How Did Critics Review Pokémon I Choose You The Movie?

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Honestly, I still get a little giddy whenever I think about watching 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!' with a bowl of popcorn and some nostalgic friends. The film itself runs about 98 minutes, which is roughly 1 hour and 38 minutes. That’s the standard theatrical runtime you'll see listed for the 2017 release, and it’s concise enough to feel like a tight, emotional retelling without overstaying its welcome. I caught it in theaters when it came out and noticed how that runtime keeps the pacing brisk—there’s barely any filler, and most of the runtime is packed with bright animation, a few surprising cameos, and those warm early-Ash moments. Keep in mind that depending on where you look, some sources round up to about 100 minutes, and home-video releases can pad the total disc time with extras and credits. But the core feature? Around 98 minutes. If you’re planning a rewatch, that length makes it perfect for a cozy evening—one sitting, no burnout. It’s a compact celebration of the franchise that feels both familiar and fresh, and I usually find myself pausing to comment on little details or soundtrack bits with whoever I’m watching it with.

Watching 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!' felt like flipping through a scrapbook of the franchise — the filmmakers stuffed it with nods that made my inner nerd squeal. Right off the bat there are obvious homages to the very first anime episode: visual frames that mimic Ash and Pikachu’s awkward beginning, plus Ho-Oh’s rainbow flight that’s framed almost identically to the original scene. Musically, listeners will catch little motifs that echo the classic themes — those tiny orchestral hits that tug on nostalgia seem deliberately placed during the big emotional beats. Beyond the headline moments, there are tons of background and visual Easter eggs. You see plenty of classic Kanto Pokémon in crowd shots and environments — little winks to the original roster — and some character cameos (think familiar faces popping into the background or in quick cutaways). The animators even slip in flashes of the older art style during certain flashback sequences, which felt like handing a Polaroid to longtime fans. Team Rocket’s mannerisms and punches of comedic timing also feel like a loving throwback to their earliest incarnations. I also loved the subtle game and franchise callbacks: hints of red/blue era iconography, shout-outs that remind you of 'Pokémon Yellow' vibes (Pikachu always on the trainer’s shoulder), and visual nods to Sakurai-era animation choices. Not every nod is spelled out — a lot are the kind you only notice on a second watch. If you’ve got a favorite obscure line or background sprite, pause and scan; the movie rewards people who pay attention to details, and it left me brimming with fondness for the old series.

I still get chills hearing that opening — it hits the nostalgia sweet spot. For the Japanese release of 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!' the throwback theme is performed by Rica Matsumoto, who’s famously the voice of Ash (Satoshi) in the original series and sang the classic 'Mezase Pokémon Master' back in the day. For the movie they leaned into that nostalgic vibe with a 20th-anniversary style take that brings her voice front and center. The overall film score — the background music and emotional cues throughout the movie — was handled by longtime Pokémon composer Shinji Miyazaki, so even when it isn’t a vocal theme you can feel that familiar Pokémon musical DNA. If you watched an English dub or an international version, you might notice slightly different vocal arrangements or music cues; local releases sometimes swap or adapt music for regional tastes, and promotional trailers occasionally use other songs. If you want the exact track names and performers beyond Rica Matsumoto and Miyazaki (like insert songs or end-credit singers), the easiest route is to check the movie’s soundtrack credits or a reliable soundtrack listing — the credits at the end of 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!' list every performer and composer. Hearing Rica’s voice again in that celebratory style always makes me smile, like a comfy old hoodie — perfect for a rewatch with popcorn.

Watching 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!' in the theater felt like someone took the warmest parts of the original TV start and gave them a new coat of paint — but also rearranged the furniture. The film deliberately reimagines Ash's origin rather than retell the first season beat-for-beat. So you get familiar beats — Ash chasing his dream, Pikachu being stubborn, Ho-Oh appearing as a luminous symbol — but they play out in new ways. The biggest practical difference is continuity: the movie sits in an alternate timeline, so classic companions like Misty and Brock aren’t the same presence, and many later-series events don’t line up with what you remember from the series. The tone and pacing are also different. The TV show has a serialized, episodic rhythm that lets you meet lots of trainers, gyms, and goofy one-off battles; the movie compresses and dramatizes, giving scenes more emotional weight and sometimes a bittersweet or reflective vibe. Visually it leans into cinematic animation choices — sweeping skies, dramatic color palettes, and stylistic fights — that feel more like a tribute piece than a straight episode. Musically, the score leans into moments that tug at nostalgia hooks, which was a deliberate choice to make longtime fans feel something, even if the plot deviates. What I liked most as a longtime fan was how the film focused on the bond between Ash and Pikachu, making certain emotional beats hit harder than they did in the rapid-fire TV opening. If you want a faithful episode-by-episode nostalgia trip, the anime is the thing; if you want a condensed, emotionally amplified retelling with gorgeous animation and a few surprises, the movie is worth your time. I left the theater smiling and thinking about how different retellings can refresh a story without replacing the one I grew up with.

I still get a little giddy thinking about the first time I watched 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!' on a lazy Saturday — I had snacks, a fuzzy blanket, and that warm nostalgia that hits when the opening theme starts. If you want to stream it legally, start by checking the official Pokémon channels and the big digital stores. The Pokémon TV app/website sometimes rotates movies and has offered 'I Choose You!' in the past, so it’s worth a quick look there first. Beyond that, most reliable options are rental/purchase platforms: Apple TV/iTunes, Google Play Movies, YouTube Movies, Amazon Prime Video (buy or rent), Vudu, and the Microsoft Store often carry the movie. Subscription availability (like Netflix) depends heavily on your country — Netflix has carried various Pokémon films in certain regions at times, but it’s not guaranteed. Availability changes, so don’t be surprised if it’s on one service today and gone tomorrow. If you want to be lazy about searching, I use a site like JustWatch or Reelgood to scan my country’s streaming catalog quickly — saves me from opening seven apps. If you’re picky about dub vs. sub, check the platform’s details: some stores sell both language tracks. Buying the digital copy or a Blu-ray is the most permanent solution if you plan to rewatch or want bonus features, and it helps support the creators. Happy hunting — hope you get to rewatch that nostalgia-bomb scene with your favorite snacks.

I still get a little giddy thinking about that movie theatre glow — I went to see 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!' with a friend who’d been rewatching the original series, and we kept shouting at the screen like it was a baseball game. To put it plainly: the movie follows an alternate retelling of Ash’s beginning rather than slotting neatly into the long-running TV continuity. It borrows elements from the classic 'Indigo League' start — like Ash setting off as a new trainer, the emotional Ho-Oh moments, and the early struggles with making friends — but then it purposefully changes the choreography of events, relationships, and outcomes. Because it’s a rebooted origin, many familiar beats are reimagined: Pikachu’s initial distrust, a different set of companions and trials, and some story choices that never happened in the original episodes. That means you can’t really say it sits before or after a particular season of the anime like 'XY' or 'Sun & Moon'; instead, it exists in its own movie continuity. The creators were celebrating decades of Pokémon, so they leaned into nostalgia while giving long-time fans a fresh, standalone tale. If you want to watch it as part of the “official timeline,” it’s safer to enjoy it as a separate universe — a heart-on-sleeve tribute to Ash’s origin rather than a chapter in the serialized TV timeline. Personally, I love it for the emotions and the creative rethinking of Ash’s early days; it’s perfect for newcomers and longtime viewers who like “what if?” spins on classic moments.

That movie gives you a fresh, nostalgic punch straight to the chest — but it’s not the same Ash you’ve been following episode-to-episode. In 'Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!' the protagonist is Ash Ketchum (Satoshi in Japanese), but he’s presented as a reimagined, alternate-version of him — essentially a retelling of his origin for the 20th-anniversary film. It borrows beats from the original Indigo League debut, like Pikachu being stubborn and Ho-Oh showing up, but the events and relationships diverge enough that it’s not considered the ongoing TV continuity’s Ash. I always treat this Ash like a lovely “what if” — a version that exists to celebrate and reinterpret why we fell in love with the character. If you’re nitpicky about continuity, it helps to think of the film as a standalone retelling: same spirit, different road. The Japanese voice actor, Rica Matsumoto, still brings Satoshi’s energy, and Sarah Natochenny carries the English voice with the familiar enthusiasm. Personally, watching it late at night with friends, I kept mentally slotting familiar moments against the original series and smiling at the differences. So, short answer: it’s Ash/Satoshi, but from an alternate retelling rather than the main, long-running series continuity — a sentimental, reworked version made to evoke the original magic rather than tie into every TV-season event.