Why am I talking about the setup of a Pokemon movie? Because in this movie, an intriguing premise is used to create a different experience. The most visible stand out in the movie are the twisted worlds Molly creates and manipulates throughout the movie. These locations keep the slow moving plot from getting stale. Spell of the Unknown keeps the plot really simple; the goal is to reach the heart of the twisted kingdom Molly is shaping and snap her out of madness. Throughout the movie, she'll appear before Ash, Brock and Misty, testing their strength as they and Delia slowly make the girl realize what she's doing is wrong.
We're given a very memorable fight between Charizard and Entei, a fight that ranks among the best in the series. Knowing that settling cerebral problems with a neat fight isn't viable in any self respecting work, the movie uses it merely as a catalyst for character resolution, instead of a resolution itself.
The movie isn't without its faults, though. One of the two major complaints I have is the mediocre soundtrack. While a valid critique, my the second complaint can't be helped - the middle of the movie feels slow due to underwhelming battles. These moments really show how the resources allocated for the movie got smaller since the last installment. Beyond this, I've got minor nitpicks about about the dialogue at times (it helps a bit if you watch the movie in Japanese).
Spell of Uknown is an interesting anomaly, a very subdued Pokemon movie. At its core it's a fine children's character story. While it drags on for a few scenes, it's elevated by great visual design, locations and atmosphere. The central character arc is resolved in a satisfying and not overly cheesy way. And there's a great Charizard VS Entei fight, too. What more could you want from a Pokemon adventure?
Standing out as a slower character work, I'd recommend this one to everyone interested in Pokemon.
