On October 8, 2021, a brand new Pokémon movie hit streaming service Netflix for all Pokémon lovers to enjoy. It's a very fun story with cute new characters, as well as a few fan favorites, that fans should enjoy. The vibe is very much Pokémon, but there's an extra element to the storytelling that also harks some other very familiar tones.
The film is called Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle. As the title would imply, it's a jungle setting with a brand new Pokémon taking the stage front and center: the Zarude. The Zarude are ape-like Pokémon that seem to rule the jungle. When one member of the tribe finds a human baby boy and decides to try and help him, he's then outcast from his tribe. As the years pass, Dada Zarude raises the baby boy as a Zarude with seemingly no issues until things start to unravel.
This plot of course harkens back memories of Disney's famous film, Tarzan. It's very much Tarzan meets Pokémon in its base plot. On top of that, there are a few other elements here that evoke some pretty significant Disney nostalgia. While one might assume that means this is a trainwreck, it for the most part really works in the film's favor and adds a new element to Pokémon.
As much as the general synopsis makes it seem like Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle would be a straight-up Tarzan ripoff, it really isn't. Yes, the primary character is a young boy named Koko who was raised by an ape and he does start to question his identity once he meets humans. But there is still very much a Pokémon spin on this movie, it's recognizable as having a typical Pokémon plot and villain, and fan-favorite characters like Ash and Team Rocket make appearances.
That being said, it does seem like they tried other Disney elements here. The story and progression of events is like a Disney narrative mixed with Pokémon characters and messages. The new characters feel so much like Disney characters. This is especially true for Dada Zarude and the Zarude tribe in general, and Koko. Koko is a young boy with a massive adventurous spirit. His motivations are incredibly pure, as all he wants to do is care for all the animals of the jungle. And he has a lovable animal sidekick in the form of a Skwovet.
While Koko fits all of the characteristics of a typical Disney hero, the Zarude are really where the Disney elements come through. On one hand, the film has Dada Zarude. He's a hard character who becomes changed by fatherhood. He's extremely protective and has tried his best with Koko, but also knows he can only do so much. And he would do anything for his family, he loves Koko deeply and it shows. This is a very typical Disney father, especially one from this sort of situation. The other hand features the Zarude tribe. They are very strong and quite brutish, with an elderly leader and hard rules. They shun Dada Zarude and Koko because they are fearful of humans, because of their differences. Disney movies often feature tribes or communities like this in films like Tarzan, Moana, and The Lion King.
Another element here that gives big Disney vibes is that the Zarude talk and in general are very humanized. This is a really different route for Pokémon to take because it's not normal to feature a lot of Pokémon that are talking or act like humans. Of course, it's extremely common for Disney to take this approach. Because Koko and the Zarude are the real stars of the film, it wouldn't have made sense to have the Zarude be silent and grunting for the whole movie. That would have probably been really boring. Giving them the ability to use speech allows for each Zarude to have a very distinct personality, as well as the ability to develop a dynamic within the group.
The Disney elements are subtle and are incorporated in a way that doesn't feel like a copycat, and still feels like Pokémon. Maintaining that style and recognition is really important to honor fans and for brand recognition. That being said, including these elements and changing things up a bit is really beneficial for this film and this story. It allows them to tell a story and introduce new characters that normally wouldn't get the spotlight in the Pokémon anime. In changing things just a little, it also keeps things more fresh and interesting for a new audience that might be finding Pokémon for the first time on Netflix. It's one of the rare cases where taking cues from another company has paid off, and made for a really solid watch that will appeal to a lot of people.