind of like the Genie from Aladdin, which is also one of my favorite ‘90s Disney films. I will just deal with the live-action remake as it comes.

Unbound Hoopa summons Groudon and Kyogre, and their battle attracts Reshiram and Zekrom as well as Regigigas, declaring “Hoopa can do anything!” Funny, he doesn’t look like the Lizard King.

Also, the rings remind me of the Portal games. They’re even blue and orange! Isn’t that something?

As Hoopa unleashes a storm that almost destroys Dahara City, a man ends up binding Hoopa in a device known as a “Prison Bottle” before he can do any more harm! Interesting, I was wondering if he was going to sing a song about Prince Ali.

The “world of Pokémon” segment this time focuses on Legendary Pokémon, including ones that will be taking part in this movie! I can almost imagine Xzibit saying “Hey dog, I heard you like Legendary Pokémon, so we made a whole movie full of them!” I am a bit surprised that they’re including Latias and Latios. Didn’t Latios die in his movie?

I digress. Baraz, the great grandson of a traveler named Ghris; finds the prison bottle in a cave, and he is overtaken by a mysterious energy! Who dares enter the Mystic Cave of Wonders?

We then cut to Ash, Pikachu and Bonnie chilling in a pool in a Pokémon Center in an oasis while Serena and Clemont are back on land. I also like this bit of Chespin and Pancham using some of Clemont’s tools as swords. Right on cute there, fellas.

Serena has also made Poké Puffs that look like doughnuts, and the promise of more doughnuts to come! Wonder if there are any rice balls as well?

Also, it seems that this movie has finally acknowledged Mythical Pokémon after 18 years, just as Hoopa pulls Ash and Pikachu through one of its rings! I know not everybody likes this movie, but I just get a kick out of how much of a troll Hoopa is compared to Jirachi. He addresses them as “Ash-kan” and “Pikkan,” and yes, he can talk.

I do like how they worked in the Cosplay Pikachu from OR/AS as Hoopa pulled a bunch of Pikachu through its rings.

We are then introduced to Meray, who is Baraz’s sister as Ash realizes he’s outside Dahara City! As Bonnie, Clemont and Serena are pulled through the rings. This is is a very strange movie, in case you can’t tell. “Were you surprised?” I’ve covered 15 minutes of this picture so far and it’s already pretty fun. 

Anyway, Hoopa brings Ash and Serena’s bags so Ash can get dressed; and he douses everyone in water to cool off! Great! Now do it to IGN!

Everyone wants to go see a shrine in Dahara City, but apparently, Hoopa can’t go through its own rings! That’s an oddly specific limitation that we’re probably going to see again soon. Hoopa does change his mind when we find out he likes Serena’s doughnuts.

Just then, Baraz flies in on the back of a Braviary with the Prison Bottle; and unleashes Hoopa Unbond! 10,000 years can give you such a crick in the neck! … I miss Robin Williams. He was probably the biggest Nintendo fan I heard of.

Of course, Team Rocket spies the Prison Bottle, and Meowth wants to use it to turn into a big Meowth that kind of looks like a Megazord or Jaeger.

As Hoopa Unbound starts messing up the town, Baraz realizes that Hoopa still hasn’t fully learned how to control its powers! Meray uses the Prison Bottle to return Hoopa to its Confined Forme, which is a nice little nod to how it works in the games.

Clemont has a device to contain the bottle so it won’t possess anyone else, which is highly convenient! I liked this guy a lot, he was one of my favorite characters of Generation VI.

It turns out the city was destroyed a century ago when this happened, and the Prison Bottle was built by Baraz and Meray’s ancestor to prevent this from happening, as the exposition continues on a ferry to the city. 

Hoopa also has the power to restore life to the land, and we see that Hoopa knew Baraz and Meray as children. Isn’t that something?

Team Rocket steals the Prison Bottle, and Meowth pops it open with red eyes and crazed look on his face! “Hey, you ain’t a chick!”

Baraz and Mercy try to contain Hoopa’s true power, but Meowth breaks the Prison Bottle, leaving Hoopa Unbound free to wreak havoc: “and Dahara City’s hottest club is- Were You Surprised? It’s got everything: Unbound Hoopa, legendary Pokémon battles, and all the doughnuts you can eat.”

Now, at 38 minutes in, we see the first of several legendary Pokémon in this film: Lugia! He’s one of my favorites, and I’m glad to see him again. I even got one of the McDonald’s premiums of him from the flea market this year: isn’t that something?

So, while Clemont, Bonnie and Serena go with Baraz and Meray to reforge the Prison Bottle, Ash, Pikachu and Hoopa try to defend the city from Hoopa Unbound!

For a movie like this, the animation is actually not that bad. Not the best, the CGI cityscapes and arms of Unbound Hoopa do get obvious after a while, but it works fine.

Hoopa then summons Latios and Latias from his rings, as well as a shiny Rayquaza! They can also Mega Evolve at will. Interesting.

Unbound Hoopa then summons Kyurem, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre! I really don’t make too much of the fact that Kyogre flies in this movie, I’m personally more weirded out that Palkia still sounds like a Krayt Dragon from Star Wars. I did see this movie the day after I saw The Force Awakens in 2015. 

The destruction of the city may not be the best action sequence the series has given us, but it still does the job fine. Between all the explosions, Pokémon flying around and buildings getting destroyed, the action is no harder to follow than the battle in Hong Kong in Age of Extinction. 

Really, in an age where making the third act of your movie one big final battle is the norm; it does fit the mold of a 10-year-old playing their 3DS while they’re hopped up on Mountain Dew, and knocking together all their Pokémon toys. It at least makes more sense than the new Mummy. Was that a jab at the failed “Dark Universe?” You bet it was!

Just around the 1-hour mark, the Prison Bottle is restored with help from Ash’s Frogadier, Serena’s Braixen and a Hippopotas. … Did they just randomly look through the ground types in the Pokédex and pick that one? I mean, I like Hippopotas, but still.

The power is sealed in the Prison Bottle, but as Ash grabs the bottle; a shadow appears over Ash and Hoopa uses him to speak as his eyes grow red, yelling “Disappear!” 

Hoopa then uses its power to reunite with its other form and free Ash from the spell of the shadow! … Yeah, I don’t know what to make of that plot point either.

Now, only one thing remains, to evacuate Dahara Tower before it collapses! Also, the music sounds kind of like The Beatles' “Within You Without You.” Good song, if I do say so. 

Hoopa is also able to pass through the rings with everyone else just in time, before this rift collapses in on itself! Not quite as dire as the attack on Starkiller Base, but as good a finale as any.

So, we close on Hoopa learning the value of altruism is every bit as fun as playing pranks, and everyone deciding to help rebuild the city! Not the best one I’ve seen, but far from the worst.

While many people didn’t enjoy this movie, I personally feel that it’s actually not that bad a movie as ones in the series go. Video game-like CGI notwithstanding, it has some relatively nice animation and slick action even if it is somewhat light on plot and characterization. It’s at least better than the Jirachi movie, largely because Hoopa himself is a much more interesting Pokémon to me than Jirachi. While both grant wishes, Hoopa is so gleefully mischievous that I would half expect him to start doing impressions of Jack Nicholson. There are worse ways you can spend 78 minutes, and I am glad that I’ve finally had a chance to talk about it in the wake of the I Choose You movie.

With only a few days remaining to Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, keep an eye out for my look at Pokémon: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel! See you, space cowboy!