The Pokémon series is one of the most successful franchises in modern entertainment. With dozens of video games, a hit trading card game, several animated shows, countless amounts of merchandise, and just about anything else you can imagine, the franchise has grossed nearly $100 billion in the three decades since it launched in the mid-’90s. One arena of entertainment that the Pokémon series has also found immense success in is film.
The very first Pokémon film was released in 1998, and it operated as a direct spin-off of the hit anime series. Since then, there have been over 20 different Pokémon films produced and released, with almost all of them directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. Many of these have continued in the vein of the first, following Ash Ketchum and his beloved Pikachu on all sorts of different adventures. Some of them, however, deviated from that tradition to tell new stories with new protagonists. Given the vast number of films, we’ve decided to sort through them all and highlight the ones that have the highest user ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.
We’ve chosen to focus primarily on audience scores for this list, because these films aren’t created for critics, and most of them don’t have enough critic reviews gathered to produce a reliable score. With that said, here are the 10 best Pokémon films, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
10 Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel (2016) – 67%
2016’s Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel premiered in Japan in July before rolling out worldwide later that year. The movie was the third film released as part of the XY series, which was produced in coordination with the sixth generation of Pokémon games, which had been released on the Nintendo 3DS system. The plot of the film follows Ash, Pikachu and several XY characters like Serena and Clemont, as they attempt to retrieve a stolen treasure with the help of the mythical Pokémon Volcanion.
How It Fares on Rotten Tomatoes
Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel holds a 67% audience score, based on fewer than 50 user reviews. These reviews average out to a rating of 3.5 out of 5. There is only one critic review that has been submitted for the film, which gives it a rotten score and expresses general disappointment about the film’s lack of innovation.
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9 The Power of Us (2018) – 67%
Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us was released in 2018 as the second part of the “Alternate Timeline” series, which had essentially rebooted the Pokémon anime series from the very beginning. After the first film, I Choose You!, told a story centered on the Pokémon Gold mascot Ho-Oh, The Power of Us then shifted to the adjacent Pokémon Silver mascot Lugia. The film was directed by Tetsuo Yajima, and it was released in Japan in the summer of 2018 before receiving a small theatrical run internationally in November. It also marks the first time that a Pokémon film had not been directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, who had helmed the first 20 or so features between 1998 and 2018.
How It Fares on Rotten Tomatoes
The Power of Us also holds a 67% audience score, though we’ve placed it above Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel because it has over 100 user reviews, making it a much wider positive consensus from fans. That same logic is applied to several other ties on this list. The Power of Us also holds a unique record for this list, as it is the only entry here that has a critic score that is higher than its audience score. With just seven critic reviews counted, the movie holds a solid 71% approval rating from critics.
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8 Arceus and the Jewel of Life (2009) – 68%
The 2009 movie Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life was the third film produced during the franchise’s fourth generation, the Diamond and Pearl era. It served as a direct sequel to its two preceding films, The Rise of Darkrai and Giratina and the Sky Warrior. The plot of this film sees Ash, Brock and Dawn being sent back in time to stop an attack from the mythical Pokémon Arceus, which is often described as the “god Pokémon” of the series.
How It Fares on Rotten Tomatoes
Landing just a smidge higher than the two previous entries on this list, Arceus and the Jewel of Life holds an audience score of 68% based on over 500 user reviews. Those reviews add up to an average rating of 3.9 out of 5. There is one critic review submitted for the film, which is slightly positive and says that it is a bit more original than some of the other movies in the series.
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7 Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea (2006) – 68%
2006’s Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea is a bit of an outlier in the broader Pokémon film series. That’s because, unlike most of the other films, it is not inspired by a mainline Pokémon game, but rather by a spin-off Nintendo DS game titled Pokémon Ranger. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, the film was also produced as a part of the franchise’s third generation, coinciding with the Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald games. However, it was one of the last releases of that generation, as further evidenced by the inclusion of the fourth-generation Pokémon Manaphy as a central part of the story, prior to the release of the Diamond and Pearl games.
How It Fares on Rotten Tomatoes
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea also holds a 68% audience score, though it has more user reviews counted, with over 2,500 ratings that average out to 3.8 out of 5. There is (yet again) just one critic review for the film. That review gives the movie a rotten score, saying that the plot is too formulaic and predictable. At this point, it’s also worth noting that the single critic reviews submitted for many of these films come from the same critic from the publication Más Gamers, and we have to respect the dedication to watch and review every single one of these.
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6 Destiny Deoxys (2004) – 69%
Next on the list is 2004’s Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys, which was released just a few years prior to Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, and it was the second film in the Ruby and Sapphire era of the series. Once again directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, Destiny Deoxys follows Ash, Pikachu, Brock, May and Max through a story that sees the sky guardian Pokémon Rayquaza facing off with a strange being from space called Deoxys.
How It Fares on Rotten Tomatoes
The film continues the slight upward trend of the last few entries, coming in just above Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, with a 69% audience score based on over 10,000 ratings. Altogether, those user reviews average out to a rating of 3.7 out of 5. Más Gamers has also returned to be the one critic score submitted, delivering a rotten review that states the film is duller and more repetitive than usual for the series.
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5 Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010) – 70%
Similarly to how Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea bridged the gap between generations three and four of the series, with the Ruby and Sapphire characters interacting with a fourth-generation Pokémon, the film Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions does the same for the transition from the fourth to the fifth generations. The movie follows the main characters of the Diamond and Pearl anime – Ash, Pikachu, Brock, Dawn and her Piplup – in an adventure that crosses their paths with the fifth generation Pokémon Zorua and Zoroark. The film also loosely ties into the generation two remakes that had just been released, Pokémon: Heart Gold and Soul Silver, by including legendary Pokémon such as Entei, Raikou, Suicune and Celebi.
How It Fares on Rotten Tomatoes
Zoroark: Master of Illusions is the first film on this list to cross the threshold into the 70s, as it holds an audience score of exactly 70%. It earns that score with over 250 user reviews submitted, which average out to a rating of 3.8 out of 5. Then, you guessed it, there’s one critic review submitted from Más Gamers, which gives the movie a fresh rating by complimenting the strong narrative of the film.
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4 The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998) – 72%
Pokemon: The First Movie
- Release Date
- July 18, 1998
- Director
- Michael Haigney, Kunihiko Yuyama
- Cast
- Veronica Taylor, Philip Bartlett, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart, Madeleine Blaustein, Ikue Ootani
- Rating
- G
- Runtime
- 75
- Main Genre
- Animation
It’s honestly a shock that Pokémon: The First Movie isn’t at the top of this list. As you may not have guessed from the title of the film, The First Movie is actually the first Pokémon movie ever released. The beginning of the extended Pokémon movie directing career of Kunihiko Yuyama, the film is undoubtedly the most famous of all the Pokémon films. After debuting in Japan in 1998 and then releasing internationally in 1999, the film was a major box office hit, pulling in over $170 million on a budget of just $5 million. The film is spun-off from the original Pokémon games and anime, and it follows Ash, Pikachu, Brock and Misty on a strange adventure that sees them battling the immensely powerful and intelligent Pokémon, Mewtwo.
How It Fares on Rotten Tomatoes
Considering how beloved The First Movie is by Pokémon fans, we honestly expected it to have a higher audience score. It’s still solid, though, coming in at 72% based on over 50,000 submitted reviews. Those reviews average out, once again, to a rating of 3.8 out of 5. As for the critic score, there are 91 reviews counted, giving a much wider critical consensus. That consensus is a staggeringly rotten 16%. Just to keep the overall trend of this list going, we combed through those reviews and found the one submitted by Más Gamers, which was sadly another rotten tomato on the pile.
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3 The Rise of Darkrai (2007) – 75%
The first film of Pokémon’s fourth generation, Diamond and Pearl, was Pokémon the Movie: The Rise of Darkrai. Released in 2007, just a year after Pokémon Ranger, the film marks a major turning point in the series, as it was the first Pokémon movie to be entirely digitally animated. It followed the new core cast of characters introduced in the Diamond and Pearl anime as a peaceful town was disrupted by the battles of the legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia, the mascots for the Diamond and Pearl games. These disturbances are initially blamed on the mythical Pokémon Darkrai, but that nightmarish being turns out to be the savior that the village needs.
How It Fares on Rotten Tomatoes
The Rise of Darkrai sees a bit of an upward jump in user ratings, as it holds a 75% audience score based on over 1,000 ratings. Those user ratings average out to a score of 4 out of 5. The one submitted critic score from Más Gamers, however, is less positive and says the movie just feels like filler in the broader series.
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2 Detective Pikachu (2019) – 79%
Detective Pikachu
- Release Date
- May 3, 2019
- Director
- Rob Letterman
- Cast
- Ryan Reynolds, Suki Waterhouse, Kathryn Newton, Rob Delaney, Justice Smith, Bill Nighy
- Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 105
- Main Genre
- Action
The Pokémon franchise has long been thought to have a lot of potential in the live-action space, and Netflix is currently in development of a live-action series to capitalize on that. However, it won’t be the first live-action Pokémon story officially produced. That honor goes to 2019’s Pokémon Detective Pikachu. The film is an adaptation of the game Detective Pikachu, which was released on the Nintendo 3DS a few years prior. Directed by Rob Letterman, the film stars Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Billy Nighy, Ken Watanabe and none other than Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Pikachu. The film was a decent hit, grossing $450 million at the box office. A sequel has been announced, though there’s no release date as of yet.
How It Fares on Rotten Tomatoes
With over 10,000 user ratings submitted, Detective Pikachu has an audience score of 79% and an average user rating of 4 out of 5. The critic score was also fairly positive, with a 68% score based on 318 reviews. The general consensus from both fans and critics is that the film is entertaining enough, but it doesn’t necessarily tell the most compelling story. Sadly, there was no review submitted by Más Gamers for this one; but fret not, as there was a review submitted by that same critic through the publication Me Gusta el Cine, which delivered a fresh rating and called the movie the first to break the video game movie curse.
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1 Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (2005) – 80%
Finally, the film to top this list is 2005’s Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. Like Pokémon Ranger, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew also bridged the gap between the third and fourth generations of the Pokémon games. Despite releasing two years prior to the launch of Diamond and Pearl in the United States, the film introduced the generation-four Pokémon Lucario into its story alongside the central characters from the Ruby and Sapphire anime.
How It Fares on Rotten Tomatoes
Lucario and the Mystery of Mew holds the highest audience score of any Pokémon film, with an 80% based on over 5,000 user reviews. All of those reviews average out to a solid rating of 4.1 out of 5. As a fitting finish for this list, there’s once again only one critic review, submitted from Más Gamers. This review gives the film a fresh score, saying that Lucario and the Mystery of Mew expands the Pokémon movie series in “surprisingly interesting ways.”
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This story originally appeared on Movieweb
