Parents' Guide to Pokemon: The First Movie

Movie G 1999 75 minutes
Pokemon: The First Movie Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 6+

Cooperation message buried under lots of violence.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 6+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Pokemon: The First Movie Trailer

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 12 parent reviews

 

 

See all 12 parent reviews
age 6+

Based on 28 kid reviews

Kids say the movie is a mixed bag, with many enjoying its emotional depth and important messages about love and acceptance, while others criticize its outdated graphics and intense scenes for younger viewers. Fans appreciate the nostalgic value and moral lessons, but some recommend that it may not be suitable for the very young due to its violence and sad moments.

  • emotional depth
  • outdated graphics
  • moral lessons
  • nostalgia
  • violence concerns
Summarized with AI
 

 

See all 28 kid reviews

What's the Story?

In POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE, human scientists have figured out a way to create a bigger and stronger clone of the most powerful Pokemon ever, Mew. The result is a sort of Maxi-Mew called Mewtwo. Mewtwo decides to go after that goal of all movie bad guys worth their salt, total world domination, by capturing and cloning all the Pokemons. Mewtwo lures the best Pokemon masters to his island for the ultimate battle. He points out that the Pokemons are slaves to the humans. Then each of the Pokemons must fight its clone in a sort of existential crisis. Then it all ends happily -- if hypocritically -- with everyone in favor of cooperation instead of fighting.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 12 ):
Kids say ( 28 ):

Excruciating as it can be for parents to endure, this film will appeal to kids, especially Pokemon fans. Anyone who has ever seen the Pokemon TV series, played the game, or bought the cards knows what to expect here: The characters usually undergo some transformation or make use of a secret to attain power. This theme is interesting to kids who can feel overwhelmed by a world built on a scale that is often too large for them.

Kids, especially those ages 6-10, also love to memorize and sort endless facts. It gives them a sense of mastery, especially because they can do so much better than adults. And it becomes an important part of their social development, creating a shared language with their friends. This can be particularly meaningful for kids who are insecure about talking to other children.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's theme of cooperation. What are some examples of how it's better to work as a team instead of alone or in competition with one another?

  • How does this movie compare with other Pokemon entertainments, like the TV show, video games and apps?

  • Why do you think Pokemon has reamined so popular for so long?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Pokemon: The First Movie Poster Image

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