# Digimon: The Movie (2000)

### reviewed by
Steve Rhodes

    DIGIMON: THE MOVIE
    A film review by Steve Rhodes
    Copyright 2000 Steve Rhodes
    RATING (0 TO ****):  * 1/2

"There are actually two worlds -- our world and the digital world," explains the narrator of DIGIMON: THE MOVIE. "But don't plan a vacation there since I don't even know where it is." Finding out where it is will be the least of your problems since the movie's plot is about as clear as one of those obscure "illegal instruction" error message that your computer spits at you when it's angry. In a movie designed solely for its fans who possess the magic, mental decoder ring, they alone will be able to decipher it. And with the attraction of free trading cards -- while supplies last -- they will probably be going in droves as they did to the POKEMON movies, which featured the same come-on gimmick.

Speaking of the POKEMON movies, my wife said that she thought that she would never say it, but she found both of the POKEMON movies were superior to the DIGIMON one. My son, however, disagrees, but he'll get his chance to chime in at usual spot at the end of the review.

Digimon are "digital monster" pets kept by human, mainly Japanese, kids. Most kids have only one, but there's this one kid in Colorado who is the lucky owner of two digimon. The pets can do everything from pooping on the rug to launching nuclear weapons. When they evolve, called digivolving, they cause such an electrical surge that it disrupts all of the electrical appliances in the city.

The film's animation is second rate with dull colors and fuzzy drawing. Neither this, nor the lackluster music, can compensate for the story's confusion. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that I cheated! A couple of times I had to lean over and ask my son, a Digimon aficionado, who was who, since most of the characters are so similarly drawn.

The best parts of the movie are a few funny lines, although some are unintentionally so, such as, "Diabormon is eating the Internet!" When disaster strikes, Tai (Joshua Seth) tells Izzy (Mona Marshall), "Maybe we should call someone important like the president or Bill Gates." The best comes when Izzy asks Tai, in disgust at his lack of knowledge, "Do you know what a semiconductor is?" "Someone who works part-time at the railroad?" Tai guesses.

Izzy's idea of a good time, we are told, "is trying to upgrade his computer." Unless you are already a knowledgeable Digimon fan, pass on the movie and have more fun by upgrading your computer. Trust me, upgrading, probably not your idea of a good time, will be much more enjoyable.

DIGIMON: THE MOVIE runs 1:29, but it'll feel much longer. It is rated PG for action violence and would be acceptable for all ages.

My son Jeffrey, age 11, gave the movie ****. He said he liked everything about it except for the digivolving part, which went too fast.

Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com

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