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Parents' Guide to

Pokemon 4Ever

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Serious Pokemon fans will like it.

Movie G 2002 119 minutes
Pokemon 4Ever Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Nebbie Zebbie
Nebbie Zebbie Adult
June 6, 2019
age 5+

One of the more emotional Pokemon movies

The focus of the movie is prevailing against those who would abuse nature, and it has great characters supporting that. Might be a bit scary towards the end, but it's well worth it.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Holly R.
Holly R. Parent of baby-year-old
April 5, 2018
age 5+

A really cute movie with positive messages

There's a save the environment theme and a good versus evil theme. There's a evil man who has a"dark ball" that turns the Pokemon that get caught in it evil and makes them really strong by maxing out their level. Ash and Pikachu have to save a time traveling forest spirit named Celebi remember to be good when it gets caught and turned evil. Friendship turns it good again and it doesn't die. None of the characters die. It only seems that way but everyone is ok and there is a happy ending. As long as you let your kids know that everyone is ok and the bad guy goes to Pokemon jail (it shows him getting arrested in another movie end credits) they should be ok. There is a scary twig monster in one scene that may frighten young children and there's parts where things blow up but there's no character deaths. There's also minor insult words like "twirps" and "brats" but nothing profane. Also as a side note there seems to be a misunderstanding as to the appeal of Pokemon to kids. I have been a fan since 1998 at the tender age of 10 and here I am age 30 and love it for the same reason I did then. Yes there are some kids that like all that stuff mentioned but a vast majority of fans love it because it's more than a story about catching them all. And there is no secret power that saves the day other than doing the right thing. Every movie that is the secret power that saves the day is doing what is right like in this case putting your friends first and protecting your friends. And Celebi does NOT die, he is saved by other Celebi who come to help their friend. And Celebi is a forest spirit and resembles a green pixie more than a dove (he doesn't have a beak). If Celebi had died he wouldn't have been able to take the kid back to the past at the end.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In this fourth installment of Pokemon feature films, Ash and his friends explore an enchanted forest and meet Celebi, a dove-like Pokemon with the power to move through time. They also make friends with a boy named Sammy who was catapulted 40 years into the present day when he tried to protect Celebi from being captured. But then Celebi is captured and turned into a supercharged evil force. Sammy, Ash, Pikachu, and their friends have to find a way to save Celebi and the forest. And Sammy has to go back to his own era.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (9 ):

POKEMON 4EVER offers more of a story than the previous Pokemon features, some surprisingly lovely background paintings, and a very impressive computer-animated monster made out of twigs and straw. I was a bit relieved to get away from the concept of possessing the pokemons and focus more on cooperation and friendship. But it is still a long slog for anyone but the most committed Pokemon fan, and parents may feel that the movie's title is a reference to its running time.

Parents often wonder about the appeal of Pokemon. There are three reasons that children are drawn to characters like Pokemon. First is the perennial appeal of characters who appear to be weak but have hidden sources of power. Kids, who live in a world of powerful giants are drawn to stories of transformations and secret strength. Next, the many facts to memorize about Pokemon give children a sense of power and competence. Finally, as children start to develop social skills, fads like Pokemon provide a shared language that can help those conversations and imaginative games get started.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Ash and Sammy will continue to be close to each other, even though they will not be together. How did Celebi stop being violent? What is the difference between Jesse and James and the other member of Team Rocket they meet? What do you think Team Rocket is?

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