The Official CLC Ranking: Every Pokémon Movie Ever Made
1. Pokémon: Arceus & The Jewel Of Life (2010)
The finale of a trilogy on the most epic godlike scale imaginable, ATJOL is a pantheonic kaiju action fantasy adventure time-travel religion horror apocalypse survival comedy mystery film and the zenith PKMN cinexperience: a wild story w. breathtaking Greco-Roman x Egyptian heiroglyphic x Churchlike Stained Glass aestheticization, orchestral symphony score, power, awe, emotion, balance, hyperimagination, 5+ box-legends, & complex pago-biblical allegory/iconography. 9.4/10.
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2. Pokémon 3 (2001)
A heartbreaking, powerful, avant-garde fantasy dreamscape of grief expositon from origins as raw and dark as a little girl’s tears after losing her father: a canvas of pure emotion, masterpiece world building, epic-scale action, & depth of allegory. 9.2/10.
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3. Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back (2021 Netflix Remake)
The greatest video game movie, PTFM takes cues from the world’s biggest sci-fi, horror, & action/adventure films with breathtaking new visuals and strikingly-complex religion allegory, philosophy, emotion, fandom-service, & sociology. 9/10.
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4. Pokémon: Destiny Of Deoxys (2005)
The purest kaiju awe of the film series by grace of two of [& perhaps: the #1] Greatest PKMN Of All-Time, DOD – though ~choppily 3D-animated and gimmicky in commercialization – is a love-letter to science-fiction w. beautiful cyberpunk futuristic worldbuilding, better length for characterization, fun subplots, & epic zombie/alien invasion apocalyptica. 8.7/10.
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5. Pokémon: Heroes (2003)
The greatest score, pure adventure, aestheticization of vivid baroque/romanticism worldbuilding in breathtaking old-world venetian & parisien setting, & legends of Pokéfilms prismatizing themes of history, mankind, & heroicism, HRS is a CLC favorite B-feature. 8.5/10.
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6. Pokémon: Giratina & The Sky Warrior (2007)
The Most VFX & Ocularly-Striking PKMN Movie by grace of its MC Esher-esque Distortion Worldbuild, True GIV Dawn Experience, Darker Mystery Tone, & Uber-Fandom Tribute To The #1-2 G.O.A.T. PKMN: Giratina, despite a mixed counterbalance mythical in Shaymin. 8.2/10.
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7. Pokémon: The Movie 2000
Better-animated with epic mythological scale & apocalyptica thrills expanding the canon and bridging gaps between generations alongside a provocative villain, PTM2 is more corporatized w. setting, plot, score issues, but ~okay sequel for fans. 7.5/10.
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8. Pokémon: 4Ever (2003)
Despite a bad dub name-choice, epilogue, ~choppy VFX, and [predictable] clichés, 4E is a rustic, quiescent old-world fantasy myth/folk aestheticized ocarina hymn to nature & time w two of Greatest Pokémon Ever Created: Celebi and Sucune. 7.2/10.
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9. Pokémon: Ranger & The Temple Of The Sea (2006)
A Swashbuckling Disneyesque Little Mermaid x Aladdin x POTC x Dumbo x Indiana Jones Adventure W. Body Swap Comedy, A Tribute To May, Emotional Parenthood Themes, T10 PKMN, & Best Soundtrack Of Series.. But Weak Finale, Recasts. 6.5/10.
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10. Pokémon: Lucario & The Mystery Of Mew (2005)
A Medieval Expansion Of The Mystery Of PKMN Beyond Dex #’s & Regions To Past, LATMOM weaves a fine character-driven tale for an über-popular ‘mon amongst a nicely-aestheticized A/V canvas & finale swan-song for the OG voice cast. 6.4/10.
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11. Detective Pikachu (2019)
A cyberpunk feel, buddy-cop dynamism, magnificent CGI, fandom service, mystery, & perfect Reynolds-Pikachu comedy ~mixedly-introduce (led by a woefully-bad Tim & awful choice for opening-film) to the Next Big Cinematic Universe. 6.2/10.
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12. Pokémon: Jirachi – Wish Maker (2004)
Though w. a fine vilain & refreshingly character-driven events, JWM: lazy, A/V-bad, lethargically-paced, bizarrely plebeian/realistic movie for a mythical of the biggest fantasy possibility of wishes – focusing one of worst anipoké characters: Max. 4/10.
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13. Pokémon: The Rise Of Darkrai (2007)
Though w. a humanized theme inkling of groupthink & toxic demonization, TROD: laziest Pokéfilm; Bayesque, laughably-scored, mediocre VFX, narrative/thoughtless, poorly-acted, raw, incohensive ext. animé episode misutilizing GIV legends. 4/10.
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The Official CLC Ranking: All Pokémon TV Animé Seasons/Series Ever Made
1. Pokémon: Generations (2016)
The maximum cinematic potential of pocket monsters captured in vignettes of the most epic classic moments from throughout game-lore, Generations is the mature [beautifully-stylized & interpretive] PKMN animé fans have waited lives for. 9.2/10.
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Overall, Indigo League is a TV animé of legacy and importance amongst the best children’s-focused [but universally-enjoyable] shows available. Not an overstatement, the original 52-week run of IL was instrumental in proof-of-concepting the IP beyond 2D and mechanizing the evolution of its view by the general public through invoking thhe power of cinema and storytelling to breathe new life and flesh out the idea and characters of the pop-culture revolutionizing video games Red/Blue. The weekly adventures are genre-diverse inn everything from westerns to horror to comedy to sci-fi, villain hilariously-remixed into a socially-commentative criticism of big-business capitalism befit with slapstick and Pikachu-capturing incompetence, soundtrack iconic from its opening rock power-ballad theme, and visual capability impressive in extrapolating the dual-staged chesslike stillness of the VG screen-version to real-life battles of godlike creatures wielding thunderbolts, flamethrowers, ice beams, and earthquakes. All of this is noting, though, compared to the series’ heart on its sleeve and best achievement: characterization – from each starter and a slew of side-characters like the lovably-awkward Psyduck and disrespected musician Jigglypuff to its main characters of phenomenal chemistry in its trinity of Ash, Misty, and Brock to its LGBTQ+-fluid villains Jessie, James, and Meowth. The only flaw of it forsaking a clear-cut ending to go to the islands and a bizarre, strictly-noncanonized tropical motif can’t forsake how much of a herculean pleasure it is to watch the original animé – as special and caringly-crafted as its original 151 creatures and accompanying games it’s no shock got a version homaging the animé in Yellow. A TV evolution of concept potential from 8-Bit black-and-white video game screens to the world’s biggest franchise by fine characterization, Japanese vibrance, genre-diverse weekly adventures from horror to sci-fi, lore/overworld expansion, visual aptitude, hilarious meta-comedy, & iconic ’90’s rock theme, The OG Animé is legendary kids’ entertainment and pure saturday morning, sugary-cereal crazed cartoon magnificence. 8.5/10.
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3. The Johto Journeys, Johto League Champions, & Master Quest (2000)
Overall, The Johto Animé is the perfect sequel to original Kanto adventures – and accompaniment to the G/S/C video games. In all honesty, it might even be the best incarnation of the animé.. if wasn’t for how overlong its episode-count is. In CLC’s vote, TPC’s execution with the first two regions is what laid the groundwork foundation for the franchise to grow to its worldwide predominance today – in both video games and animé. Every ounce of the original TV series’ charm, spirit, comedy, genre diversification, and character dynamics is back: fixing the bizarre end Orange Island detour with Tracy by reuniting the trinity of main characters [Ash, Misty, & Brock] alongside the iconic goofy-villain team and structure that made the original Kanto animé sustainable for 80+ weeks 10x over by how its over-tripled its output while still working and maintaining performance and fandom-investment. Playing to your fanbase and what works, the series feels like a direct continuation in the best possible way – even ameliorating/pushing it with more colorful/vibrant animation, clever new characters like the spunky KC and gloriously-awkward Wobbuffet, new genres like noir mystery capers, and interesting shake-ups of the status-quo with plenty of deep themes below its ostensibly-fun TV complexion in one of the best regions of Pokémon with the best new creatures of series history, ~each given their own episode and story arc. There are *way* too episodes – both a blessing and a vexation in how it can explore and variegate its canvas with craftmanship impressively even able to survive such an insane and irresponsible episode order count, but obviously loses steam, interest, and care as the tens of episodes wear. Sharing its biggest flaw with the G/S/C games is how prevalent its overpresence of Generation 1 is when it’s not even their region; Kanto was iconic and the most beloved region amongst fans for a reason and it was likely merged with Johto for brand identification purposes, but it makes the masterpiece creatures and region/story of Gen. 2 feel like a cameo in their own animé at times. Nonetheless, the golden age of anipoke continues – and, looking back, this [along with Indigo League we still give the slightest of edges] is still about as good and pure an experience as it gets in the 20+ year run of the animé of Pocket Monsters. Blithe, colorful, and fun as its new region and games, The Johto Animé reunites the trinity and expands the mythos with [albeit too many ep’s] new genres, better villain arcs, japanese culture, crisper animation, and great new characters in one of TPC’s best generations – all while keeping the spirit, zest, dynamics, and charm of the original animé to continue the golden-age of anipoké. 8/10.
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4. Adventures In The Orange Islands (1997)
Overall, I’m mixed on Orange Islands. We love the original 52-week Indigo League stretch; it’s a cherished cildood memory of Saturday morning sugary-cereal cartoon majesty that holds up well even today and into adulthood by its mature undertones, hidden meaninng, characterization-prowess, epic action, legacy, and genre-diversification. The concept of a tropical island aestheitc contintuation of the series in conjunctionn wit te innevitale surf to Cinnabar Island sounds good on paper, but is poorly-executed with too-similar islands deprived of new features or exciting storytelling the early episodes packed and Generation 7: Alola eventually fixed. The season is packed wit plenty of classic episodes enough to buoy its floats above the passability line as it fleshes out main characters, genre-diversifies, goes meta in humor, paints epic battle scenes, and expands Ash’s team with some of the most coveted Generation 1 ‘mons – but does have flaws to counterbalance every one of them like an overpresence of Jigglypuff and bizarre and boring character-replacement for Brock in Tracy. Though the plot-decision to stretch-out the finale arc of Indigo League to a 60+-ep S2 is questionable – with a tiresome concept, canon-violations, and incomplete feeling with a mediocre Brock-replacement in Tracy, AITOI diversifies its storytelling in far more ambitious characterization-motifs with even more clever-meta comedy, genre-mixes, phenomenal battles, epic conclusion, and a beautiful island aesthetic heightening the adventurous feeling while proving the animé’s transcendability of the video game series to [overall]-satisfyingly end our time in Kanto. 7.5/10
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5. Pokémon: D/P, Battle Dimension, Galactic Battle, Sinnoh League Victors Animé (’06)
The Worst Vocal Recast In Animé History, choppy art stylization, selective-focus on its Gen. IV over pre-established lore, and structurally-messy ep construction plague D/P adventures ~passable *only* by an epic-scale Galactic legends arc and new infusion of passion/energy by the best female protagonist [et. al] of PKMN: Dawn. 6.2/10.
