While the Pokemon anime series and many excellent video games may get all of the attention, the series also has tons of great movies. With the first movie in the series being released in 1998, the power of Pokemon has continued and grown with countless movies coming out as the years have gone on.
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PostsJust because a Pokemon movie comes out doesn’t mean that it is one of the best in the series. There are a lot of moving parts that have to all come out perfectly in order for a great Pokemon movie to come out and take the world by storm, and here are some of the very best.
10 Pokemon: The First Movie
Pokemon: The First Movie
Director:
Kunihiko Yuyama
Writer:
Takeshi Shudo
Cast:
Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart
Release Date:
July 18, 1998
Runtime:
75 minutes
One of the best places to start when talking about the best Pokemon movies is with the very first one released in 1998. Pokemon: The First Movie stands out as one of the most memorable movies in the series thanks to its release during the initial Pokemon lovefest.
Primarily sending Ash and his friends to New Island to battle with some exciting new trainers, things quickly get out of hand once Mewtwo initiates his plan to get his revenge against humans. It’s a story with a lot of heart and one surprising moment that makes pretty much everyone cry.
9 Pokemon The Movie: 2000
Pokemon The Movie: 2000
Director:
Kunihiko Yuyama
Writer:
Takeshi Shudo
Cast:
Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Ted Lewis
Release Date:
July 17, 1999
Runtime:
82 minutes
The follow-up to the first movie was Pokemon The Movie: 2000, a movie that sees Ash in a struggle involving the legendary birds of the early games. A foolish Pokemon collector named Lawrence wants to awaken Lugia and plans to do so through the capture of Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno.
This movie takes place during the Orange Islands arc and, as a result, features Ash traveling with Misty and Tracey instead of Brock. The movie also features some fun moments from Team Rocket, making it a must-see for fans of the villainous team.
8 Pokemon Heroes
Pokemon Heroes
Director:
Kunihiko Yuyama
Writer:
Hideki Sonoda
Cast:
Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart
Release Date:
July 13, 2002
Runtime:
72 minutes
Taking place during Ash’s fifth season of adventures through Johto, Pokemon Heroes focuses on the two legendary Dragon-Type Pokemon Latios and Latias. As you might expect, Ash befriends the two Pokemon while everyone else around them, including Team Rocket, tries to execute evil schemes.
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Posts 6After some villains manage to kidnap Latios, Latias turns to Ash for help after he previously proved trustworthy. Complete with a massive tidal wave in the finale, this is one adventure where it actually looks like Ash might lose, but of course, everything ends up right back to normal by the end.
7 Pokemon: Arceus And The Jewel Of Life
Pokemon: Arceus And The Jewel Of Life
Director:
Kunihiko Yuyama
Writer:
Hideki Sonoda
Cast:
Sarah Natochenny, Emily Bauer, Bill Rogers
Release Date:
July 18, 2009
Runtime:
94 minutes
With this being the twelfth Pokemon movie, the team behind the series had to pull out all the stops. Instead of telling a simple adventure that pits Ash against a team of thieves, this one has chaos that threatens all of existence.
Essentially, Arceus is awakening, and thanks to Arceus feeling as if humanity hasn’t been kind to it, it creates a whole mess of problems. In order to avoid catastrophe, Ash and his friends are sent back in time by Dialga to fix the mess before it can even begin.
6 Pokemon: The Rise Of Darkrai
Pokemon: The Rise Of Darkrai
Director:
Kunihiko Yuyama
Writer:
Hideki Sonoda
Cast:
Sarah Natochenny, Emily Bauer, Bill Rogers
Release Date:
July 14, 2007
Runtime:
90 minutes
The tenth Pokemon movie is an interesting one because much of the conflict hinges on a large misunderstanding. Essentially, Dialga and Palkia are locked in a battle that is causing various issues, and poor Darkrai ends up taking all the blame for the problems.
The misunderstood Darkrai ends up being a key factor in containing the struggle between the two legendary beasts. With Ash and his friends caught in the middle, it’s up to them and Darkrai to save Alamos Town and, ultimately, the world.
5 Pokemon: Destiny Deoxys
Pokemon: Destiny Deoxys
Director:
Kunihiko Yuyama
Writer:
Hideki Sonoda
Cast:
Veronica Taylor, Eric Stuart, Amy Birnbaum
Release Date:
July 17, 2004
Runtime:
100 minutes
The seventh of the Pokemon films centers around one of the most interesting legendary Pokemon of previous generations, Deoxys. Those who have seen any of the Pokemon films know that things get complicated in a hurry, with Rayquaza arriving to make the situation of the film all the more dire.
Essentially, the two legendary Pokemon come into conflict (with two different Deoxy’s being involved), one that spills over and involves none other than Ash Ketchum. It’s up to him and his friends to bring peace to the two Pokemon while also stopping malfunctioning robots from hurting anyone.
4 Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You!
Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You!
Director:
Kunihiko Yuyama
Writer:
Shōji Yonemura
Cast:
Sarah Natochenny, Carter Cathcart, Michele Knotz, Carter Cathcart
Release Date:
July 6, 2017
Runtime:
97 minutes
The reason so many people love Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You is because it’s a modern retelling of how the story all began. This movie goes right back to the first day Ash Ketchum gets out of bed in order to set off on his Pokemon adventure.
There are a few changes to the story to keep things interesting in movie form. Still, overall, it’s one of the most endearing movies purely because it allowed a new generation to enjoy how Pokemon began with the generation that first experienced it in anime form.
3 Pokemon: Lucario And The Mystery Of Mew
Pokemon: Lucario And The Mystery Of Mew
Director:
Kunihiko Yuyama
Writer:
Hideki Sonoda
Cast:
Veronica Taylor, Amy Birnbaum, Eric Stuart
Release Date:
July 16, 2005
Runtime:
101 minutes
With how much people love Lucario, it shouldn’t be a surprise that a movie featuring the fantastic Fighting-Type Pokemon is a fan favorite. The eighth movie in the series sees Ash befriending a Lucario in order to save a mew.
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PostsRather than being an overly simple plot, the movie has a deep back story for Lucario that a lot of people resonate with. The surprising heart that comes from this movie makes it one that every Pokemon needs to see at least once.
2 Pokemon The Movie: The Power Of Us
Pokemon The Movie: The Power Of Us
Director:
Tetsuo Yajima
Writer:
Eiji Umehara, Tetsuo Yajima
Cast:
Sarah Natochenny, Michele Knotz, James Carter Cathcart
Release Date:
July 13, 2018
Runtime:
100 minutes
The twenty-first Pokemon movie is a lot of fun as it sees Ash making a whole bunch of new friends despite being seemingly completely different. It falls on to a group of strangers coming together to save Fula City.
While some Pokemon movies can feel a bit too scattered with everything they try to cover, this one manages to perfectly balance all the different characters and storylines. The movie itself is a breath of fresh air for offering something different in the world of Pokemon.
1 Detective Pikachu
Detective Pikachu
Director:
Rob Letterman
Writer:
Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Rob Letterman, Derek Connolly
Cast:
Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy
Release Date:
May 3, 2019 (Japan) May 10, 2019 (United States)
Runtime:
104 minutes
The 2019 live-action Pokemon movie that was inspired by the Detective Pikachu games was a surprising hit for a lot of people. With Ryan Reynolds flexing his comedic chops as the titular Detective Pikachu, this movie offered a more realistic look at Pokemon for the first time on the big screen.
Taking a simple idea and setting it in the world of Pokemon, the film centers around a young man’s journey to find his father. Luckily, Detective Pikachu is on the case, always ready to solve whatever tricky mysteries come his way, no matter how twisted the investigation becomes.
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