Hello everyone. Merry Christmas, Happy Life Day, whatever you’re into, and here is my big gift to you all: it’s finally time for me to address the 20th installment of the Pokémon films, Pokémon The Movie I Choose You! It’s been a long time coming for this movie; and I’ve been eager to talk about it ever since I saw the first trailer last year, so let’s open this up and get started!
The film opens with a new take on the battle Ash watches on TV, which takes place between Corey and Neesha from the first movie. I guess Fergus wasn’t around. Right off the bat, the animation is absolutely amazing; since this movie was handled by the same people as Origins and the XY series. Even those who didn’t care for the movie at least gave it that much credit.
After that, the film uses the titular “I Choose You” episode as a sort of prologue; to the point where the late Takeshi Shudo even was credited as one of the writers of the script. There some differences, but to be honest; I’m glad I can enjoy the movie without mixing tons of “member berries” into my popcorn. Ash unwittingly breaks his alarm clock in his sleep, and runs to Professor Oak’s lab after tripping over some cartoon sound effects to get his first Pokémon.
He asks the professor for Squirtle, which has been already taken. Oh hi, Gary! Again, I still love that joke the writers of Mewtwo Strikes Back made about his agent making too many demands for him to be in the movie. So, not a stretch for his character.
His second choice is Bulbasaur, which has been claimed as well! Oh hi, Marina! While I don’t know what to make of this one cameo as opposed to the others in the movie; it’s still better than Legend of Thunder.
He then asks for Charmander, and as Oak tells Ash that “being a second late for a train, or even a Pokémon can be life-changing” as we get a brief cameo from a recolor of Tierno from the XY series. So, right off, this movie is rife with mythology gags to the franchise as a whole; which is much more of what I wanted for the 20th anniversary than just glorifying one fragment of the series’ lineage; then making inaccurate claims that things had been “erased” or “rewritten” because it doesn’t include everything from that one fragment. We’ll talk more as I continue my look at this movie.
So, Pikachu is Ash’s partner, but Pikachu isn’t too happy about it; and zaps Ash! His mother Delia comes in with his outfit (so he won’t be traveling in his PJs like Arthur Dent) and bag; so he can officially set off on his journey! I rather like the costume design given for this movie, and I may consider cosplaying with it next Halloween if I can find all the components for it. I want that new hat.
He tries to get Pikachu in its Poké Ball, but he doesn’t want to go inside! Some things never change, huh? Interestingly, he still uses his clothesline as a makeshift leash even though he doesn’t use his rubber gloves. He does still tell Pikachu that he likes him even if the feeling isn’t mutual.
Ash tries to catch a Pidgey unsuccessfully, and then things get crazy when he throws a rock at a Spearow by mistake. In this version, Spearow not only attacks Pikachu for laughing at his misfortune, but there’s also no bike to steal; so Ash just has to run!
The thunderbolt in the rainstorm is as impressive as ever; and the story officially kicks off when Ho-Oh flies overhead, dropping a Rainbow Wing into Ash’s hands! It’s not quite a driving force, but is an inspiration to him and the other cast members.
After that, we get a great remix of the Pokémon theme; which sets the stage for a montage of Ash on his journey, which shows how he caught Caterpie as well as a somewhat amusing scene where they’re playing in the river and Pikachu knocks off his hat. Seriously, I think I’ve got a new ringtone if I can find it somewhere.
The first act of Ash and Pikachu’s Excellent Adventure begins officially in Celadon City, where Ash’s gym battle with Erika is the third one he goes through rather than the fifth. I guess he did what I have to in the games: bypass the blockade in Saffron City by taking a shortcut through Lavender Town.
Ash wins the Rainbow Badge from Erika, who in addition to being more accurate to her design in the games; also seems much nicer than someone who would force Ash to crossdress just to get in the door. That may not have been my favorite gym battle from those days, but it was delightfully silly.
Ash calls his mother at the Pokémon Center, and he appears to be using some form of software like Skype or FaceTime to do it. There are many modern flourishes in this movie, such as smart phones and flat panel monitors; but a lot of the touches are still recognizably ‘90s. Kind of like how the new Star Trek movies have much more money behind them, but still have the female crew members in miniskirts and go-go boots. More recently, the stormtroopers in these new Star Wars movies have sleeker designs, but are still recognizable with the helmets having a permanent scowl on their faces.
Anyway, Delia may be a bit disappointed her son hasn’t called that much; but she is glad he’s all right. After his Pokémon are healed, Ash catches wind of an Entei in the area; and heads off to try to catch it! He also meets a young woman from Twinleaf Town, Verity; who has a Piplup voiced by my good friend, Michele Knotz! I will address more on her later, but keep in mind I might not say what you think I will.
The two have a battle, which Ash easily wins; but Entei proves to be more than they can handle. It reminds me of how the beast is in Pokémon Go: I know legendary Pokémon are usually powerful, but wow, dude!
This leads to a chase scene in a canyon with a bunch of rampaging Onix, which is really crazy; but also a pretty enjoyable action set piece. Not quite as dangerous as the Rathtars in The Force Awakens, but a close second in my eyes.
They are able to quell the Pokémon, but a young man named Sorrel from Veilstone City warns them that it’s going to rain soon. He also partners with a Lucario, which I am pleased to tell you since Lucario is my favorite Pokémon.
We enter the second act as the rain starts, which I shall call “Of Charmander and Butterfree.” Ash and Verity are trying to get out of the rain when Ash spots a Charmander sitting on a rock. After that, we are introduced to this movie’s rival and antagonist; Cross. He is this film’s answer to Gary and Damian; but in many ways, he gets close to Paul and to some extent Trip for how nasty he can be. If anything, he’s the closest I can see for the main series version of Silver; both in looks and personality. I mean, think about it: red hair, admittedly nice black boots, and an abrasive persona towards people and Pokémon alike, as shown when he kicks Charmander and has his Midnight Lycanroc attack Ash before insulting them both. … Not cool.
Many people have suggested that Cross is an anti-villain, but I disagree. I will get into more detail as I continue, but personally; he’s as much of an anti-villain as Denethor, which is not at all. Billy Bob Thompson also seems to have a thing for voicing antagonists.
Ash and Verity are able to find Sorrel in a cave; and they set about treating Charmander while they wait out the storm. We also get a little taste of this movie’s version of the episode “Snow Way Out,” which I’m not doing right now; but is a sweet gesture nonetheless: seeing the Pokémon bond with their trainers to stay warm through the night.
At the half-hour mark, Entei and a bunch of other Pokémon join them; and Sorrel tells of the legend of the Bell Tower from Generation II. He mentions the fire that claimed the lives of three Pokémon, but Ho-Oh restored them into the Johto legendary beasts. Ash then pulls the Rainbow Wing from his pocket, and I’m quite pleased to see that it’s actually rainbow-colored in this movie rather than just red, white and green like it usually is.
Sorrel continues on, telling a legend of a “Rainbow Hero” that will be granted eternal happiness when they find Ho-Oh. Not the most unique idea for a story, but it works, and it fits the world that the show and the games have built over 20 years. It’s a simple way for Shoji Yonemura to not only help me relive some of my favorite experiences, but also appeal to new fans.
The sun rises over a new day, and Charmander joins Ash’s roster! While some people had mixed feelings about this; I actually liked how the movie handled Charmander. As for the other Pokémon: while it’s not shown, I’m going to presume the other members in his roster are still around; if not in the way we would expect.
So, Verity and Sorrel decide to join Ash in his quest to find Ho-Oh; and in spite of what some of the movie’s detractors have said; they actually seem like nice kids. The journey to Mt. Tensei in the Horizon Mountains leads to a battle with a Pinsir, and Ash’s Metapod apparently evolves under different circumstances than I remember. That’s totally fine with me, since just doing a note-for-note adaptation with a fresh coat of paint would have been kind of boring. Sometimes I like it when a franchise has different versions. The Batman analogy still fits quite well: one version can have him fighting in bright pastel colors; another can have him fighting Russian gangsters in a dingy warehouse.
Also, Verity apparently has mommy issues; possibly with Cynthia. She also sees Suicune appear before her by a lake; and I must also say the music in this movie is very nice. This slow theme in this scene reminds me of “The Lonely Man” from that old Incredible Hulk show.
Overall, I like the tone of this movie; especially in this bit where Ash’s Charmander evolves into Charmeleon after battling! He’s also more willing to obey Ash than he was in the original show, which I think is a nice touch. Not that different from my head canon either.
Ash speaks with his mother over the phone, and she’s glad that he’s doing all right. She’s also pleased to meet Verity and Sorrel, as we get more on the legend from a book written by a man named Bonji! I was wondering what he and Cross would be named in English, but I’m rather glad they kept their Japanese names.
Speaking of which, Ash and Charmeleon have a battle with Cross and his Incineroar; but they’re totally outmatched! In addition to Incineroar launching Flamethrower from its torso like it does in the games; Charmeleon gets totally wrecked when he’s knocked through some of the concrete barriers! “Oh my god, the quarterback is toast!”
After the battle, Verity and Sorrel try to console Ash about what happened, but he will have none it; even going so far as to tell Pikachu he wanted a Squirtle or Bulbasaur! … Wow, I know the movies tend to be more intense than the show itself, but that’s dark.
Ash then runs off into the forest, and as he falls asleep beside a tree, the Rainbow Wing loses its luster! I forgot to mention, that when the Rainbow Wing is held by those with impure hearts, it loses its color. This will come up again later, in case you’re wondering.
We then get a dream sequence of what the world would be like if Ash had never gone on his journey. Namely, he and everything else in the world is totally ordinary; and they’re just regular people studying under Professor Oak. It’s not even the Pokémon Academy in Alola either: it’s just another school, and life seems quite miserable.
As Ash wonders what’s beyond the town, he sees an image of Pikachu in the sky; and realizes what Sorrel was trying to tell him. He was acting no different than Cross, and he apologizes to everyone for how he was behaving, especially Pikachu.
Everyone then gathers around a campfire, and I’m realizing more how much this movie reminds me of the original movies from when I was younger; as well as the 1986 Transformers movie and the first two TMNT movies from the 1990s. Even though the concept is admittedly ludicrous, the film does a really good job putting a darker spin on it. The battles are more intense and the storytelling is more serious than the main TV anime; and it doesn’t let you forget that the main characters are just 10-year-old kids dealing with subject matter that’s quite adult for their age.
Case in point: Sorrel tells of when he was younger, and he had a Luxray that froze to death trying to keep him warm in a blizzard! While there have been Pokémon that have sacrificed themselves before, such as Latios in the fifth movie and Lucario in the eighth movie, this is one of the few cases where I’ve seen a Pokémon die of natural causes, another being the elder Stoutland earlier this year.
After that, everyone is attacked by a group of Primeape, and they’re able to escape with the help of Ash’s Metapod evolving into a Butterfree! Reminds me of when I was younger, and this time they didn’t take Ash’s hat! Still, it’s a reasonably fun action scene; and it reminds me of them playing a game of Donkey Kong Country.
Also, Team Rocket has been mostly playing a supporting role in this movie; though they at least have more screen time than in Pokémon Heroes.
After crossing the river on the back of Verity’s Lapras, Ash’s Butterfree rescues a pink Butterfree from a Fearow, who now has the little accents on its wings like in the games to show it’s female. The movie follows Butterfree’s arc relatively closely from the TV episode “Bye Bye Butterfree,” complete with an emotional sendoff so he can have children. As for the whole “Butterfree dies after it mates” thing in the Japanese version: it’s not true. I have been watching the uncut subtitled episodes whenever I can find them, and all it said was that he couldn’t have offspring if it didn’t cross the ocean. Glad I could help clear this up.
Also, I like the appearance from Raikou; and it’s a much better use of him in just one scene than the entirety of the Legend of Thunder.
Now, we arrive at the final act; and by proxy, Mt. Tensei! They come across Bonji, who wrote the book Sorrel was reading earlier in the movie, and he’s voiced by my good friend, Mike Pollock! I do like the eccentric, but wise old mentor quite a bit as a character type; and his outfit is a nice touch, since it was actually based on some old promotional artwork for the series seen in early merchandise such as the trading card game.
He helps guide everyone the rest of the way towards Mt. Tensei, and also warns about Marshadow, a rather mischievous Mythical Pokémon that’s been following everyone ever since the movie started. I rather like Marshadow, this fighting/ghost type has a lot of great tricks and special moves. Many people claimed Marshadow was the villain of the movie, but I don’t see it. Marshadow is just doing what it does out of circumstances, unlike Cross. As everyone climbs up the mountain, Ash checks his shadow for its presence. Before you go any further with that Ash, I just have one question: what are those?!
Everyone reaches the summit, and Ash is confronted in a final battle by Cross! Ash’s Charmeleon engages Cross and his Incineroar as Marshadow looks on! Given the contrast between Ash and Cross as characters, it reminds me of what Mr. Glass said in my favorite Shyamalan film, Unbreakable.
While Marshadow is a sort of neutral entity, Cross is the polar opposite of Ash in every way: while Ash is idealistic and willing to do anything to help those close to him; Cross is much more cynical and sees strength as his lone valuable asset.
Charmeleon then evolves into Charizard! This has joined the list of my favorite versions of this Pokémon. While some people didn’t enjoy how the movie handled Charizard, I disagree. I found this movie’s retelling of Charizard’s story to be excellent.
Furthering this is Cross claiming incorrectly that “even when weak Pokémon evolve, they’re still weak!” He sounds like someone I used to know. On that note, while in the show it took Charizard quite some time to start listening to Ash, here; they’re perfectly in sync! If anything, I daresay that he’s more powerful than he was before!
Ash and Charizard win the battle, but Cross just takes the Rainbow Wing and tries to claim Ho-Oh himself, turning the feather and the sky black as his heart! While Marshadow mostly does stuff in the movie because of circumstance, I submit Cross has no redeeming qualities at all; even threatening to crush Ho-Oh rather than learn from his mistakes!
Outraged, Marshadow takes control of all the Pokémon in the area; as the sky goes dark and the final battle takes place among a volley of powerful attacks! The animation is really impressive here, full of some fluid movements, dramatic lighting and some of the best use of color I’ve seen in any of the movies. This has honestly joined the list of one of my favorite re-imaginings of the series ever.
Ash, being one “you shall not pass” away from his best Gandalf impression; ends up getting caught in the wake of Marshadow’s “Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike” along with Pikachu!
Now comes the part everyone is inevitably going to talk about: Pikachu speaking to Ash like a person after taking all of these attacks. While many thought was a dream, others thought it was Ash’s point of view, I am taking a third option: the power of the world around him and their bond together is actually letting them say what they truly want to each other. It’s also not as ridiculous as others suggest. I once said that Ash would take something like that for Pikachu before, and it turns out I was right.
So, Ash finally gets Pikachu into the Poké Ball as he’s disintegrated by the Pokémon attacks, with Pikachu tearfully holding Ash’s hat as he unleashes a 10,000,000-Million Volt Thunderbolt! Never expected they would have found such a dramatic way to work in that tie-in, or to retcon a running gag that’s been there from the beginning.
Ash, through the goodwill of his actions and his bond with Pikachu, is then restored along with the Rainbow Wing and granted eternal happiness as the Rainbow Hero! Based on my own fan theories and what Yuyama has said in interviews, I guess I can officially say this: He’s a Time Lord.
I’ve often tried to find recurring themes throughout the series, especially in the movies; and given the presence of Pokémon and elements from Generation IV, it reminds me of that line: “when one life meets another, something new is born.”
So, we close on Ash and Pikachu vowing to continue their journey; and the other characters vowing to meet again, even Cross. We’ll see: TTFN, you overly-dramatic edgelord! We also get the world of Pokémon segment at the end this time, as well as a very nice arrangement of the Pokémon theme played on piano, by the original composers no less. As for the cameos from Brock and Misty and the other companions: again, it’s no different to me than Nick Fury showing up at Tony Stark’s house or Rey finding Luke Skywalker on a distant planet. Overall, I can say this is my new favorite Pokémon movie.
It’s been a long time over these last 20-odd years I’ve been into the series, but I’ve been waiting a whole year to do this movie and I’m glad I’ve finally gotten a chance to look at it. Even considering all the hubbub online, do you really think I would have spent so much time looking at the other movies and parts of the series if I didn’t have the slightest iota of enthusiasm for it?
I mean, in this day and age; I am glad to have been a part of this fandom. Even if we come from different places, different eras and different ways of getting into the series; I am very happy that I have been able to do this for one simple reason: when I was very young, it was the first thing that made me feel like I belonged to something. Much like a young man from Japan who parlayed his experiences into one of the biggest Nintendo series ever, I have managed to use my own experiences to do my look at this movie. So when I tell the detractors of the film that them not liking it is nothing personal, they’ll know that I mean it.
That’s why I consider this film to be an ideal way to celebrate this wonderful series, warts and all. As a milestone of 20 years, it pays homage to everything that’s come before it and gives new perspective to some of my favorite stories from the series. As a movie on its own, it has great animation, glorious sounds and a story that is a simple, but effective way of retaining the appeal of the series that’s far more respectful to its source material than any Uwe Boll film or the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters to me.
Whatever lies ahead for the series, I hope to enjoy it as much as this; and I want to continue my work here as long as I feel like it. Thank you for all your support over the years. Later.
Maybe In future episodes Ash can catch legendary pokemon Ho-oh
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