Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life
Synopsis — from MyAnimeList
In ages long forgotten, when Earth found itself on a collision course with a meteor, Legendary Pokémon Arceus used its power to avert the danger. However, this feat caused the 16 Plates surrounding it to scatter across the world. Without the Plates providing Arceus with life energy, it began to die. A human named Damon managed to find one of the Plates and returned it to the moribund Pokémon, helping it recover. As a reward, Arceus created the Jewel of Life and gave it to the people of Michina Town, stipulating that it must be returned, but the humans refused, hogging the Jewel to themselves. In the battle that ensued, Damon was killed and Arceus went into slumber, vowing to punish humanity upon its return. Satoshi and his companions arrive in Michina Town where they come across Sheena, a descendant of Damon, who claims to be in possession of the Jewel of Life and intends on giving it back to Arceus when it awakens. The situation takes an unexpected turn when Arceus, despite Sheena's best intentions, remains unsatisfied. Satoshi must now prevent the destruction of the entire human race, as Arceus' fury causes distortions in the fabric of the universe, enraging the Legendary trio—Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina—and disturbing the world's balance.
Audience Consensus
Audience reception is split, with some praising the epic scale and visual quality while others find the plot derivative and characters underdeveloped. While many acknowledge it as a decent entry, it fails to reach the heights of the franchise's best for a significant portion of the fanbase.
Strengths
- Visually appealing animation and background art
- Epic scale plot with legendary Pokemon battles
- Engaging storyline with elements of time travel
- Good pacing, gets into the story quickly
Weaknesses
- Story feels repetitive and unoriginal compared to earlier films
- New characters are underdeveloped and uninteresting
- Dub voice acting lacks emotion
- Characters from the main series are sidelined
- Obvious and sometimes eye-rolling CGI