Jellyfish Eyes (Criterion Collection) (DVD, 2013)

Pokemon Meets Pacific Rim

The film takes place in a town where victims of the Fukushima Reactor Meltdown had been relocated. The hero of the story, Masaki, discovered a strange little animal he names Kurage-Bo, or Jellyfish Boy. They quickly become friends, and when he goes to school, he finds out that almost everyone has one, but while he and Kurage-Bo just want to have fun together, the other students like to fight their strange animal friends.

The one exception is his new friend Saki, who chooses not to fight her friend Luxor (a bipedal, seven-foot-tall shaggy dog). Together, Masaki and Saki learn that the creatures, or Friends" are being used to gather negative energies from the children to open a dimensional rift and release a particularly nasty creature (Where's Gypsy Danger when we need her?). The children finally realize they're being used, and turn their Friends on the creature, but can a few dozen Pokemon type creatures defeat a Godzilla-Sized demon?

It's derivative, no doubt about it, but it is a cute film for kids and adults alike, and what the filmmakers managed to accomplish on a budget that wouldn't cover the cost of a typical modern TV commercial is nothing short of astonishing.

Fun light viewing, and well worth the $15.00 I paid for it.Read full review

Verified purchase:  Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: oddbanana