Very pleasantly surprised by this film! For me, it's objectively the best since the 5th movie based on Latias and Latios, about which I had also written a review. One thing I have often criticized about Pokémon movies up until now is that they fail to fully realize their ideas. They limit many aspects to maintain Pokémon's family-friendly spirit, avoiding complex plots to not overwhelm the younger audience with too much information. And it's a shame! Each film had great potential and good ideas, but none have exploited them as well as the 5th film and this 9th film. The story is beautiful, moving, even touching. Like everyfilm, the story centers on a Pokémon, in this case, Manaphy takes the spotlight. Manaphy is not as flashy as Jirachi or Deoxys, the Pokémon featured in the 6th and 7th films, but perhaps that’s precisely why this film succeeds. In my opinion, Pokémon movies tend to focus too much on the Pokémon they want to highlight. They try to find a story that showcases the Pokémon in question, which is not the case with this 9th film. Yes, the story centers on Manaphy, but everything doesn’t revolve around him. Manaphy contributes something to the story, and the story contributes something to Manaphy. The two combine to enrich the film's universe and plot, and that, to me, is the biggest difference from previous films. They are not trying to sell us a Pokémon and force us to like it; they are telling us its story and what surrounds it.

I also found that this film had a good balance of screen time between the trainers/humans and the Pokémon. One does not overshadow the other; both have their impact on the story, a perfect balance!

The animation is also a great success. I was surprised by the risks taken for a 2006 film, but without overdoing it. For example, the 4th film about Celebi overused 3D, making it quite ugly. This film managed to be innovative, did beautiful things, without trying to surpass the technological possibilities of its time.

I highly recommend watching this film. It may not be the most appealing when judging by the title or cover image, but you won't regret taking the time to watch it!
For the best chronological fit, you can watch it between episodes 182 and 183 of Pokémon Advanced Generation!