Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!

One of Ash's contemporaries describes his encounter with this rainbow-hued bird as 'a priceless experience.' Two decades' worth of vanished, irretrievable pocket money would say otherwise.

Some positive messages, but best for fans only.

A rushed and narratively inert summary of some episodes from the anime that made an impression on a whole generation. [Full review in Spanish]

The movie is at its best when it is using the themes of its predecessor to tell its own story rather than the moments which essentially sell fans more of the same with a fresh coat of paint.

Still, there are some improvements here from the original anime. Visually, the animation is lovely to look at, with the glittering rainbow-coloured feathers of the mystical Ho-Oh character especially mesmerising. If only the story is as compelling.

The Pokmon anime has hardly adhered to the rules of the original games. But Pokmon: I Choose You! goes a step further, ending with a moment so bizarre that my entire theater howled in disbelief.

But there's still a bit of weirdness when it shrugs off decades of precedent, where even imagined and/or understood "talking" has never, ever been portrayed on screen.

... ultimately the material just doesn't work.

It's never boring, but it is undeniably ridiculous. Kids will love it because it's Pokmon on the big screen, and aged fans will have a laugh seeing it with friends.