"Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle" (EN) Review

  Dedicated to the memory of my brother, Sean Qualkinbush

July 18, 1997- August 15, 2021

Hello everyone: after all the delays and much anticipation; here is my review of the latest Pokémon movie, "Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle!" I have been eager to talk about this for a very long time, so let's open it up!

The film opens on the Okoya forest, home to all manner of Pokémon; including the Mythical Zarude. They're shown to be quite territorial; and it's kind of interesting how they managed to translate their chant (I did watch the fan subs for this as well).

Anyway, one of the Zarude finds a small child by the river one day. Brief grossout gags aside, the rest of the tribe is wary of letting the boy into their ranks. After consulting the tribe elder, the Zarude who found him agrees to take the child and watch over him; even at the cost of leaving the tribe. He's eventually named Koko, and this movie essentially follows Star Wars rules for communication: since Koko had Zarude as his surrogate "Dada," they all speak to each other as one pack. Otherwise, the people speak like people, and the Pokémon speak like Pokémon; with Koko essentially being a "bridge" between them like with Meowth. This whole prologue takes place 10 years before the events of the film proper, leading to our title card!

The story proper opens on Ash speaking to his mother Delia on the phone, before he heads into the jungle with Pikachu. I rather like the visual style of this movie already; and the design of Ash’s outfit. I even did an OC cosplay of it last Halloween at home. Also, definitely loving Pikachu’s own adventure gear.

Elsewhere, Koko is now a young man; swinging through the trees with his “Dada,” Zarude. Zarude smells something and senses trouble; and I must say, Kilmlinh Tran and Edward Bosco do a good job in their respective roles.

Anyway, they’re making their rounds through the forest; and discover their berry hoard has been hit. Moreover, there’s an attack between a Flygon and a Pangoro; which they’re able to break up and heal Flygon. They decide to start growing their own berries.

Back with Ash and Pikachu, they encounter a Cramorant! That is one of my favorite monsters of Generation VIII; and not just because it can launch Pikachu like a projectile with Gulp Missile. The two are then approached by Sharon, and I totally understand why they changed her name from Karen for the dub (both due to the member of the Johto Elite Four, and the connotations that name has taken on as of late).

Sharon is a researcher for the Biotope Company; who is searching for the Spring of Healing in the forest. Team Rocket decides to go undercover at their lab; and also find out their leader, Dr. Zed.

Back with Koko, he and his father get into a fight with the other Zarude; and it’s a pretty impressive sequence all things considered. Much like his last movie, Tetsuo Yajima definitely understands how to make this work onscreen, based on what he’s learned from both Origins and the XY series.

After a brief argument with the elder and the other Zarude, his father takes him away; prompting Koko to ask, “what am I?!” He swings off into the forest, and this scene; along with another brief flashback tie into the movie’s main themes: childhood, parenthood, and identity. 

Koko crashes into one of the Biotope Company’s pipes, and falls into the river unconscious! Falling down a waterfall, Ash pulls him from the river so he can receive medical attention!

At the Biotope Company’s lab, Team Rocket has infiltrated the lab while disguised as interns; and I am amused by Meowth somehow being able to wear five-fingered gloves normally as someone who only has three fingers on each hand. When another researcher tells them not to go into Dr. Zed’s quarters, they immediately know something is suspicious; and set about making a key to get in.

Koko awakens in the hospital, and he seems to be all right, but he’s surprised at everyone and everything in the city! He runs out the door and narrowly gets clipped by a passing car before Ash pulls him out of the way, spooking a Dreadnaw in the process!

Koko is able to calm the Pokémon down, and the chase leads to the cameo of the recurring little girl and her mother.

Koko is then surprised by the idea of Poke Balls. Ash shows him one, and he notices they have the same hands in one of many parallels to Disney’s Tarzan.

Ash shows Koko around, giving him a new outfit and some ice cream; in a sequence that leads to a cameo from Rita and Phil from New Pokémon Snap! Photos of the setting of this forest even show up in the game: imagine that!

The sun starts setting, but there’s trouble with the fireworks show! With some quick thinking, they’re able to determine a Falinks is stuck in the cannons, and Koko is able to help get it out! I do like this scene, and it’s easily one of my favorite monsters of Generation VIII.

Night falls, and the fireworks show goes forward as planned. Koko is surprised, but does learn quick. I also like how the mayor resembles his Dubwool companion, and it turns out the fireworks are a wish to Celebi, the jungle guardian! This, as well as the “251” cape that Zarude wears are great markers of what lies ahead.

Koko leads Ash into the forest, where he and Pikachu are caught by Zarude! When Zarude questions why they’re here, Koko replies by asking why he wasn’t told about how people outside the forest lived. This is another scene that ties into the themes of childhood, parenthood and identity that help shape the movie’s plot. Not quite the breath of fresh air that Yajima’s last movie was; but still quite impressive.

Zarude leads them elsewhere, and Team Rocket has finished the key to Dr. Zed’s quarters but Cramorant then eats it! Hilarious, and this will be important later.

Back with Ash and Koko, Zarude leads them to an old research bunker. He also gives Koko the ring he wore around his neck when he was found, which will be important later. Zarude also never knew his parents, which will be important later as he passes Koko a photo of his own parents. 

  

Now, comes the part everyone was talking about: where Ash mentions his absent father. This scene is a small, but effective mention that provides a key moment for the series and the movie that's vital to the story at hand. Even factoring in the alternate continuity, the fact that it’s happened at all is simply world-shattering; and I’m glad to witness it. He inspired him to keep moving and improving; and even his own adventure is one I’d love to know more about. 

On that note, it’s a scene that helps make this movie the antithesis of the classic episode “The Kanghaskhan Kid,” as is the next part at the Biotope Company’s mobile lab. Elsewhere, Zarude confers with the elder on his own to determine his next move; and we’ll come back to this later. The elder also reveals more of their connection to Celebi; and I definitely like this blend of old and new elements they’re making.

As Ash and Koko sleep, we get a flashback to Koko and Zarude in the past, where Zarude used Jungle Healing on an injured Rufflet. The move works, but it also takes a lot of energy to use. The next day, Ash and Koko pay the Biotope Company lab a visit; and Dr. Zed is alarmingly happy to see Koko. His birth name was actually Al Molybdenum; and his parents were named Chrom and Phossa, respectively voiced by Kaiji Tang and Lisa Ortiz. I have something prepared for when the time comes.

Dr. Zed recalls how they found the Spring of Healing, before the data was lost. He also reveals Chrom and Phossa died in a car accident; and even though the movie doesn’t physically say the “d-word,” it makes no attempts to hide what happened, and there’ll be more on that later. Dr. Zed asks for Koko’s help on the spring, but he understandably declines. He then runs back into the jungle, shocked and devastated at what’s happened.The Skwovet from before helps lead Ash to where Koko is, and Koko discovers a GPS tracking dot on his shoulder! An explosion occurs, and Dr. Zed has come in with a massive walking tank!

Ash, Koko and Pikachu are taken captive; and Team Rocket gets a taste of what Dr. Zed is capable of. Rather than take Pikachu while they have the chance, they decide to free them; and use Pikachu to get the key they made from Cramorant’s gullet! 

The Zarude are prepared to defend their home, but despite a valiant effort; they can’t do it alone! Zarude makes an impassioned plea to help them defend the forest; and they agree! Even the Pangoro and Flygon from earlier are here to help! Realizing Dr. Zed planted the tracking dot on him when he spoke at the lab, Koko removes his civvies and goes to warn the Zarude before it’s too late! 

Even with the quasi-video game like CGI, the traditional animation in this battle is some of the best of the series. Yajima’s experience from the XY series and the Origins OVA comes through here; and I’m eager to see what happens with the new series with him returning to work on it.

Now that they have the key, they discover the doctor was hiding in his quarters: as his video diaries reveal, he was the one that turned against Koko’s real parents; which shocks Jessie, James and Meowth. While they may be villains too, even they have lines they won’t cross.

A flashback also reveals that Chrom and Phossa were the ones that called off the experiments on the Spring of Healing; even destroying the research they did on it. In response, Dr. Zed was the one that caused the car accident that killed them; and though I was expecting them to cut this scene for the dub, they left it in. Helps Netflix doesn’t have S&P. 

The final battle against Dr. Zed is here, and for the kind of movie it is; it’s quite spectacular. The combined might of all their attacks cripples the tank, as the Zarude have finally realized the true meaning of their chant!

Koko leads Zarude to the Spring of Healing, but his “Dada” has taken a lethal blow! As the life fades from his body, Koko is able to will himself to use Jungle Healing to revive his father! 

The remaining attacks are focused on the control circuits on the tank’s back; and much like the quality of its CG, the tank is downed like a video game boss it resembles! The traditional animation in this sequence is easily some of the best of not just this movie, but the entire last year of the series. 

Koko, having learned the sickening truth, decides to confront Dr. Zed! He tries to dive into the waterfall (whether to escape or drown himself isn’t made explicit), but Koko catches him with the rope on his arm as he and his “Dada” embrace. 

The forest is restored, and in another element that makes this movie the opposite of “The Kanghaskhan Kid,” Zarude returns to his tribe while Koko goes off on his own adventure, in a very bittersweet end to their story. He’s given his civilian clothes and a satchel of berries as a parting gift, leaving the forest alongside Skwovet as the Zarude send him off with a chant and Celebi returns to the forest!

We close on an epilogue where Ash and Pikachu return his mother’s call, Dr. Zed is arrested after Team Rocket gave the information to the authorities and Sharon becomes the new head of Biotope Company in his stead.

There’s even a little bit over the credits where Skwovet and Cramorant are dancing. It’s not quite the same as the JP version (which also had fan art contest winners like the last movie); but the song played does at least fit. Time to wrap this up. 

While not on the same level of “Pokémon: The Power of Us,” I still consider “Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle” to be a good movie and one of the better video game adaptations overall. Though the future of the series on film remains to be seen, I am enjoying how the recent entries in the anime canon are taking more of an all-ages approach like their video game source material. I didn’t need them to go to extremes, but this approach works in a similar vein to something like Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe; where it has elements that can appeal to all potential ages and backgrounds. The animation is quite showy even just watching it on my computer, and I’m eager to see what the franchise has in store next. Right now, I will keep enjoying this movie among the many I’ve seen in my fandom. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year, and I will see you all again soon. Later.