Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie

Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie (劇場版カードキャプターさくら Gekijōban Kādokyaputā Sakura) is a 1999 Japanese anime film directed by Morio Asaka and produced by Madhouse and Bandai Visual. The film is based on the anime television series adaptation of Clamp's Cardcaptor Sakura manga series. Written by Nanase Ohkawa, Clamp's head writer, it was released in Japanese theaters on August 21, 1999. It won the Feature Film Award at the 1999 Animation Kobe. Set between the first and second seasons of the television series, the film shows Sakura and her friends going to Hong Kong where they encounter a vengeful spirit who was hurt by Clow Reed in the past.

The film was released on May 26, 2000 in the United States by Universal Pictures under their Skyscore Movies label. It received positive reviews from critics and grossed $85.9 million over a $41 million budget. It was nominated for two awards (including Best Original Song) at the 73rd Academy Awards. Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card followed in 2000 in Japan, and in 2003 in the United States as a direct-to-video sequel.

Plot
Sakura Kinomoto, Cardcaptor of the Clow Cards, successfully seals the Arrow Card with help from her friends Syaoran Li, Kero, Tomoyo Daidoji, and Meiling Li. That night, Sakura experiences a strange dream where two pieces of cloth pull her underwater. After school ends for spring break, Sakura and Tomoyo visit the "Twin Bells" shop where Sakura participates in a lottery to win a vacation to Hong Kong. As Sakura reaches for a lottery ball, one magically flies into her hand, the winning ball for the vacation. Sakura goes with Tomoyo, Kero, her big brother Toya and his best friend Yukito Tsukishiro, who Sakura has a crush on.

The group tour the city but Sakura experiences the dream again which this time features two malevolent birds and a mysterious woman sports the floating cloths. During a tour of the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden (also referred to as "Bird Street"), Sakura spots the two birds and pursues them across the city, finding an old water well where the clothes emerge and hypnotise her. As Sakura is drawn towards the well, Syaoran appears and scares the birds away. Reuniting with the others including Meiling, Sakura is taken to the Li family estate where she meets Syaoran's eccentric sisters and his mother Yelan, a powerful sorceress who senses Sakura is in danger. Staying for the night, Sakura experiences the dream again where the woman attacks her. Yelan takes Sakura outside and warns her that the woman is extremely powerful and is deliberately contacting Sakura. The next day, Syaoran and Meiling are forced to accompany Sakura and co. around Hong Kong should something happen.

Sakura spots the birds again and pursues them with Kero. They chase them down to an antiques store, where they come across an old book that has a picture of the woman on the cover. Sakura is hypnotised again and opens the book before her friends, flooding the shop and transporting the group to another dimension where the woman dwells. The birds are revealed to be her cloths. The woman, actually a sorceress referred to as Madoushi (named "Su Yung" in the English dub), attacks Sakura in rage, believing she had summoned Clow Reed, creator of the Clow Cards. Sakura discovers that her friends, except for Syaoran, have been taken prisoner, and Madoushi demands Clow comes in exchange for their freedom. Syaoran distracts Madoushi so Sakura can rescue Tomoyo but is captured as well. Sakura escapes with Kero and Tomoyo back to the antiques store, but find the book has vanished. Kero realises he knows Madoushi, a fortune teller who was unintentionally put out of business by Clow when his predictions turned out to be more accurate than hers, then she challenged him to one fight after another and her hatred bound her to another dimension (In the dub, Clow fell in love with her and taught her magic. But she used them for evil and was imprisoned in another dimension by Clow,) but is likely unaware she is a spirit. Sakura realises the well appeared on the book cover and it is another entrance to Madoushi's prison.

Going to the well, Sakura encounters Yelan who breaks the shield surrounding the well to allow Sakura and Kero to enter. Sakura confronts Madoushi who uses the magic of Sakura's friends to escape her prison but is shocked by Hong Kong's appearance. Sakura and Kero follow, but Madoushi captures Sakura and holds her prisoner. When Sakura tells her of Clow's passing, Madoushi angrily tries to drown Sakura by trapping her in a flooded skyscraper with her cloths. Sakura uses the Arrow Card to escape and she confronts Madoushi, sympathising with the sorceress and confirms Clow is dead. Madoushi dissolves into water, passing on, but releases Sakura's friends. While Toya and Yukito have no memory of what happened, Sakura tells Tomoyo and Kero they may have to visit Hong Kong again in the future.

Voice cast
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Production
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Release
The American version of Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie was originally set to be released by Universal Pictures in North America on July 21, 2000, but it was pushed two months back. The film was released in the United States on May 26, 2000.

Home media
Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie was released on VHS, LD and DVD in Japan by Bandai Visual on February 25, 2000. The film was re-released on November 25, 2000 on VHS, May 25, 2007 on DVD in a two-disc set with Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card, and on December 22, 2009 on DVD.

In North America, the film was released on DVD and VHS by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on November 21, 2000. A two-disc special edition of the film was released on April 21, 2005, along with a two-disc special edition of the second movie.

Box office
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Critical reception
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