Pokemon - Show Time! (Vol. 23) [VHS]
Could this be the beginning of a kinder, gentler Pokémon? Rather  than the usual battles of the pocket monsters between Ash and the sordid Team Rocket, a love story of sorts has descended upon Viridian City in this latest trio of adventures from the popular television series. In the first episode, it's "Lights, Camera, Quack-tion" when a famous movie director, Mister Spielbunk, shows up to shoot a movie about two love-struck  Pokémon. As Misty, Ash, and Brock dream of stardom, the question remains,  "Which Pokémon will get the starring role?" Will it be brain-impaired  Psyduck or the mighty Meowth? This cliffhanger continues in the second episode,  "Go West, Young Meowth," when it's off to Hollywood for our favorite  Pokémon feline. We discover that years prior, Meowth lived, and loved, in Tinseltown; now we find out who stole his heart, and how he joined Team Rocket. Meowth's tale of love is bittersweet, "like a cheap chocolate bar," he cries. Things get even richer in the final segment, "To Master the Onixpected" when Ash learns the real secret of Pokémon after spending  time with Bruno, an Elite Four Pokémon master. Rumor has it that to  become the biggest, baddest Pokémon trainer, one must defeat the ominous  Onix. Ash learns the truth of the Pokémon power, which has more to do  with kindness than bravado. Though there are still moments of derring-do, this  may be the gentlest of Pokémon flicks, and a good choice for the  uninitiated viewer. Parents concerned about imitative behavior (like slap  attacks) should remain cautious. (Ages 4 to 10).--Lynn Gibson