Pokémon 3: The Ultimate Soundtrack

Pokémon 3: The Movie

Company type	Animated film
Industry	Entertainment, Animation
Founded	July 8, 2000 (2000-07-08) (Japanese release)
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Animated feature film
Parent	Pokémon franchise

Pokémon 3: The Movie is a 2000 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, serving as the third entry in the Pokémon series. The movie features voice performances from Rica Matsumoto, Ikue Ōtani, Mayumi Iizuka, Yūji Ueda, Megumi Hayashibara, Shin-ichiro Miki, among others. The storyline centers on Ash Ketchum and his companions as they strive to rescue Molly Hale and Ash's mother, Delia Ketchum, from an illusion brought about by the Legendary Pokémon Entei.

This installment was the franchise’s inaugural release in an IMAX theater, incorporating crystallization effects and the Pokémon Unown to deliver striking 3D visuals. Additionally, it was the final Pokémon film distributed internationally by Warner Bros. Pictures until the 2019 release of Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. The original Japanese opening song is OK! 2000 performed by Rica Matsumoto, with the closing theme The Day a Rainbow Was Born (Niji ga Umareta hi) sung by Kumiko Mori. The English adaptation features "Pokemon Johto" by PJ Lequerica as its opening track and "To Know the Unknown" by Innosense as the ending theme.

Plot

In the town of Greenfield, Professor Spencer Hale conducts research on the enigmatic Pokémon called Unown. After uncovering ancient ruins, Hale is drawn into the Unown dimension, leaving his daughter Molly alone since her mother had vanished earlier. Molly discovers tablets inscribed with Unown symbols and assembles them, summoning the Unown who use their abilities to transform her home into a crystal palace that isolates the entire town. An illusory Entei appears, acting as a paternal figure for Molly.

During this crystallization event, Ash Ketchum and his friends encounter trainer Lisa in Greenfield. They reunite with Professor Oak and Ash’s mother, Delia, who have come to aid due to their ties with the Hale family. Entei abducts Delia, hypnotizing her into believing she is Molly’s mother. Ash, Misty, Brock, and their Pokémon embark on a mission to save Delia, using a PokéGear given by Lisa to stay in contact with Oak and Skyler. Meanwhile, Team Rocket attempts to investigate but is driven off by Entei.

Molly watches Ash’s Pokémon battles on television and drifts off to sleep, envisioning herself as a Trainer; Delia regains consciousness when she sees Ash on screen. Entei conjures a dream-version of Molly who battles Brock and Misty’s Pokémon. Ash locates Molly and Delia, but Molly refuses to leave, causing the Unown to resist their departure. Entei fights Ash, defeating his Pokémon and nearly injuring him and Pikachu until Charizard arrives from Charicific Valley to intervene. Entei then duels Charizard; however, Molly persuades him to cease fighting by accepting her pain and agreeing to depart.

The Unown lose control of their powers and trap everyone inside the mansion. Pikachu and Charizard attempt to break through the forcefield but fail until Entei joins forces with them; together they shatter the barrier with Molly’s assistance. Entei sacrifices himself as the Unown return to their own dimension, reversing their effects and restoring Professor Hale at the ruins.

Outside, Oak, Skyler, Lisa, and others welcome the group back. Team Rocket evades capture but vows to continue their pursuit of Pokémon. Charizard and Lisa leave alongside Ash’s group, while Molly reunites with her biological parents.

Cast

Character	Japanese	English
Ash Ketchum (Satoshi)	Rica Matsumoto	Veronica Taylor
Pikachu	Ikue Otani
Misty (Kasumi)	Mayumi Iizuka	Rachael Lillis
Brock (Takeshi)	Yuuji Ueda	Eric Stuart
Narrator	Unsho Ishizuka	Ken Gates
Togepi (Togepy)	Satomi Korogi
Jessie (Musashi)	Megumi Hayashibara	Rachael Lillis
James (Kojiro)	Shin-ichiroh Miki	Eric Stuart
Meowth (Nyarth)	Inuko Inuyama	Maddie Blaustein
Entei	Naoto Takenaka	Dan Green
Spencer Hale (Sully Snowdon)
Molly Hale (Me Snowdon)	Akiko Yajima	Amy Birnbaum
Lisa (Rin)	Ai Kato	Lisa Ortiz
Schuyler (John)	Hirohide Yakumaru	Ted Lewis
Delia Ketchum (Hanako)	Masami Toyoshima	Veronica Taylor
Professor Samuel Oak (Dr. Yukinari Okido)	Unshō Ishizuka	Stuart Zagnit
Tracey Sketchit (Kenji)	Tomokazu Seki	Ted Lewis
Officer Jenny (Junsar)*	Chinami Nishimura	Lee Quick
David	Kōichi Yamadera	Peter R. Bird

• Although Officer Jenny appears prominently, she does not have any spoken lines in the movie.

Theatrical run

Pokémon 3: The Movie was first shown in Japanese cinemas on July 8, 2000, with distribution handled by Toho. The English adaptation, created by Nintendo and 4Kids Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures through their Kids' WB and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment divisions, debuted in North America on April 6, 2001. The film's plot corresponds with the finale of the third season of Pokémon: The Johto Journeys.

Home media

The movie became available on VHS and DVD formats starting August 21, 2001. On February 9, 2016, a limited edition Blu-ray Steelbook set containing the first three Pokémon films, including this one, was released. To celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary, a digitally remastered edition was made accessible on platforms such as iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play from February 27, 2016.

Box office

During its theatrical screening, select venues provided exclusive Pokémon trading cards to capitalize on the popularity of the trading card game.

In Japan, Pokémon 3: The Movie premiered on July 8, 2000, with a runtime of 74 minutes. It ranked as the third highest-grossing film domestically that year, trailing only Mission: Impossible 2 and The Green Mile, accumulating roughly .

When released in the United States on April 6, 2001, it opened at fourth place, earning $8.24 million across 2,675 theaters—less than half the earnings of the top-ranking film Spy Kids. Although it did not match the financial success of previous Pokémon movies in North America, it still garnered $17 million over a ten-week period.

Internationally, the movie generated $4.6 million across five countries, including $2.7 million from Germany and $714,000 from the United Kingdom. Combined with domestic earnings outside Japan, the total international box office exceeded $21.6 million. Overall global revenue from theaters reached approximately .

Critical reception

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a 20% approval rating derived from 55 critic reviews, with an average rating of 4.01 out of 10. The general consensus acknowledges an improved storyline compared to earlier installments but suggests the film primarily appeals to established fans of the franchise.

On Metacritic, the film received a score of 22 out of 100 based on 18 critic evaluations, reflecting predominantly negative feedback. In contrast, audience surveys conducted by CinemaScore awarded the movie an "A−" grade on their A+ to F scale.

Soundtrack

Pokémon 3: The Ultimate Soundtrack serves as the official soundtrack for both the third television series and the movie, released on April 3, 2001, through Koch Records in Audio CD and cassette formats. While numerous tracks also appeared on Totally Pokémon, which was distributed exclusively in North America and Australia, this particular album was aimed at European consumers. Australian versions included an additional disc featuring the score from Pokémon: The Movie 2000, which was also available separately worldwide. The Japanese and English editions differ in track listings; original film music was composed by Shinji Miyazaki, whereas Ralph Schuckett produced the scores for both the international release and the Japanese DVD.

The soundtrack highlights "To Know the Unknown" performed by the girl group Innosense, with tracks 13 through 15 presented as karaoke renditions. Additionally, it contains two Pokémon-related videos—the Pokérap and a scene from the film—that can be accessed via computer.

See also

• List of films based on video games