Review of Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!

Well, it's Pokemon. What did you expect? Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You is the latest installment in line of the long-running Pokemon movies that were sloppily put together for the mere sake of having an annual movie. It's an obligation, really, for most currently airing shounen anime (like Naruto and One Piece used to do when they were on air). Being an obligation, it's understandable, albeit not acceptable, that they put together a half-ass movie with a mediocre storyline and soundtrack. Story - 6 Being the 20th anniversary movie, the story is unsurprisingly decent with fair bits of emotional moments. You get to see Ash's early yearsin Kanto being retold, with him actually earning the badges fair and square this time rather than rely on the gym leaders' pity. There are also some memorable scenes too that once brought a tear to your eyes.

Most of all, the movie explores the classic subject often talked about in Pokemon: the struggle between being a strong trainer and being an ethical one. It's honestly my favorite theme of the anime, since being honorable and upholding sportsmanship in battle has always been what made Ash unique as a trainer compared to those who merely seek strength and Uber-tier Pokemon, so it's nice to see that subject explored through him and Cross (the edgy elitist Smogonfag in all of us). That being said, there's nothing new that is said here. Diamond and Pearl already explored that theme thoroughly enough with Paul, so this rehash is rather unwelcomed.

There are also certain dark moments due to Marshadow's introduction, but I feel like they squandered a chance to really push the envelope with his ability to bring out the dark side in people. This could have easily been a new chapter in the Pokemon franchise that reinvents the Pokemon anime and Ash Ketchum in new and groundbreaking ways. A lot of people often dismissed Ash as some naive loser who relies on the power of friendship and bad writing, but there's a moment in the movie when Ash acted like us who wished we could have chosen a better Pokemon instead, but that moment is brief and doesn't have much bearing on the story. The anti-climatic way the conflict gets resolved through a contrived revival calls to mind some other better animated movies out there that handled death and loss far, far better (i.e.: The Iron Giant).

Character - 5
Other than Ash Ketchum, you won't be bothered with most of the throwaway characters here. You have imitations of familiar characters here travelling with Ash as his "new companions": Verity is Misty, a water Pokemon user, Sorrel is Brock, a medic wannabe, and Cross is Paul the edgelord. They don't add anything significant to the story other than offering mild platitude from the side. Just when I was expecting a really dark backstory from Verity that could have made me cared for her, the movie disappointed me with a mediocre one. Sorrel's backstory fares better though and is actually a better version of Brock, giving him a more powerful and sensible motivation in becoming a medic. I couldn't care about Cross at all. He comes across as a spoiled kid who got bullied and ended up whining about how the world is so tough and blah blah blah.

Needless to say, the character writing for Pokemon movies has always been lousy. But , Ash's writing fares far better than previous movies. As mentioned earlier, there's a squandered opportunity here in writing Ash's character. In storytelling, especially in sequels that further explore established or familiar characters, the protagonist would often be treated to suffering that would question his ideals and values, reveal exactly the kind of person, or in this case, trainer he really is inside. There's some of that here with Marshadow's involvement as he wonders if strength and power are truly the only things that matter in Pokemon, but I feel like it's one of those unresolved sub-plots in movies that goes forgotten.

Art - 7
Probably the best part of the movie is its animation. It's updated with a fresh coat of paint that brings the world of Pokemon to life. All the vibrant colors and sharpness as expected of a 2017 animation are present here, albeit nothing revolutionary. If there is something to complain about, it's perhaps the display of powers by Marshadow and Pikachu. I wish we could have seen some Z-powers here, particularly by Pikachu. It would have been nice to see the 10 Million Volt Thunderbolt attack in full-resolution animation.

Sound - 3
As for the worst part of the movie? It's undoubtedly the soundtrack. I had the unfortunate opportunity to experience the dub before I've seen the original Japanese version, and the terrible score leaves me wondering if the original fares better. It's a bunch of uninspired numbers that are barely audible in the background and definitely forgettable. Even the somewhat decent battle themes are boring. Remember the times in these animated movies when you would cheer during the climatic battles because the theme music comes up? This isn't one of those movies, and I was really hoping for it to be. Half of the reason the first movie had me grabbing for tissues was because of its emotional soundtrack that struck the right chords, a significant ingredient missing from the tearjerking scenes here. They even replaced the classic soundtrack, "Tears After A Cloudy Weather" during the Spearow scene. How dare they. Ever since TPCi took over the production of the anime from 4Kids (who at least bothered to use the original Japanese music), the soundtrack has been terrible, and this has been the most disappointing example yet.

The voice acting fares slightly better, but only because it's so forgettable and insignificant in my enjoyment of the anime. Music has always been a bigger factor than voice acting with anime that focus on battling. This isn't drama, so voice acting being bad isn't as affecting. I still prefer Veronica Taylor as Ash's voice of course, but mostly for nostalgia reasons. My favorite version of Ash will always be Rica Matsumoto anyway. Even the notorious Pikachu talking scene didn't put me off as much as it did for other people, as I'm curious what the Japanese version sounds like.

Enjoyment - 6
Most of my enjoyment for this movie comes more from the hype of an anniversary film than anything related to the actual production itself. It is nice to tread down memory lane and see Butterfree again, and it's nice to see Ash upholding his moral standards as per usual. There's these little charm here and there that prevents me from completely hating the movie, so it's not a total flop for an anniversary film.

Overall - 6
If you are expecting an amazing 20th anniversary film like Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare, look somewhere else. If you are seeking to feed your nostalgia, look to the first season of the Pokemon anime in either of the language you haven't seen. If you are looking to have more adventures with Ash Ketchum, look to the new season, Sun & Moon. If you are hoping to waste some time exploring what a 20th anniversary Pokemon movie would be like for your own morbid curiosity, however, then feel free to check this out.