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Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us Getting Limited Theatrical Release
Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us will be getting a limited worldwide theatrical run later this year. Although the glory days of an entire generation attempting to "catch 'em all" on their GameBoys while using Pokémon Cards as schoolyard currency may be long gone, the Pokémon franchise has experienced somewhat of a renaissance of late. Although both the primary game series and trading card collection have remained popular with Pokéfans through the years, the release of augmented reality game Pokémon Go in 2016 propelled Pikachu and co. back into the mainstream, reminding everyone exactly why they first fell in love with these strange little creatures in the first place.
Aside from video games and trading cards, the Pokémon movie series, starring ageless trainer Ash Ketchum, has also retained a strong following, releasing a movie every year since 1998's classic Mewtwo Strikes Back. The latest in this series is The Power of Us, a sequel to 2017's I Choose You which rebooted the series with a new version of Ash separate to the one fans of the animated television series will be familiar with. The Power of Us sees Ash and Pikachu take part in a Wind Festival inspired by the legendary Pokémon Lugia, during which they meet several characters all struggling with problems that they can't tackle alone. The movie also features the newly released mythical Pokémon Zeraora.
Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us is now set to grace cinema screens across the world for a limited run. The Pokémon Company International have teamed up with Fathom Events following the positive reaction to a similar event held last year for the I Choose You movie. Event dates in the U.S. are November 24, 26 and 28 and December 1st. Fathom promise that information on participating theaters and purchasing tickets will be announced soon and have released an English-dubbed trailer to mark the announcement.
The trailer includes the modern version of Ash, as seen in I Choose You, and explains the set-up of the the Wind Festival and the city's pact with Lugia. The clip goes on to introduce the various side characters Ash will be meeting in his latest adventure and hints at the issues they face that apparently can't be solved without those two ever-present Pokémon ingredients: friendship and teamwork. Although incredibly brief, the trailer also features a glimpse at the rebooted versions of Team Rocket's Jessie, James and Meowth.
By going back to the roots of the franchise, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You proved to be a nostalgia-driven success both in Japan and in the West but, having only been released in Japan earlier this month, it remains to be seen whether The Power of Us can continue that trend. Certainly, this limited release proves that there is considerable faith in the latest movie and with slick, colorful animation and an imaginatively designed world, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us could make trainers fall in love all over again.
