Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel
Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel | |
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![]() Japanese Theatrical release poster | |
Literally | Pokémon the Movie XY&Z: Volcanion and the Exquisite Magearna |
Directed by | Kunihiko Yuyama |
Screenplay by | Atsuhiro Tomioka |
Based on | |
Produced by | Satoshi Shimodaira Susumu Matsuyama Kenichi Arai |
Starring | see below |
Cinematography | Aya Aoshima |
Edited by | Toshio Henmi |
Music by | Shinji Miyazaki |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Toho |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
Country | Japan |
Language | Japanese |
Box office | Japan: ¥2.15 billion[1] ($20.2 million)[2] Overseas: $5,871,077 |
Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel, known in Japan as Pokémon the Movie XY&Z: Volcanion and the Exquisite Magearna (ポケモン・ザ・ムービーXY&Z ボルケニオンと機巧のマギアナ, Pokemon Za Mūbī Ekkusu, Wai ando Zetto: Borukenion to Karakuri no Magiana) is a 2016 Japanese anime adventure film, the 19th in the Pokémon film series produced by OLM, and the third and final film in the XY series. It was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and written by Atsuhiro Tomioka.[3] The film stars the voices of Rica Matsumoto, Ikue Ōtani, Mayuki Makiguchi, Yūki Kaji, Mariya Ise, Megumi Hayashibara, Shin-ichiro Miki, Inuko Inuyama, Somegoro Ichikawa, Yuka Terasaki, Kōichi Yamadera, Mayu Matsuoka, and Shoko Nakagawa. The film focuses on Councillor Alva of the Azoth Kingdom, who steals the "Soul-Heart" of the artificial Pokémon Magearna to power and control a flying fortress in the kingdom. The Mythical Pokémon Volcanion allies with the Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum and his friends, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie to recover Magearna's Soul-Heart.
It was released in Japan on July 16, 2016. An English dub was produced by DuArt Media Services, and stars the voices of Sarah Natochenny, Haven Paschall, Michael Liscio Jr., Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, Michele Knotz, Carter Cathcart, Mike Pollock, Billy Bob Thompson, Riley Joseph, and Laurie Hymes. It premiered in the United States on Disney XD on December 5, 2016,[4] and in the United Kingdom on CITV on November 19, 2016.[5]
Plot
Mega Evolution Councillor Alva and Prince Raleigh of the Azoth Kingdom order the artificial Pokémon Magearna to be brought to the Kingdom after it is found in the Nebel Plateau, a place populated by Pokémon who have been abused by humans. The Mythical Pokémon Volcanion tries recovering Magearna, but has a band attached to its leg and is sent falling to a forest where Ash Ketchum and his friends, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie are camping. Volcanion lands in Ash and friends' vicinity, and when they recover, Ash finds a second band attached to himself. Clement discovers the bands emit an electromagnetic force that binds Ash to Volcanion like a chain. Volcanion runs off, dragging Ash along with it.
Ash and Volcanion recover Magearna from the Azoth Kingdom. They rendezvous with Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, who are fascinated by Magearna, but are unable to remove the chain binding Ash and Volcanion. Reluctantly, Volcanion allows the group to accompany it and Magearna to their home, Nebel Plateau. On the way, they are attacked by Team Rocket, who has been hired by Alva to recover Magearna, but the group is able to drive them off with help from Raleigh's sister, Princess Kimia. During their stay at Nebel Plateau, Clemont and Kimia have the resident Pokemon break the electromagnetic bands. Finally free, Volcanion orders the humans to leave, but they refuse.
The next day, Alva and his henchman and henchwoman, Levi and Cherie attack and recapture Magearna. He removes Magearna's "Soul-Heart", which he plans to use to activate a mechanism in the Azoth Castle that turns it into a flying fortress. Raleigh tries to stop him but is knocked unconscious. As the castle takes to the skies, Ash and Pikachu storm the fortress with Volcanion, Kimia, and Greninja, but are trapped by Alva, who attempts to break Magearna's spirit by firing at Nebel Plateau. However, the resident Pokemon repel the attack with help from Squishy the Zygarde Core, and Ash destroys Alva's cane giving him control over the Pokémon, causing them to become normal again, and Alakazam uses psychic powers to levitate itself and the other Pokémon and Levi and Cherie from the fortress. Volcanion frees itself, Ash, Kimia, and their Pokémon. Alva sets the fortress on a collision course with the plateau and tries to escape with a jetpack, but Greninja disables it, causing him to fall. Ash returns the Soul-Heart to Magearna, but its spirit is gone. To prevent the fortress from crashing into the plateau, Volcanion uses its power to destroy the fortress with itself at the center of the blast. Later, at Nebel Plateau, Magearna regains its spirit when Volcanion appears, having survived
in the post-credits scene, Levi and Cherie are shown to have been arrested and imprisoned. Alva himself lands in a tree after Greninja destroys his jetpack. Gardevoir levitates him up onto Kimia's aircraft and gets one of the electromagnetic bands stuck on him, and when he tries to get away, he keeps getting pulled back, much to his dismay. Raleigh sets off on his own Pokémon journey with his Slurpuff under Ash's advice as Kimia watches him leave.
Cast
Character | Voice Actor (Japanese) | Voice Actor (English) |
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Ash Ketchum | Rika Matsumoto | Sarah Natochenny |
Pikachu | Ikue Ōtani | |
Serena | Mayuki Makiguchi | Haven Paschall |
Clemont | Yūki Kaji | Michael Liscio Jr. |
Bonnie | Mariya Ise | Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld |
Jessie | Megumi Hayashibara | Michele Knotz |
James | Shin-ichiro Miki | Carter Cathcart |
Meowth | Inuko Inuyama | |
Narrator | Unshō Ishizuka | Rodger Parsons |
Guest characters:
- Volcanion is the Steam Pokémon, who watches over the Nebel Plateau and is distrustful of humans. It is voiced by Somegoro Ichikawa in Japanese and Mike Pollock in English.
- Magearna is an artificial Pokémon created in the Azoth Kingdom, which it fled to prevent misuse of her power. It is Volcanion's best friend. It is voiced by Yuka Terasaki.
- Alva is a sadistic councilor of the Azoth Kingdom and the main antagonist, who desires the power of Magearna's "Soul-Heart" for his own ends. His main Pokémon is a Shiny Gengar. He is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera in Japanese and Billy Bob Thompson in English. In the English dub trailer, he was voiced by Sean Schemmel.
- Kimia is the Princess of the Azoth Kingdom, who prefers to look forward rather than behind. She is skilled with a variety of machinery. She is assisted by an alternate-colored Gardevoir, who can Mega Evolve. She is voiced by Mayu Matsuoka in Japanese and Riley Joseph in English.
- Raleigh is the Prince of the Azoth Kingdom and Kimia's younger brother. He is friendly and well-meaning. He is naive due to his fixation with history. He is accompanied by a Slurpuff. He is voiced by Shoko Nakagawa in Japanese (who also celebrated her tenth anniversary in the film series and the franchise) and Laurie Hymes in English.
- Nikola is a scientist of the Azoth Kingdom half a millennium in the past who created Magearna. He is the ancestor of Kimia and Raleigh. He is voiced by Tomomichi Nishimura in Japanese and Scottie Ray in English.
- Levi and Cherie are Alva's henchman and henchwoman, who control his Mega Evolved Pokémon army.
- Flamel is Kimia's personal assistant.
Production
A teaser of the film was first revealed after the screening of Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages in Japan. Its temporary title and featured Pokémon was later revealed in the January issue of the CoroCoro Comic on December 15, 2015. It was temporarily titled Pokémon the Movie XY&Z. In the March 2016 issue of the CoroCoro Comic, the 7th Generation Pokémon Magearna was revealed and announced as another one of its stars.[6] As part of the promotions for the film, The Pokémon Company hosted a general election for fans to vote which of the 720 Pokémon is their favorite Pokémon, which ran from April 16, 2016 to May 8, 2016.[7]
Music
The movie's Japanese ending song is titled "Post ni koe o nageirete" (ポストに声を投げ入れて, Posuto ni koe o nageirete, lit. Mailing out My Voice) by YUKI.[8][9] The movie's English ending song is titled "Soul-Heart" composed by Ed Goldfarb, and performed by Dani Marcus.
Box office
This film ranked 4th on the Japanese box office grossing ¥323,901,600 ($3.09 million) in its first weekend on 366 screens with 289,971 admissions. On its third day of release (Marine day), it grossed a total of ¥475,547,600 ($4.6 million) with a total of 430,987 admissions. This film grossed the second lowest opening weekend in its film franchise. The film went on to gross ¥2.15 billion in Japan.[1]
Overseas, the film grossed $3,857,383 in China,[10] ₩2,148,082,300 ($1,851,103) in South Korea,[11] and HK$1.26 million (US$161,679) in Hong Kong,[12] for an overseas total of $5,871,077.
References
- ^ a b "2016". Eiren. Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- ^ "Pokémon movie ends in theatres after tenth weekend". Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ "Director and writer of Pokémon movie 19". Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Pokémon Moves to Disney XD with a Big Movie Debut". Pokemon.com. November 17, 2016. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
- ^ "Watch the Debut of the New Pokémon Movie". Pokemon.com/UK. November 17, 2016. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
- ^ "New Pokémon Magiana revealed in CoroCoro comic of March 2016". Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ^ Chapman, Paul (April 14, 2016). "The Pokémon Company Stages "Pokémon General Election 720"".
- ^ "劇場版「ポケモン」最新作、主題歌はYUKIの書き下ろし楽曲に決定". natalie.mu (in Japanese). April 7, 2016.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael (April 7, 2016). "YUKI Performs Theme Song for 2016 Pokémon Film". Anime News Network.
- ^ "China Box Office, December 1–3, 2017". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ "영화정보". KOFIC. Korean Film Council. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
포켓몬 더 무비 XY&Z 「볼케니온 : 기계왕국의 비밀」
- ^ "Pokemon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel (2017)". EntGroup. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
External links
- Articles with broken or outdated citations from January 2019
- 2016 films
- 2016 anime films
- Pokémon films
- Japanese-language films
- Japanese films
- Toho animated films
- Viz Media anime
- Films directed by Kunihiko Yuyama
- Animated films based on Alice in Wonderland
- Steampunk films
- Films scored by Shinji Miyazaki
- OLM, Inc. animated films