Synopsis:
Sakura Kinomoto, otherwise known as Cardcaptor Sakura, is being haunted by a strange woman in her dreams lately. By some stroke of luck, Sakura manages to win a free trip to Hong Kong in a lucky draw. But as soon as Sakura and the gang arrive in HK, Kero-chan feels an ominous presence beckoning them. Looks like luck wasn't what brought them to HK, but something more ancient and powerful...

Review:
Being a fan of the Cardcaptor Sakura TV series, I was naturally looking forward to the prospect of a Cardcaptor Sakura movie. Sad to say, Cardcaptor Sakura the Movie 1 is a disappointment. I even dozed off a couple of times due to the sluggish pacing and general lack of excitement. I strongly suggest you stop reading at this point if you don't want to see spoilers.

Anyways, a seemingly vengeful female spirit is looking for Clow. But, she unwittingly summons Sakura and company in the process. After some havoc ensues, Sakura finds that she must somehow make the spirit realize that Clow has long been dead and gone. When things are finally resolved, the kiddies find out that the woman wasn't really out for blood -- she had been in love with Clow the whole time. How romantic. *Yawn* That's the whole of Cardcaptor Sakura the Movie 1 for you. While the story had potential, it was a bore to watch because it was stretched to the limit. It could have fit in a 30 to 45 minute TV or OAV ep, but they released it as a full-length movie. The usual Cardcaptor Sakura humor you see on the TV series is also nowhere to be found, which made things even duller. The art and animation are just fabulous, as is the case with the TV series. I only wish I could say the same for the movie as a whole.

Miscellanies:
You're not going to miss anything if you miss this. Just watch the second movie.

Screenshots:

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AnimeNation - Cardcaptor Sakura the Movie 1 (DVD)
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