| Pokémon the Movie Black—Victini and Reshiram White—Victini and Zekrom |
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|---|---|
The dual movie poster. |
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| Directed by | Kunihiko Yuyama |
| Produced by | Takemoto Mori Choji Yoshikawa Yukio Kawasaki Junya Okamoto Koichi Kawase |
| Screenplay by | Hideki Sonoda |
| Based on | Pokémon: Black & White by Satoshi Tajiri Ken Sugimori Junichi Masuda |
| Narrated by | Unshō Ishizuka |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Shinji Miyazaki |
| Studio | OLM, Inc. |
| Distributed by | Toho |
| Release date(s) | July 16, 2011 |
| Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Box office | $53,387,786[1] |
Pokémon the Movie: Black—Victini and Reshiram and Pokémon the Movie: White—Victini and Zekrom, originally released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! The Movie: Victini and the White Hero: Reshiram (劇場版ポケットモンスター ベストウイッシュ ビクティニと白き英雄 レシラム Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā Besuto Uisshu Bikutini to Shiroki Eiyū Reshiramu) and Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! The Movie: Victini and the Black Hero: Zekrom (劇場版ポケットモンスター ベストウイッシュ ビクティニと黒き英雄 ゼクロム Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā Besuto Uisshu Bikutini to Kuroki Eiyū Zekuromu), respectively, are the two versions of the fourteenth film in the Pokémon anime series. They were released on July 16, 2011 in Japan. The movies feature Victini the Victory Pokémon, as revealed during a preview shown at the end of the last movie Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions, as well as the Vast White/White Yang Pokémon Reshiram and the Deep Black/Black Yin Pokémon Zekrom. A subsequent trailer for the films prominently features Zekrom and Victini. Up until February 14, 2011, only the version featuring Zekrom was being promoted. On February 15, 2011, it was announced that a second film featuring Reshiram would be released simultaneously in theaters with the Zekrom film. The plots of both films are similar up until Reshiram and Zekrom enter the story of each film.
The two sides of Every Little Thing's double A-side single "Sora/Koe" (宙 -そら-/響 -こえ-, lit. "Air/Voice") serve as the ending songs for the two films;[2] "Sora" is the theme for the Zekrom version and "Koe" is the theme for the Reshiram version.[3]
Pokémon The Movie: White—Victini and Zekrom was scheduled to receive a limited theatrical release in America by the digital cinema developer and distributor, Cinedigm, on December 3 and 4, 2011, making it the first Pokémon film to be screened in American theatres since Pokémon Heroes. Any person that attended on the day of the movie was to receive a free limited edition Pokémon gift pack containing instructions how to obtain Victini, a PokéDex 3D card of Victini, a limited edition, super sized Victini TCG Card, a Pokémon the Movie: White sticker, and a Pokémon Black and White Bonus Manga Sampler.[4][5] Some theaters did not receive the packages and audience members had to request the pack online afterwards.[6] Pokémon The Movie: Black—Victini and Reshiram aired on Cartoon Network on December 10 and 11, 2011.[7]
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The production team visited locations of the Alpes-Maritimes department of Southern France, including Nice,[8] Gourdon,[9] Tourrettes-sur-Loup,[10][11] Èze,[12] Roquebrune-Cap-Martin,[13][14] Sainte-Agnès, Peillon, and Cagnes-sur-Mer,[15][16] as well as visits to the French Riviera, Normandy, Paris,[17] and Mont Saint-Michel,[18] as inspiration for the setting of the films.
To promote the films in Japan, players of Pokémon Black and White were able to download a Victini for their games. This Victini was different from the one that was given to initially promote the video games' release, as it was given several attacks that it would not be able to learn throughout normal gameplay. This included its signature moves Searing Shot and V-Create (unobtainable in gameplay), as well as Reshiram and Zekrom's unique moves Fusion Flare and Fusion Bolt.
To promote the movie release in the US, it was announced on the official Pokémon website that starting on December 3, 2011 to December 31, 2011, players of Pokémon Black and White can download Vicitini to their games through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.[19] A sweepstakes is also taking place on the official site as a promotion for the movie.[20]
The Kingdom of the People of the Vale (大地の民の王国 Daichi no Tami no Ōkoku) once ruled over the land, but now all that remains is the Sword of the Vale (大地の剣 Daichi no Tsurugi) in the city of Eindoak (アイントオーク Aintoōku). Ash, Iris, and Cilan arrive in Eindoak during a harvest festival's Pokémon Tournament and meet the legendary Pokémon Victini who wishes to share its powers of victory to someone. Elsewhere in the city, a descendant of the People of the Vale named Damon has arrived who seeks to revive the kingdom's power with the Sword of the Vale, bringing them back into power over the land, and Ash and his friends must stop him before he destroys the land along with Victini.
| Character | Voice Actor (Japanese) | Voice Actor (English) |
|---|---|---|
| Satoshi/Ash | Rica Matsumoto | Sarah Natochenny |
| Pikachu | Ikue Ōtani | Ikue Ōtani |
| Iris | Aoi Yūki | Eileen Stevens |
| Dent/Cilan | Mamoru Miyano | Jason Griffith |
| Musashi/Jessie | Megumi Hayashibara | Michele Knotz |
| Kojirō/James | Shinichirō Miki | Carter Cathcart |
| Nyarth/Meowth | Inuko Inuyama | Carter Cathcart |
| Narrator | Unshō Ishizuka | Ken Gates |