Pokémon 3: The Movie – Spell of the Unknown: Entei is a 2000 Japanese anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the third film in the Pokémon franchise. The film stars Veronica Taylor, Eric Stuart, Rechael Lillis and Madeleine Blaustein. The film centres around a lonely young girl whose dreams and wishes are brought to life due to reality warping Pokémon called unknown. I am not going to say that Pokémon 3 is a deep movie, however there is an interesting subtext to the film about the acceptance of reality and the dangers of hiding within a dream world created by your mind to cope with life.
The film starts on a surprisingly sad not with the backstory of one of the main protagonists in the film Molly coping with the death of her mother were the father reads her a story about Entai and the Unknown and then when researching them gets sucked into an unknown dimension. From the get-go the film carries a lot of physiological weight as when her father is sucked into the unknown dimension molly is left without a parental figure unable to grow up. Molly ultimately uses the power of the Unknown to create her own psychological world to hide herself in. Throughout the film the biggest obstacle in the way is that she cannot face the real world and grow up. Therefore, at the begging of the film when she is playing with the Unknown letters, she spells the words mum and dad. She has been ripped from her childhood to soon, not wanting to grow up but in a way forced to. Her phycological need for parenthood and childhood manifests in how she greets the Unknown in that she views them not with fear but with wonder. The crystal palace forms around her home. The palace acts as a metaphorical fortress for her mind a place that is both beautiful and childlike but cold and artificial. Entai is created due to molly need for comfort and parental figures she is creating her childlike fantasy because she cannot accept reality. Entai is used as symbol for her father as he is a figment of her imagination and therefore grants her everything. Throughout the film the crystal palace grows and grows as a way of coping with her trauma.
Within this film parental figures play a big part of the driving force of the story as Ash’s relationship with his mum Delia as well as Molly’s relationship with her dad and ash’s mum and the relationship with molly’s dad makes this the most personal journey for the characters. Molly ultimately creates a form of jealously for not having a mother. This is funny since Ash doesn’t have a dad making Ash and Molly metaphorical opposites and opposing forces within the film. Entai blindly obeys Molly because he is reality a figment of her imagination, she is imagining what her idea father would be like and as shown in the film spoiling a child is a bad thing. Entai hypnotises Ash’s mother into believing she is Molly’s mum and kidnaps her. Not only does this make Ash’s journey more personal but the symbolism of mothers is a theme throughout the film. The film ultimately showcases that children need real parental figures in their lives to set boundaries for them and help them grow up.
Therefore, Molly attaches herself onto Ash’s mum, she needs parental protection from the real world as she is just a child. This is ultimately shown through the creation of Molly’s new world. An imposing ice diamond fortress a place both beautiful yet cold and artificial, a place created by molly in her subconscious manifested to protect her from the real world. This is further illustrated when Molly uses her childlike emotions to destroy a bulldozer and make the crystal fortress even more impenetrable as again, she is a child with no parental boundaries and is ultimately scared to face reality. Molly ultimately does not want the destruction of their isolation and wishes for a dream world outside of reality, Entai obliges this by acting as an inappropriate father figure that does not set boundaries, however Molly also has a childlike innocence to her not realising what is happening.
Delia subconsciously recognises Ash reenforcing the idea parental and maternal links are important to the growth of a child. Within the film the unknown read molly emotions and create a reality a protective fortress to hide her from her dead mum and lost father, and it is from this the Unknown creates realities based on Molly’s subconscious. Later, in the film Molly becomes older to battle Brock and Misty. Molly becoming older links to a sort of puberty metaphor in that she subconsciously understands she must grow up to face the real world but by doing so artificially she will never be able to create it. The idea of Molly having strong Pokémon links to the idea of everything being an article dream world hence why she can beat misty with no training. Molly’s loneliness causes her fear of reality and abandonment causing the creating of her artificial world. There is a nice little moment in the conversation between Molly and Misty were before the battel Molly finds out she doesn’t have to be an adult to be a gym leader as the film shows that the real world is slowly affecting her. With Molly making herself older, she is showing the psychic projection of her idolised self. Molly then uses water Pokémon and making a breathable ocean linking to the idea of everything being a part of Molly’s subconscious, a dream world for her to hide away from reality with is again how she can beat Misty.
When Ash saves his mum Molly cannot understand her mum being Ashes mum. She cannot face her has reality hence why the Unknown manifest spikes to protect her from reality as she can’t comprehend the loss of her father. She envisions stuff in her picture book and manifest it as reality as a coping mechanism. The subservient Entai is a manifestation of the perfect father figure to protect her form the harsh reality of life. Molly produces spikes to stop Ash as the unknown activate again showing that Molly cannot accept reality as she is still just a child. Entai truly believes himself to be Molly’s father and will do anything for her showing how powerful her emotions are. The film is ultimately about Molly struggling to come to terms with the loss of her family and the slow realisation that she cannot hide from reality. The film is ultimately about an emotionally damaged young girl who cannot accept reality.
Entai cares for Molly like a father but to the extreme. As through Molly’s mind Entai is a protective father acting like her real father protecting her from a reality she must face. In the climax Molly finally accepts reality choosing a life that is hard but real and by thinking about her real dad accepts reality as shown by the destruction of the dream world. The Unknown has absorbed so much psychic energy through Molly’s damaged subconscious they are out of control. Moly uses her belief in Entai fuelled by the physic power of the Unknown that he can destroy them, in a nice moment showing Entai does genially care for Molly, as though Molly’s subconscious the Unknown are destroyed. Entai however must then also go away as he was a part of Molly’s subconscious created by the Unknown. At the end of the film Molly finally accepts reality as shown by the destruction of the diamond fortress disappearing to showcase the real world and Molly’s father reappearing.
Pokemon 3: The Movie is about accepting reality for what it is. It demonstrates that although the world can be hash and scary you cannot live inside a dream world, and you must face your problems head on to truly live.