The latest entry in the slowed-but-far-from-stopped cartoon/game/film/you-name-it franchise, Pokémon 3: The Movie stands out as a decided improvement over its predecessors. Of course, "improvement" functions here as an extremely relative term. Though it still pauses every 10 minutes or so to introduce new, merchandisable Pokébeasts, P3TM does sport more than a semblance of a story and, in isolated moments, features the series' most creative visuals to date. Pokémon's core audience of formula-hungry pre-teen consumers attached to the bargain-basement blink-and-shift animation need not worry, nor should fans of the series' half-hearted commitment to plot development. The narrative, in which a despondent girl uses ancient Pokécreatures to turn the world into a fantasy kingdom, frequently takes a backseat to the usual antics of Ash, Pikachu, the foppish creeps of Team Rocket, and the usual gang. Those dragged to another frigging Pokémon movie, however, should at least take comfort in the few moments smoothly imported from Princess Mononoke and old Star Trek reruns and, as usual, the merciful running time. The accompanying short, Pikachu And Pichu, continues its predecessors' tradition of colorful neurasthenia as entertainment.