The Rise of Darkrai relies on a big number of epic movie tropes nestled in live action. The film also surprises due to its clear cut structure and by the books approach to various small details. Something Pokemon films were ignoring and more often than not, struggling with, ever since the fourth film. Two guys will compete for a girl and it will be shown, not told. The resolution will be clear as the loser stumbles in the background. No exposition needed. Don't get me wrong, by no means is this a masterpiece. What it is, is a highly polished work following all the standardconventions with enough expertise to be a good cartoon.
I wouldn't call any single component of the film bad, but where it does stumble, or at the very least, doesn't shine as the rest, are the characters. The main show cast don't get much attention. Plot expiosition is what they've been used for before and that's what they're used for here. By no means are their lines cringeworthy. By no means are they especially interesting, either. This becomes a hinderance which prevents the film from getting a higher rating, as their wacky shenanigans in the second act, while main plot is on hold, don't hold a candle to what comes before and after. They could've been given character developement or something meaningful to do so we connect to them. Slightly boring and overly silly slapstick dominates a dozen scenes. At least they're watchable.
Alice and Tonio are worth a mention. Their simple, but fun relationship subtly embelishes a few moments. Darkrai stole a few scenes, as well. Expecting him to be an edgelord, this was quite a surprise to me.
There's a thin line between an unoriginal ripoff and a well executed, traditional story. I've already praised the film for being the latter. One element of the plot stands out, though. Music. Pokemon flirted with this idea in the second film, but didn't have the courage to incorporate Melody's song into the plot. This is fortunate, since the song wasn't exceptional. I'm by no means an expert in music, but I found the song in here pretty good for what it is - an audience mover. While by no means something heavenly, it works well enough that you can accept it as having mythological significance in the film.
Artwork for the film was pretty good. Use of CGI for the church, while justified, wasn't nearly as flawless as in some older Pokemon works. Still, CGI was utilized in multiple good action scenes. Action was pretty good in general here. Almost as relevant as in the last film's final action scene, Ash gets to do something again. Ash, Dawn & their pokemon are really fun to watch as they wrestle with time and space.
There's nothing more to say. It's a highly polished action film with weaker characters than I'd like. Groundbreaking? No. Solid? Yes.
A recommendation to pretty much anyone interested.
