Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010)

The Fury of Zoroark Has Been Unleashed!

Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) Poster

Japanese title: 劇場版ポケットモンスター ダイヤモンド＆パール 幻影の覇者 ゾロアーク 

(Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā Daiyamondo ando Pāru:  Gen'ei no Hasha: Zoroāku)

Other title: 幻影的霸者 索羅亞克, 환영의 패왕 조로아크,

Zoroark, le Maître des Illusions, Zoroark - Mistrz Iluzji,

Zoroark - Mestre das Ilusões, Zoroark: Maestro de Ilusiones.

Comments on Movie: Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010)

"The movie was a brilliant one and undeniably the best they have made in a long while." - Airi, Mibba.

"The movie was written well, and it had good pacing." - Riyoga, Riyoga's Rambling.

"Undeniably, one of the best theatrical film by Pokémon. It might probably even be the best. Has one of the most compelling plot for a family film. It is heartwarming in the most subtle way!" - Rosalyn Lim.

Genre/Tags 

Anime Family Fantasy Video Game
Pokémon 2D Animation Animated Feature

Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) Trailer

For official US version, check this one. (Embedding was disabled by request)

Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) at a glance

Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) is the thirteenth theatrically released film by Pokémon. It is directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and the animated feature is the the fourth and last from Diamond & Pearl series. Grossing USD 71,143,529 worldwide, it features non-legendary Pokémon from succeeding generation, Zoroark and Zorua, along with many appearances of Pokémon from previous generation. 

Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) Synopsis

The Pokémon Baccer World Cup is the most anticipated event of the year, and as hundreds flock to Crown City to watch the exciting competition unfold, Ash, Pikachu, and his friends encounter a mysterious new Pokémon they have never seen before. But when the three Legendary Pokémon Raikou, Entei, and Suicune suddenly arrive and begin rampaging through the streets, it’s up to Ash and his companions, along with their new Pokémon friend Zorua, to uncover the secret behind the immense and powerful forces at work. What strange and dangerous powers are afoot in Crown City? Why did Celebi suddenly return after vanishing for twenty years? And why is the mighty Zoroark unleashing its fury upon the town? The quest for these answers leads down an uncertain path filled with peril—can Ash and his companions find enough courage, strength, and friendship to unearth the mystery in time to save Crown City?

Movie Review: Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010)

Zoroark, Zorua, Celebi and the Legendary Beasts.

If you happen to read my older posts, I have mentioned before that 2010 wasn't a great year for me and I have missed most films from those years. Fortunately, it's like an annual thing for me to watch Pokémon films and I did not drop Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010), watching it eventually at a later date. I was greatly impressed but that is not enough to conclude Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) is the best one out of the 22 films to date; especially as mentioned in my last post I wasn't as analytic and critical towards film as I am today back then. I also can't be reviewing a movie I have seen many years ago without watching it again right? 

Good news is, I am done rewatching all of them for my personal Pokémon Movie Marathon and I will be posting the rest soon. At the end of it, I will post a Worst to Best Pokémon films on Moviepilot so stay tune for it alright? I would like to reserve contents of that post for now but there is one thing I thought you ought to know; Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) is undeniably, one of the best theatrical film by Pokémon. It might probably even be the best. It wasn't my personal favorite before as I did not watch it as much as I did with the earlier films like Spell of Unown (2000) when I was a child but it is today!

Ash, Dawn and featured Pokémon.

Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) is different from all of Pokémon films. It isn't an odd one but a great one. It sets in a beautiful city yet it is environmentally friendly. What's more visually impressive are the amazing illusions created by Zoroark, the master of illusions itself, in a grand scale. Captivating and feasting the audiences eyes with all of that, the animated feature also has one of the most compelling plot for a family film. Though, it can be overwhelming as it can be dark but it is also heartwarming in the most subtle way! 

Particularly, the plot of this animated feature involves a lot of deception and it has realistic progression. It may also educate young audiences about mass media as it presents a clever media control and manipulation story. Then, its villain named Gring Kodai is certainly one of the most interesting villain created by the franchise. He has a strong and merciless personality but like every human in the world, he is never without his own flaws. In the end, it shows how pathetic some people can be due to greed and the lessons of the day? One should not damage the environment due to selfish reasons and forcibly separate the child from parents!

Zorua, Pikachu and friends.

If you must know or kind of know through reading, I can be quite hopeless for everything endearing. However, I understand that it's not the same for everyone but I must mention that Pokémon are lovely creatures in the anime and video games. They are not just pets but life long companion and it is quite fun to watch them. Then, the friendship between Pokémon are also genuinely so innocent and they often can be amusing. While it is unlikely for us to understand Pokénese fully, it is not difficult to understand these creatures as they are quite straightforward in their expressions. From the city's and (time) travelling Pokémon to shiny legendary and interesting new ones; there are just so many adorable Pokémon in this one! How not to feel delighted?

(Speaking of time travelling, this is another interesting time travel related story by Pokémon. It seems to be a follow up to Celebi: Voice of the Forest (2001) but it is not as the Celebi here is not the same one though they might know each other!)

Last movie starring Dawn. 

In brief, Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) is exceptionally satisfying. I am happy to report, this one is worth your time to watch and it is certainly ranked high among the best Pokémon films ever made. It can be the most outstanding, clever or emotional one out there as the creators of this animated feature clearly put a lot of effort into making this one. It all depends on yourself but in general, I am sure this one is great. Too bad, it is also the last one featuring Dawn because she is one of the most pleasant characters ever.

PS. This is the only Pokémon film I rated 9 stars.

Movie Ratings

Will write a page regarding this and add this to all animated feature entries in the future.

Who will like this?
Pokémon fans or not, you may find yourself liking this film if you watch it!

Details of the movie
Director: Kunihiko Yuyama
Producer: Takemoto Mori Choji Yoshikawa Yukio Kawasaki Junya Okamoto Shin Fukunaga
Story: Satoshi Tajiri, Ken Sugimori, Junichi Masuda
Screenplay: Hideki Sonoda
Cinematography: Takaya Mizutani
Music: Shinji Miyazaki
Studio: OLM, Inc.
Starring: Rica Matsumoto, Megumi Toyoguchi, Yūji Ueda, Ikue Ōtani
Full Credit: [IMDb]
Distributor: Toho, VIZ Media, Warner Bros.
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese, English
Genre: Family Fantasy
Running time: 96 mins
Budget: Not sure.
Box office: USD 71,143,529 est.

Official website(s)

http://www.pokemon.co.jp/

http://www.pokemon.com/us/

Related
All Pokémon Movies
OLM, Inc.
Rosalyn's Favorite
Rosalyn's Animated Movie Marathon

Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) Behind the Scenes
N/A

Favorite Movie Character

Zoroark is my favorite character in this one. She is amazing and great at creating illusions. I assumed it's a she because she has her own Zorua and it calls her Mima or something like that. It feels like mama or mami reversed. Zoroark is so strong as she is selfless. It was a pain to watch her being forced to do what she doesn't want and being forcibly separated from her child. She was blackmailed by the heartless villain. Fortunately she is fine in the end! T_T 

Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) Movie Quotes
Special thanks to Springfieldx2 for the movie transcript! Unfortunately, this post is incomplete and I will update this section at a later date as I am currently busy!

1. You sure this is the right way?
2. Of course I am, Ash.
3. And that means we're lost, right?
4. You know what, if we haven't gotten lost, we would never seen them.
5. So that means, we are lost, after all, right? You shouldn't tell a lie.
6. Point taken.
7. There's nothing brave about ganging up like that!
8. Bullying is wrong!
9. I wouldn't have needed your help, anyway.
10. That's telepathy.
11. Mima told me, I should never talk to strangers.
12. I'm going to save Mima.
13. Mima's Mima.
14. Mima was trying to protect me and wound up getting caught. Some really bad people brought us here from across the sea.
15. They put us on a flying boat.
16. You mean an airplane?
17. Then, I fell off the boat.
18. So you escaped.
19. All right, so I'll help you out.
20.  Ok, I guess, I can let you be my friends.
21. Zoroark, your mission begins. Go and show your illusions to the people of the city.
22. So, the Coronet Fighters are gonna win, for sure! Watch this. Coronet Fighters rock, roll, because they've got the winning heart and soul! Coronet Fighters in control!
23. Celebi has finally come back to the city!
24. It's been years, since all the all the cities trees and flowers were layed to waste.
25. Who's that Pokémon?
26. I'm clueless.
27. Take the form of Entei, Raikou and Suicune!
28. Strike fear into the hearts of the citizens!
29. Camera 1, zoom in on Suicune. And camera 2 on the fleeing people. Now, give me a composite shot.
30. I'm sure, you don't want me to hurt Zoroa.
31. Attention, all Crown City citizens! The following is an urgent communication from the Kodai Network Group. And now, here's president Grings Kodai.
32. I'd like to take this opportunity, to sincerely apologize to you all. The three legendary Pokémon, I've brought here for you, Entei, Raikou and Suicune, are now controlled by the evil Pokémon Zoroark. The legendary Pokémon are terrorizing your city! Your citizens are now in extreme danger! Again, my most sincere apologize. We will recapture them! That you can be sure of. But for now, I order all to leave the city.
33. Officer Jenny, you can't deny my access to your heart!
34. It's Zoroark. A bad Pokémon, controlling Entei, Raikou and Suicune as they wreak havoc in the city.
35. Legendary Pokémon are doing that?
36. It's true, I saw it with my own eyes! It's just horrible!
37. We're working hard to solve the problem, so, please, don't worry.
38. Zoroark is a Pokémon, raging with evil. We're in great danger here. Because of this, no one will be
39. allowed to enter the city, until recapture is complete. Zoroark.
40. Mima! That's my Mima!
41. Hold on! Your Mima's the Pokémon, Zoroark, who's terrorizing the city?
42. Mima escaped from the bad people and is looking for me! I'm sure of it!
43. Look, Kodai's the bad guy!
44. So, the bad person, you've been talking about, is the Kodai? 
45. -Hey, keep it down.
46. I wanna hear about it. All of it.
47. I really love my twin brother, but sometimes he'll just come out and say the craziest things.
48. My vision has become clouded! I must be reaching my limit!
49. The Time Ripple will be mine!
50. Faces of people, trying to...stop me.
51. So, Kodai was involved in the whole thing. Only thing we wanna do, is bring Zorua back to Zoroark and fast.
52. I'm gonna go find my Mima.

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