For Pokemon fans everywhere, please take note: A new Pokemon movie has been released, and it’s good.
“Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You” is designed for the beginning generation of Pokemon fans. That’s right, that audience includes you, me and the other cool adults who are a part of the all-encompassing Pokemon fandom.
Adults lined up Monday night to see the release of the Pokemon movie that would ultimately break our hearts and bring back all of our childhood’s fondest memories.
There were some kids too, but rather than screaming, “You’re not a real fan!” I applauded their parents for continuing the fandom in future generations.
Once seated, rather than watching the score of trailers and ads that tend to take over the screen thirty minutes prior to the film, the fans were given a treat of Pokemon short films dedicated to continuing Pokemon series in the next project, Pokemon Generations.
These short films sped through the nostalgia of the generations with previews of Red, Gary Oak, the Elite Four and a feature clip of Pikachu running through of all the known regions, taking note of the the generation’s legendaries and battling against the region’s Pokemon.
When the film finally started, the original theme song played, and it took everything in me not to scream the lyrics. I was too giddy to contain my excitement, but I sat back and watched as the events unfolded.
The movie opened up with Pokemon’s iconic first episode the movie was labeled for, “I Choose You.”
After Ash meets Pikachu, the film quickly takes the audience through their tough beginning, the spearow scene and Pikachu’s epic thunderbolt that saved both heroes’ lives.
Then in bright and vibrant color, the legendary Ho-oh appeared under the rainbow, but this time, it dropped one of its rainbow feathers in Ash’s hands. From there, the plot unfolded.
The audience is taken on a journey that breaks away from the anime series’ original plot and into a prequel of the series and a sequel to the first episode. Rather than meeting his two friends Brock and Misty, he meets two other characters, Verity and Sorrel.
Sorrel reveals the legend of Ho-oh, which wasn’t revealed in the series until the Johto region, which is considered to be season 3, 2nd generation. The three of them then use the rainbow feather to find Ho-oh so they can meet the legendary Pokemon.
The three then travel and battle other figures, including antagonist Cross, who resembles the rival Gary Oak figure, though less annoying and more aggressive. Other Pokemon are caught by Ash in the movie, including Caterpie and Charmander, who are found showing their origin stories with Ash too.
Between the battling, the winning and the losing, the film features other legendary Pokemon, Pokemon from several other generations, an alternative universe through Ash’s dreams and other great twists for Pokemon fans.
By the end of the movie, I had cried four times and was too excited to watch all of the credit’s cute animations to leave the theater. It was everything my childhood needed and my adult self wanted to see.
There were certainly pros and cons to the film, but as far as the Pokemon movies go, this one certainly ranks high in the better quality movies the company has released in years, and I’m glad they put this one on the big screens.
The next showing for “Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You” will play at the AMC theater in Johnson City on Nov. 11 at 12:55 p.m. Prepare yourself before stepping into the theater, because you really aren’t ready for what you’re about to see.
