Roger Ebert - Pokémon: The First Movie (1999) 

It's shit

Acquiring

he is not wrong.

well he is not wrong. except for how he pronounces pokemon lol.

pokemen herpderp

As soon as I heard him say that I scrolled down because I knew there was going to be a comment about it.

+C.J. O'Dell stop obsessing over ratings and actually care about the review itself.

***** I'm not. I was just mentioning it.

He didn't pick it as the worst film of 1999, Joel Siegel did.

Honestly, that's pretty gracious. And I say that as someone who loves the film.

oddly enough the implication is they did not even not need to forget the "moral" as my understanding is they were just upset pokemon were fighting because mewtwo was frocing them too. like i think it was nurse joy who says pokemon should not fight not like this.

Brandon Espinoza , I remember I was at a local store, and I was stopped by the electronics Asile, and they were selling TV's, and this movie was on all of them, so I started watching it.

Awesome

LOOL a never forget that opening movie wit charizard stuck and i never forgot when he shed a tear i was nah not my nigga ZARD!! Damn shit me in the feels to this day LMAO

That was my 30th birthday.

you really need to watch the anime to appreciate the movie, unfortunately. i still think it was great but i understand their reactions

@@idklol4197 the original Japanese version

Yeah, the thing about Pokemon is it did all the right things to become a sensation with kids (and remain popular with younger generations while also still remaining a nostalgic touchstone for Millennials), but it was never going to win over adults at the time. That's why this and subsequent movies got negative reviews. As a movie for fans, it's totally fine, but if you aren't invested in the Pokemon phenomenon or its story or characters, I don't see it more than being passable entertainment at best and cynical marketing at worst for someone like Roger Ebert, especially when you compare the animation and story to movies that do have cross-generational appeal. So take it with a grain of salt, and if you like it, continue to like it.

@I'm Beavis heh heh Sentinel Spheres

Hans-Christian I would have to agree with you, because I remember I used to rent this movie when it was on Pay-Per-View on my Dish-Network, and it was amazing, I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish, I even cheered at the part where Ash Ketchum (who's my all-time top ten favorite Pokémon People Characters of course) walked out of the smoke, fallowed by the other Pokémon, That was Amazing, If there ever was an Academy Award to give to Cartoon Characters in a Anime Movie, Then Ash Ketchum would win an Academy Award for Best Part In an Anime Movie, I also remember when this AWESOME movie was nominated in the "Kids Choice Awards" (I don't remember what year it was), I remember SpongeBob and Patrick Starfish was the presenters, and I don't remember what happened next, also I remember I used to have this on VHS, and the best part of all, was when Ash was running and got hit by a psychic blast, and was turned to stone, Pikachu started to revive him, but it didn't work, Pikachu started crying, then the other Pokémon and the clones started crying, I was about to cry myself, but then I remembered what that other woman that was with officer jenny in a big harbor building, the other woman was talking to the other Pokémon Trainers who wanted to go to some island, and she (the other woman) started talking about some storm that had destroyed everything including some Pokémon, and how their tears have revived what had been destroyed, and I said to myself, "that's it, that's going to save his (Ash Ketchum) life, That's it, that has to be it", and I won't tell you what happens next, also I remember recording the second one on TV, and I also remember I used to have the third one, and I've seen the fourth one, the fifth one, and the rest too, including the Jirichi, Deoxys, Lucario, Manaphy, Darkrai, Shayman, Arceus, Zororark, Reshiram. Zekrom, Keldeo, Genesect, and the Diancie one, I like the Diancie one, It's AWESOME.

Actually the original version was way different,it was supposed to be the series finale but with money opportunity they scrap it up and made that version

@@Gabelite I always felt Giovanni should've played a larger role

No bro, just no.

+Actually Jimmy Fallon I would have to agree with you, because I've still got the VHS of this movie and I've also got the Second, Third, and Fourth Movie, and the rest of them are on DVD's, Including The DIANCE one, I also have every single Pokémon Cards too, all of them in photo albums, and all the action figures, and stuffed animals too.

***** no, you're just stupid

*****​ you're just mad because you're going to get poked. I'll go easy on you, I handle with care.

dumbass

Yeah that was such graceful and nice way to end the discussion

+psychedelicpiper Weeaboo spotted.

Antonio D. Actually I rarely watch anime these days, and even back when I was more into it, it wasn't the only thing that revolved around my life. Nice try, though. I'm just a purist, that's all.

because at this point everyone knows pokemon is about aquireing pokemens.

That's nonsense. Ebert acknowledged tons of great animated kids movies throughout his whole career. You're free to have your own opinion on this shitty film, but your little assessment there is seriously off base and overzealous.

Roger died back in 2013 and Gene died back in 1999.

4Kids screwed up. They wanted it to be like a Disney movie.

***** Except that's not at all the moral of this when Pokemon as a whole would completely contradict it. It's not to push your friends (read: Pokemon) to their breaking point for your benefit.

@@Nitrobotti without knowing that Disney also had mature themes in them.

That he would knew that 4kids changed the script, music, and the tone of the movie.