Film

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!

Name: Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!
Genre: Family, Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
Released: 2017
Cast: Rica Matsumoto, Ikue Otani, Megumi Hayashibara, Shin-ichiro Miki, Inuko Inuyama

Fantasy
Light-hearted

A 20th-anniversary reimagining of Pokémon's origin story, stripping away decades of canon to ask what made the series work in the first place. Ash meets Pikachu, and through gorgeous animation and genuine warmth, the film explores their unlikely partnership and what it means to choose your own path. It's a love letter to the franchise wrapped in an adventure film—perfect for anyone who loved the show or wants to understand why people do.

TMDb rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love a warm, bright origin story about a stubborn bond forming between a kid and a prickly creature, told with the cheerful energy of a children's adventure that never takes itself too seriously.

Skip it if you already know this beginning by heart, or you want an action-driven film with stakes that build steadily, since this one is mostly a gentle, familiar retread of the franchise's opening.

What it asks of you: Ninety-eight minutes of light, bouncy material that rarely needs close attention, so it works just as well as background company while you do something else.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Your Name.2016

A beautifully animated Japanese film about connection and destiny that understands how to make the audience feel what the characters feel. The animation is exquisite and the story earns every tear it asks for.

But It's a romance first and an adventure second. If you're coming for action and whimsy, the meditative middle section might test your patience.

A Letter to Momo2012

A Japanese animated film about a girl finding magic and family in unexpected places. It has the same warmth and visual beauty as I Choose You!, with a plot that unfolds like a fairy tale you'd forgotten you knew.

But The pacing is gentle and the stakes are internal—if you need plot to move fast, this will feel slow.

Spirited Away2001

A masterpiece of animation and imagination. A girl enters a magical world and must navigate it with courage and kindness. It's visually stunning, genuinely thrilling, and carries real emotional weight beneath the fantasy.

But Some find it deliberately paced and a little overwhelming on first viewing. It rewards patience but doesn't make that easy upfront.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Carole & Tuesday2019

Both films about young people discovering who they are through unlikely partnerships, using gorgeous animation to make small moments feel epic. Same director.

Two girls meet on Mars and form a band. Watanabe's direction gives it the same warmth and visual beauty as I Choose You!, and it's fundamentally about connection and self-discovery, just dressed in science fiction and music.

But It's a romance between two girls, and if that makes you uncomfortable, nothing else about it will land. Also very long—26 episodes is a commitment.

The Lego Movie2014

Pure joy wrapped in humor for all ages. It's about finding your potential and learning that being ordinary is actually extraordinary. Fast, funny, and surprisingly sincere about what it means to belong.

But The relentless energy and constant jokes might exhaust you. Some find it more manic than fun.

How to Train Your Dragon2010

A boy bonds with a creature everyone told him to fear, and together they rewrite their whole world. It's gorgeously animated, genuinely funny, and nails the emotional beats without ever feeling manipulative.

But The plot hits expected story beats. If you want genuine surprises, this is a well-made but familiar shape.

Encanto2021

A girl without obvious gifts discovers that what makes her special is exactly what everyone overlooks. The animation is vibrant, the music is infectious, and the film has something real to say about family and identity.

But If you're not a musical person, the constant songs might feel intrusive rather than enhancing the story.

Moana2016

A young girl sets out to save her island by discovering who she really is. It's a gorgeous adventure with real charm, beautiful music, and a protagonist who doesn't need permission to be brave.

But Some find the pacing uneven and the third act slightly loses the magic of the earlier sections.

Over the Garden Wall2014

A beautiful, spooky miniseries about two brothers lost in a mysterious forest. It's gorgeously animated, genuinely eerie, and builds to something strange and moving. Can be watched in one sitting.

But It's intentionally dark and melancholic—if you want adventure without any shadows, this will feel grim.

The Iron Giant1999

Two stories about a boy and his impossible companion learning together that choice matters more than destiny. Both trust animation to do the emotional work.

A boy finds a giant robot falling from the sky and must decide what it means to choose to be good. It's hand-drawn animation at its most beautiful, genuinely funny, and absolutely heartbreaking in ways that stick with you.

But It's from 1999 and looks it—if you need modern animation, the style might feel dated. Also slower than I Choose You! and sadder.

Carrie Pilby2017

Both are fundamentally about young people rejecting the path they're supposed to follow and choosing their own instead. Both insist that your choice, not your potential, is what defines you.

A brilliant young woman realizes that being smart isn't the same as knowing how to live, and sets out to figure it out. It's small, clever, genuinely warm, and has real things to say about finding your people and your path.

But It's live-action and deeply introspective rather than fantastical. If you need magic and action, this is too quiet and too real.