Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You Analysis and Review (Spoiler Alert)

"Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You" is the twentieth Pokemon movie. That's right, the twentieth. Find me a film series that goes as long as Pokemon of all things. There are also currently 20 seasons of the anime, with nearly 900 episodes at this point. Why has this show gone on for so long? In America, it kinda frizzled out, but in Japan it's still a monster franchise. There's been a new Pokemon film released every year since 1998, and for the franchise's 20th anniversary, OLM and Toho (the studios responsible for pushing out 20 damn years of Pokemon films) decided to go back to it's roots and explore what made the series work from the beginning in the first place: the relationship between Ash and Pikachu.
This new film "I Choose You" kinda works as a reboot of the Pokemon anime in an alternate universe. The title of the film is exactly the same as the very first episode: "I Choose You".
The film opened nationwide in Japan, but here in the United States and much of the rest of the world, it's getting a very limited release and even more limited showtimes. It's being distributed by Fathom Events which specializes in one or two nights events like performances of the Metropolitan Opera and sporting games so they can be viewed in movie theaters for the average schmoe. They also do the occasional anime release, like this film, and they're currently in the middle of re-releasing all of Hayao Miyazaki's films like Howl's Moving Castle coming up. I also attended some Fathom Events screenings of the first Naruto movie and the live action Death Note films. But regardless, Fathom Events had screenings of "Pokemon: I Choose You" for Sunday, November 5th at 1pm, then the next day Monday at 7pm. I went to the Monday show and it was packed. The turnout of the previous shows must've pressured them to add more showtimes, because they added two more for the following Saturday and Tuesday. On top of all that, Disney XD announced they will air the movie on November 25th. Don't let the quick TV airing take you away from the theatrical experience of this film, because it really was a wonderful experience seeing this in the theater. Most of the audience members were people like me in their twenties, people who grew up on the franchise and very few actual kids!

Ho-Oh drops his rainbow feather for Ash, setting the film's events into motion.

(By the way, I'm going to spoil a lot of the movie, so if you don't want spoilers you should know that I do recommend the movie if you are a Pokemon fan, especially a Gen 1 fan. This movie is catered to the nostalgic sensibilities of the very first fans of this series. A lot of the plot beats from season 1 are in here, like Ash first meeting Pikachu at Professor Oak's lab, then getting chased by a swarm of Spearows, finding a nursing a stray Charmander back to health, and Ash capturing a Caterpie and releasing it as a Butterfree when it falls in love with a pink one. It's easy to think just from that that it's just a "greatest hit" cliff notes of season 1, but the scriptwriters cleverly interweave a new story in between all these established events. It's a movie for every Pokemon fan, but if were there since the beginning as a kid, it'll do much more for you. Go see it.)

Sorrel and Verity, the replacements for Brock and Misty in this movie.

Ash defending Pikachu from an angry swarm of Spearows, reminiscent from the first episode of the series.

The film itself was marvelous. I saw it a full week ago and I still can't stop thinking about it. It was a loose retelling of some of the first season's most memorable moments along with an original story involving Ho-Oh and the Rainbow Feather. In the first episode of the anime, Ash and Pikachu saw an unidentified Pokemon that was later revealed in Pokemon lore to be Ho-Oh. Ash just saw Ho-Oh fly away in the distance, but what if something more happened? In this new movie, se
t in this alternate universe, Ho-Oh drops one of his feathers, the Rainbow Feather, for Ash and he sets about on a journey to find Ho-Oh and challenge him to a battle. Along the way, he befriends two new characters, a boy and a girl named Sorrel and Verity. Some of the old school fans of Pokemon were disappointed going in that Brock and Misty weren't going to be Ash's companions (and I'll admit I was one of them), but even before the movie started I was open for any new changes, and these two new characters, for me, left a far bigger impression than a new Brock or Misty ever would have.
Sorrel and Verity are still very similar to Brock and Misty in many ways. Sorrel, like Brock, had a rough upbringing, and Verity, like Misty, often felt left out and unimportant. Both characters have fleshed out backstories and character arcs, like Verity's strained relationship with her mother (who was revealed to be Cynthia from Diamond and Pearl), and Sorrel's struggle to befriend any Pokemon after the tragic death of his Luxray from his childhood (and that scene was a serious gut punch!) Sorrel's goal is to become a Pokemon professor and Verity just wants to prove to her mother how strong of a Pokemon trainer she really is. Both characters and their individual goals and motivations fit into Ash's goal of becoming a Pokemon master really well. I actually felt sad when they went their separate ways a the very end.

Cross, the main antagonist of the movie and Charmander's original trainer.

There's also a new character named Cross (his hair is shaped like an X, I'm not kidding), who's the main antagonist of the film. He was Charmander's old trainer, and just like a one-note character named Damien in the show, he abandons it for being too weak. I was surprised to see him as the main antagonist, because as a kid I always wanted to see an episode where Ash meets Damien again and beats him in a battle with his old Charmander that he abandoned. And that's exactly what happens here in this movie! Ash meets Cross many more times and at first loses to him with his evolved Charmeleon, but it later on evolves into Charizard and stomps on Cross's Pokemon. Cross believes in a "survival of the fittest" method of battling, and the only way to train your Pokemon is to toughen it up and be rough with little to no mercy. He doesn't believe in making friends with his Pokemon and only uses them to further his own goals. (I think many players of the games are guilty of his mindset). Ash, on the other hand, believes that trainers need to become friends with their Pokemon, and that is the only way to succeed and become a champion. He is proven to be right at the film's climax where it is his relationship and bond with Pikachu that ends up saving his life.

Ash saying goodbye to Butterfree in a moment that mimics the show.

Let's talk about the climax now, because this was something I noticed by reading other reviews that either made or broke the entire movie for people. Yes, the rumors are true: Pikachu actually talks in this movie! He only says one line in what was supposed to be a moving and emotional moment, but ended up only reducing the audience I was with to laughter. Ash made it to Ho-Oh's mountain, and Marshadow (a new Pokemon introduced for this movie from what I gathered) with his psychic power influences the other Pokemon to destroy the mountain and Ash and Pikachu on it. Ash wants Pikachu inside his Pokeball to keep him safe from everything happening, but Pikachu refuses to go in. Ash asks him why, to which Pikachu says "It's because I always want to be with you." Now, I think it's obvious that Pikachu didn't actually talk, Ash either hMewtwo Strikes Back when Ash turned to stone after being hit in the crossfire from Mew and Mewtwo's attacks.) But unlike Cross with his Pokemon, it's Ash's friendship with Pikachu that ends up reviving him and saving the day. Cross learns a valuable lesson, Ash meets and battles with Ho-Oh, and all is well.
ad a moment of understanding with Pikachu and knew exactly what he was telling him, or Ho-Oh was using some sort of psychic power on Ash. It really was a touching moment and this was right before Ash "dies" and Pikachu starts crying profusely while squeezing his hat (in a scene not unlike

Marshadow, who makes his franchise debut in this movie.

I forgot to mention Team Rocket in this movie. They are completely superfluous to everything going on in this movie, and they're only here for comic relief and fan service. They don't even make contact with Ash at all. It was still cool to see them again though, I have to admit.
So yeah, I had a great time watching this movie, and the big screen experience was great. It's so nice to see traditionally 2D animation in theaters again since CG animated films are now the norm. Not to say this movie didn't have any CGI at all, because it obviously does. But the animation in this movie was breathtaking in some spots and the big screen really made those moments shine all the more. Sweeping vistas and beautiful backgrounds and environments, it made me forget I was even in a theater watching a movie, I felt like I was in this world! That rarely ever happens to me.
So apparently in the Japanese release there was a post credits scene involving Giovanni and Mewtwo. Well, I stayed through the credits and there was nothing to be seen. I don't know if that was just a rumor or if they're keeping that scene for the DVD release or the TV airing, but the theatrical version of the American dub doesn't have this scene. If it's supposed to tease a sequel to this particular movie, I'm so down for that! I would love to see more stories in this new timeline. It's hard to tell what's next because up to this point all the Pokemon movies tied in to the anime. If they decide to make a new continuity for the movies and leave them and the show (which is still currently airing) separate, I think that'll be a wonderful decision.
But if not we still have that live action Detective Pikachu film to look forward to.