Plot: In the water-themed Johto city of Alto Mare, Ash comes across and befriends the two legendary Pokemon Latias and Latios who secretly watch over the city. He meets a girl named Bianca and her grandfather Lorenzo who take care of both Pokemon in a hidden garden where the city is protected by an orb called the Soul Dew. But when two members of Team Rocket named Annie and Oakley capture Latios and steal the Soul Dew, Ash and Pikachu have to find a way to stop both members of Team Rocket from using a machine to destroy the town.
So now we come to the final Pokemon movie that is the last one to appear on the big screen in America and the last one starring Misty. And for what it was, I surprisingly enjoyed it. It's not Hayao Miyazaki great by any means, but for what had in terms of story and character compared to the other Pokemon movies I've seen so far, I was pleasantly impressed.
First of all, I like the story a lot. I know it probably doesn't sound like it's anything that new on the plot paragraph, but that's because I left out some of the specifics that kept me invested in what was happening. The backstory behind Latios and Latias for example I thought was intriguing to say the least. I liked the history behind the city, and especially how Latias and Latios are actually orphans and their father's soul is basically what protects the city. That's a direction I haven't seen before in Pokemon, and I can't help but be intrigued by it. Granted, the backstory is only told to us and never shown unlike the origins for Pokemon like Mewtwo or Entei and the Unown, which is a down. But at the same time I still enjoy it because Lorenzo makes it sound so interesting.
Both legendary Pokemon are also enjoyable to watch. Neither of them talk just like with Celebi. But unlike Celebi where the dialogue is replaced with her flying around and squeaking just for the sake of being cute, Latios and Latias display very defined and likeable personalities; Latios is the older and wiser one while Latias as the younger and friendlier one. The powers are also neat to watch. Latias can transform into a human and both of them have the ability to see what the other sees and show it to Ash, Bianca and Lorenzo, which leads to a nice pay off during the climax. The movie also gives the most odd yet intriguing aspect of the film: Latias has a crush on Ash. As in a Pokemon is romantically interested in a human. I cannot make this up if I tried, and I'm not really giving anything away when I say that. Almost as soon as you first Ash encounter Latias in her human form, you could probably figure out almost right away that she has feelings for him. But as much as I should be disgusted, honestly, I don't find it that big of a thing because with or without the crush the relationship between Latios and Ash is charming. That doesn't mean I approve of Latias trying to get with him (I mean I probably would compared to Ash's Black and White female companion, Iris, but that's another discussion for when I get to the Pokemon: Black and White films), but I still cared for their friendship in a way that helped me stay invested in the plot. But with that said...I may never look at my own Latias on my Pokemon: Alpha Sapphire game the same way again after seeing this one be romantically interested in Ash.
The climax is surprisingly very strong. Again, the movie makes both Latios and Latias so likable that I want to see Ash help them against the antagonists of the film. It's also very interesting and exciting to see Ash go against evil resurrected Pokemon. They only appear once just for one chase scene, but it was still cool to see an evil Aerodactyl and Kabutops chase Ash, Pikachu and Latias. Though at the same time, it's kind of a stretch that this machine that's meant to be a last resort for the sake of the city can also be used to destroy it and resurrect evil Pokemon. The climax also gives us a dramatic and mature moment that Pokemon 4ever should have given us. I won't give it away for anyone who hasn't seen it, but it does give the film a bittersweet happy ending.
Now with all of that said, the film still has some problems. Annie and Oakley turn out to be villains who are just greedy just like Lawrence III and the Iron Masked Marauder. But to be fair they are slightly better then those other two villains in that they have more personality and at least a small amount of dimension. Also, Brock and Misty have gone from being dead weight in the previous film to almost completely separated from the plot in this one. Apart from having their Pokemon briefly help Ash during the climax and one moment early into the film where it looked like Misty was about to have her own subplot, they barely even appear in the film. Heck, you could say that they almost have less of a point to be in the film then Team Rocket because at least Team Rocket is there to be the comedy relief (not that I thought they were funny in this movie, but I digress.) This is particularly a big deal for some people because this is Misty's last movie. But for me personally I don't mind it too much. Part of is probably because I'm not as attached to the characters as I used to be, but mostly because in the end they're not the focus. The focus is what it's suppose to be; on Ash, Pikachu, Latios and Latias and they're enjoyable on their own.
And that's my review for Pokemon Heroes. The story is investing, Latios and Latias are likable, Latias crush on Ash is weird but can be seen as charming to a degree because the relationship between them is still likable with or without it. The climax is engaging with a bittersweet ending, and the villains are slightly better then Lawrence III and the Iron Masked Marauder. Overall, I'm glad I saw it. I hear that people list this as one of their favorite Pokemon films, and while I still have many more to see, I can say that I'm on that boat myself. It's definitely my favorite of the Pokemon sequels so far.
Rating: 75%
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