Pokémon Heroes
Pokémon Heroes is a 2002 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and written by Hideki Sonoda. Produced by OLM, Inc. and distributed by Toho, it is the fifth film in the Pokémon series. The film stars Rica Matsumoto, Ikue Ōtani, Mayumi Iizuka, Yūji Ueda, Satomi Kōrogi, Megumi Hayashibara, Shin-ichiro Miki, Inuko Inuyama, Kōichi Yamadera, Unshō Ishizuka, Taichirō Hirokawa, Uno Kanda, Yumiko Shaku, Yuzo Gutch, and Yūka. In Pokémon Heroes, Ash Ketchum, Misty and Brock travel to the city of Alto Mare and face off against the mysterious spies Annie and Oakley, who seek to use the guardian Pokémon Latias and Latios to power a superweapon. The film takes place during the fifth season of the Pokémon anime.
Alto Mare, the main setting of the film, is based on the real-world city of Venice, Italy, with Yuyama choosing the location as a basis in order to communicate the feeling of entering a mysterious world. The film's title was revealed on January 30, 2002, in Japan. The film debuted alongside a short episode, titled "Camp Pikachu". The film's English adaptation was produced by 4Kids Entertainment and distributed by Miramax Films.
The film premiered in Japan on July 13, 2002. An English adaptation produced by 4Kids Entertainment was distributed in the United States by Miramax Films on May 16, 2003. This version stars the regular television cast of Veronica Taylor, Eric Stuart, Rachael Lillis and Maddie Blaustein. The film grossed US$27 million in Japan and $756,381 in the United States, becoming the lowest-grossing film in the Pokémon franchise. The film was met with generally negative reviews, though retrospective reviews have been more positive.
Plot
The city of Alto Mare is protected by the dragon siblings Latias and Latios. Their father, also a Latios, once saved the city from an evil Pokémon Trainer and their Pokémon, transforming its streets into canals. The father Latios died protecting the city, leaving behind the Soul Dew containing his own soul. The citizens built the Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare to protect the city if necessary, using the Soul Dew as a power source, which was hidden away to prevent its usage.In the present, Ash Ketchum and his friends, Misty and Brock, tour the city. During a local water race, Ash and Misty briefly see an invisible Latias. Two spies named Annie and Oakley attempt to capture Latias, disguised as a human girl named Bianca, so they can gain access to the defense mechanism. Ash and Pikachu guide Latias to safety, but she disappears soon after.
At a local museum, the trio learn from its curator and Bianca's grandfather Lorenzo about Alto Mare's history, the defense mechanism, and the evil trainer's fossilized Pokémon on display. Ash finds Bianca and chases her across the city into a hidden garden where Latias and Latios live. As Pikachu plays with the Pokémon, Lorenzo shows Ash the Soul Dew, unaware that Annie and Oakley have used an unmanned aerial vehicle to infiltrate the sanctuary.
That evening, Annie and Oakley capture Latios and the Soul Dew to power the D.M.A., but Latias escapes and seeks Ash's help. Using the defense mechanism, Oakley locks down the city and revives the evil trainer's Pokémon from the dead. After escaping the lockdown, Ash, Pikachu and Latias travel to the museum to rescue Latios and disable the defense mechanism in the ensuing fight. The Soul Dew shatters from its use in the device, causing the city's water to become a tidal wave. Latias and Latios combine their powers to stop the wave, but Latios dies in the process and transforms into a new Soul Dew.
Later, Ash and his friends are about to depart Alto Mare when a mysterious girl resembling Bianca arrives to see them off. She gives Ash a sketch of him and Pikachu, and kisses him before she silently leaves. Ash, Misty and Brock leave the city for their next adventure, while Annie and Oakley are detained.
Production
During a production presentation held at a hotel January 30, 2002, in Japan, the film's title was officially announced alongside the announcement of video game Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire's release date. Several members of the film's Japanese voice cast were revealed at the presentation, with the cast members explaining their roles in the film. The presentation was stated to go on a "road show" following this initial reveal at the hotel.The city of Alto Mare, the film's main location, is based around the city of Venice, Italy, and many Italian words are used in the film's dialogue as a result. The film's director, Kunihiko Yuyama, chose Venice as an inspiration for the film to convey the feeling of entering a mysterious world. Yuyama scouted out locations in Venice to use as inspiration for various locations in Alto Mare.
Pokémon Heroes is the fifth film in the Pokémon film franchise, following the release of the 2001 film Pokémon 4Ever and a pattern of a yearly release schedule. Though the films maintained a degree of popularity, by the time of its predecessor's release, the hype surrounding the Pokémon franchise was beginning to die down, resulting in 4Ever doing poorly at the box office. While Miramax continued to distribute the film series following 4Ever, Heroes received an even more limited theatrical release than prior films in the series did.
The film was aired alongside the short episode "Camp Pikachu", which introduced the Pokémon Wynaut to the franchise. Yuka narrated the short episode. A prologue at the beginning of the film, which describes the history of Alto Mare and its guardians, was cut in the film's international releases.
Box office and release
The first three Pokémon films, Pokémon: The First Movie, Pokémon: The Movie 2000, and Pokémon 3: The Movie, were released outside of Japan by Warner Bros., but the distribution rights for Pokémon 4Ever and Pokémon Heroes were given to Miramax on April 2, 2002, by The Pokémon Company. Miramax was rumored to have bought the rights for $1 million and by giving up 75% of the profits. Harvey Weinstein stated that Miramax could "reinvigorate the franchise".The film opened on July 13, 2002, at the same time as Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones in Japan, and failed to out-gross it. It later fell to ninth place at the Japanese box office behind Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Stuart Little 2. The film grossed in Japan. In North America, the film had a limited run in theaters, only opening in 196 theaters. The film was released in theaters on May 16, 2003, and grossed $756,381, resulting in the film becoming the lowest grossing in the series. Heroes would be the last film in the series to receive a major theatrical release until the 2017 film Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!.
The film was re-released in theaters in Japan from August 11 to August 18, 2022, in order to celebrate the 25th Anniversary Pokémon Film Festival.