The major issue I noticed in the previous 4 films is that the story couldn't fully develop its ideas, either due to time constraints or because Pokémon targets a fairly young audience and struggles to allow certain elements like cruelty or impactful events. It's a shame because it often results in a flat movie that fails to emotionally connect, constrained by its limitations. However, this 5th film, centered around Pokémon Latias and Latios, felt different from the previous ones. It managed to explore its ideas more deeply. Although, in my opinion, some parts were rushed, such as the moment when [Spoiler Start] Latios is captured, and Ash, Latias, and Pikachu rush to the Museum to save him. I found it ridiculous how easily Ash eliminated one of the two antagonists with a simple Pikachu attack, then rescued the other two. I was worried because I thought the film would end there, but the story continued, and I found the end of the film beautiful and meaningful. It revealed that the sphere at the center of the entire story was, in fact, the remaining soul of Latios and Latias' father! [Spoiler End]
I found this part too simplistic and rushed, but everything else seemed to progress at a good pace. The film is only 1 hour and 9 minutes long, which is short, but it was enough for me to complete its story!
The film's quality is evident; in each of these films, Pokémon has tried new things, including 3D. It's not surprising that they attempted 3D; after all, this film dates back to 2002, a time when experimenting with 3D was a trend. The 4th film based on Celebi was quite clumsy in this regard, trying to be too ahead of its time, and the 3D, in my opinion, detracted from the film. However, they learned from their mistakes. In this film, the 3D is subtle, not trying to be too futuristic, enhancing the moments when it appears without overdoing it!
