Let me start with the basic truth: in order to really enjoy this movie, you need to already be a fan of the television cartoon on which this show was based.
Now, I'm not saying that you won't enjoy the movie if you don't eagerly run downstairs every morning to see what the Digidestined are up to. I'm just saying that it would help a lot if you went into the theatre with a bit of foreknowledge. Lacking that, you should bring a Digifan along to sit next to you and answer your questions. Any 8 to 10 year old boy should suffice. (Or a 26-year old like myself... I'll even buy my own popcorn!)
A primer: Digimon (whose creation actually predates that of Pokemon's...) are basically digital creatures who can evolve (or digivolve). A select group of children from earth (the Digidestined) are given Digivices and are transported to the Digiworld. The Digiworld is a realm created from the computer data generated in the real world. There, the Digidestined and their friends, the good Digimon, fight evil Digimon in order to save the real world.
In Digimon, the prefix "Digi" is used much like the word "smurf" was used in The Smurfs television show - basically, anywhere possible.
Lost yet?
If you are, Digimon: The Movie begins with a short history of events that precede the television show. In Part one, Tai and his sister Kari befriend a Digimon that appears out of their dad's computer, and the Digimon digivolves to protect the kids from an evil parrot-like monster. With voiceovers from an older Kari, this brief story should explain some things for you.
Unfortunately, that person sitting next to you who was supposed to be answering all your questions will be squirming in his seat. See, this beginning sequence contradicts events as told in the television series. All you can do is pat your friend reassuringly; they'll have plenty to explain in the next section of the movie.
Part two of Digimon: The Movie acts as a bridge between the first and second seasons of the television series. This is undoubtedly the most entertaining section of the movie. An evil, virus-infected Digimon is loose on the Internet, and begins to wipe out data world-wide in a search for its creator. That creator is apparently a boy in Colorado, a new character who has not been introduced in the TV series yet.
The Digidestined race to save the world's technology as the evil Digimon devours information, bringing down phone systems and launching a nuclear strike. After uploading their Digimon to computer networks, the kids encourage their digital friends in their battles against this strange new opponent. They are hampered by a uniquely digital phenomenon that everyone in the net has experienced - net lag. Their solution to this problem will be appreciated by everyone who's ever downloaded their mail, only to find it full of spam.
Questions to ask your seat mate: "Who is that?" (Numerous characters from the TV series make only brief, unexplained cameos.) "Where did he come from?" (As the Digimon digivolve, you'll need help keeping track of who each Digimon used to be, since their names change along with their forms.) "Whoa. What just happened?" (The climax of the battle is fought by two Digimon who digi-... oh, I can't tell you that. But it's neat. Trust me.)
After the fireworks of the second part die down, I was prepared to put on my coat and leave. But the movie continued. This is where the kids cheer ("Yay! It's not over!") and the parents groan. ("Oh. It's not over yet?")
Part three occurs sometime during or after the second season of the TV series, or about four years later. A whole new set of characters is introduced, giving you even more chances to quiz your Digifan. This section of the movie make a half-hearted attempt at resolving some of the plot questions that the second section raised, but doesn't nearly succeed. In fact, it only gave me more questions.
I had guessed that the mysterious boy in Colorado had created the evil, Internet-eating Digimon. But the movie glossed over that, focusing on another problem that boy had - a rogue Digimon that seemed intent on destroying him. The new Digidestined come to his rescue, and the final solution left me scratching my head. Some new forms of already familiar Digimon were shown, but other than that I was left feeling cheated.
The animation flowed better than that of the TV series, but one thing was glaringly obvious: the movie was blown up to fill the big screen. This film is actually two short movies produced for TV, stitched together and enlarged. I was disappointed in the quality of the overall look of the movie, but it was more consistent than the original Pokemon movie. The sound track, too, seemed off. I enjoyed the music, but some of it didn't seem to fit the movie.
One of the main concerns that parents might have is the violence in the movie, for which it was given a PG rating. There is lots of bashing and slashing and blasting between Digimon, and a few buildings are knocked over. If parents think that their kids could handle watching an old Godzilla movie, then the kids should be fine watching this movie. And no one gets squished (except the bad Digimon, of course).
If you aren't a Digifan yourself, listen to the one sitting next to you and ask a lot of questions. They can help you enjoy this little trip to the Digiworld. And if that doesn't help, just remember that the movie is only 89 minutes long. But just think... The second movie might be longer!
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