Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 18, 2018

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! ran into a pack of angry fans during at least one screening and was also chided on Twitter when the face of the franchise, the Pokemon Pikachu, speaks in complete-sentence English rather than merely repeat his name with different inflections to convey meaning and emotion. There's been a lot of that going around lately, with filmmakers breaking away from tradition, expectations, and comfort zones in long-established movie franchises. And with a franchise so rich in complex, detailed history, any movement away from a very thin-lined linear set of expectations is going to ruffle some feathers. Add that the movie ignores some of the mainline characters from the animated series on which this film is based, the beloved Indigo League, and fan backlash was all but inevitable. Ignoring the controversies, though, stepping back as a longtime fan of the game series and stepping forward with an objective look at the movie, it plays well enough as a Pokemon primer, which is certainly one of the movie's primary goals with the franchise's popularity only increasing with the release of Pokemon Go on mobile devices, the continued avalanche of highly-rated games on parent company Nintendo's 3DS consoles, and the company's Switch gaming device, the fastest-selling console in U.S. history, already home to one spinoff Pokemon fighting game and promising more mainline installments in the future.

Ash Ketchum (voiced by Sarah Natochenny) is like every other boy, eagerly awaiting his tenth birthday so he can finally begin training alongside his very own Pokemon. He's so excited that he oversleeps for his appointment to select one. All three of the usual starter Pokemon have been taken home by other new trainers, but he's told that there's one left, a mousy yellow electric Pokemon named Pikachu. Pikachu is a stubborn Pokemon. It has no interest in staying in its ball like all of the other Pokemon, but even as it has a mind of its own, it becomes fiercely loyal to Ash, who has dreams of becoming the world's greatest Pokemon trainer. But he's going to have to come to terms that defeats in battle are learning experiences, not dream breakers, and that becoming a master trainer and battler involves more than strong Pokemon and an understanding of how to use them, particularly now that he carries Ho-oh's magical rainbow feather which, as legend says, puts him on the path to heroism and playing a significant role as the rainbow hero.

I Choose You! essentially recreates Indigo League's opening act, depicting young hero Ash, by destiny or by luck, securing Pikachu as his first Pokemon rather than any of the three typical starter creatures. But the film largely deviates course from there, leaving behind characters Brock and Misty in key roles (but retaining the villainous Team Rocket, which plays a lesser role in the film, always observing from a distance rather than engaging the heroes head-on), but maintaining the essential Pokemon spirit of adventure, battles, and character growth both in terms of how the characters respond in the battle arena and how they grow alongside one another, be it with their fellow trainer friends or their Pokemon companions. The film boasts plenty of robust battling action, a diverse roster of Pokemon characters (including fan-favorites like Lucario and Jigglypuff), and a steady diet of character moments that speak to learning from mistakes in battle, a trainer's mettle and approach to battles, and entering battle with certain expectations and balance rather than favoring raw strength and probably losing to hubris. The film, then, uses Pokemon battles as metaphors for life; it's all good, basic thematic content that the film presents within an exciting context of action and adventure with a number of favorite characters, human and Pokemon alike, center-stage.

The film is lively and exciting, but it does feel a little compact and scattered at the same time. It hits enough high notes in terms of roster diversity, battle action, and character growth to bring the essential narrative together, but watching not too long after digging through the excellent Indigo League (cut as its Blu-ray release may be), it does feel like the Pokemon world is better suited to a larger scale format that a series and game can provide and a film cannot. The games are large, sprawling adventures that are as much about learning and patience as they are battle action and "catching them all." There's an opportunity to become lost in the game worlds, not so much because they're large or involved but because there's an opportunity for slow-growth intimacy, for gradual character construction and evolving scenarios and companionship with the Pokemon and the human characters who populate it. The larger sense of adventure is something that the series does well that the film cannot replicate. I Choose You, earlier described as a "primer," does do its job in that capacity, but the Pokemon universe plays better with more ample opportunity to stretch, to take its time, to, like its Pokemon characters, evolve to the next level of excellence.

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!'s 1080p transfer delivers an image that's superficially appealing but shows some warts upon closer inspection. Banding is the chief concern, appearing with regularity and with enough density and visibility to distract from a number of scenes. Noise is a lesser-occurring but equally bothersome issue as well. Otherwise, the image offers pleasantly crisp definition, with characters and environments appearing sharp and well defined throughout the film. Colors are rich and abundant, with variously colored Pokemon, comprised of various shades of yellow, pink, green, orange, and so forth, the main draw. Natural greens and blue skies are also impressively saturated and vibrant.

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!'s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack doesn't do anything overtly distinctive, but it's presented in good working order. Sound engagement covers the full spectrum of channels afforded to it; sides and surrounds are used regularly, not to overpowering effect but in effective ways in drawing the listener into various environments, including battle arenas and fights that take place out in nature. Nothing is over-amplified, though nothing comes across as timid, either, as various effects traverse the stage with a pleasingly fluid cadence and maneuverability. Musical delivery is strong, with clear, detailed notes and pleasant stage width. Dialogue is clear and well defined with consistent front-center placement and prioritization above competing elements, as necessary.

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All that's included is the trailer for Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! (1080p, 1:12).

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! ruffled some feathers amongst the hardcore franchise fans, but the movie serves well enough as an introductory primer to the Pokemon world for fans just getting into the games and universe and without the time to catch 'em all in the excellent Indigo League series in which this film finds its roots. Talking Pikachus and missing characters and a few other "series sins" aside, the movie proves adequately entertaining and enlightening into the franchise's world, but a 90-minute film really cannot do justice to the depth and breadth the numerous games and many TV episodes afford the material. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release delivers superficially good picture that's flawed upon closer inspection. Audio is good and supplements are limited to a trailer. Worth a look for newcomers and for fans to see what the fuss has all been about.