Digimon: The Movie MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +3 Content: -2

The Pokmon craze has a serious challenger in a new TV and movie phenomenon, also originating in Japan. The Digimon media and retail powerhouse is sweeping the U.S. and other countries. In the U.S., the Digimon: Digital Monsters TV series is the number one rated show on the Fox Kids network and also ran ahead of WBs Pokmon series among children 2- to 11-years-old in a recent TV rating period. Now, the first full-length Digimon movie will try to capture the fancy of Americas children. This new hour-and-a-half movie is similar to the Pokmon movies, with the lead characters being young children surrounded by many types of Digimon animals and monsters. Swept mysteriously into a digital world, the children help good Digimon overcome corrupt monsters to restore order in the Digiworld. In the new film story, a powerful new Digimon hatches from an egg and starts to consume data on the Internet, quickly evolving into a large monster. It then takes over the worldwide communication system and even prepares to launch missiles from the U.S. to Japan. Its up to the children, known as the DigiDestined heroes, to stop the highly destructive Internet Digimon. The colorful, animated battles and explosions, which permeate the storys non-stop action, are incredibly frantic, loud, and startling. It is difficult to imagine how young children could understand the plot of this incredibly fast-moving action film, but based on the success of the Digimon TV series, large numbers will probably flock to DIGIMON: THE MOVIE.

The Digimon animals and monsters do not appear to be occultic in nature, but only fantasy creatures with enormous strength and superhuman powers, although most of the monsters are shockingly hideous, frightening and incredibly destructive. They spew electric and fireballs from their mouths, destroying property of all kinds in fits of rage and anger. They make the Pokmon movies seem almost tame in comparison. However, no humans are injured nor any blood shed. Also, a clear distinction is made between the good and evil monsters with the good creatures triumphing in the end. Further, the theme of cooperation and teamwork is emphasized among the children as they risk their lives to save the world from the evil monsters. Befitting the PG-rating, no foul words are spoken and no sexual content or nudity is present. Still, the incessant, overpowering use of violent battles, explosions and property destruction is a blatant exploitation of violence to entertain and a prime example of entertainment that begins desensitizing children to violence at a young age. For that reason, we do not recommend DIGIMON: THE MOVIE.

Preview Reviewer: John Evans
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035