Parents' Guide to

Pokemon the Movie: Black - Victini and Reshiram

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Gentler, less complex than others; has a companion movie.

Movie NR 2012 95 minutes
Pokemon the Movie: Black - Victini and Reshiram Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

swampfoxsouth
swampfoxsouth Parent of 11-year-old
February 13, 2023
age 18+

not for kids at all. language like po--ball

bad. language like po---on, pik---u, resh---m, and po--ball. also, damn and balls are used.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Holly R.
Holly R. Parent of 0-year-old
December 17, 2018
age 4+

Victini is adorable!

Ash and his friends from the Unova region travel to a place called "the Sword of the Vale" which is a castle shaped like a sword. Many years ago two brothers almost destroyed the Vale by fighting over Truth versus Ideals and which one is right about which is best. They used Reshiram the dragon of Truth and Zekrom the dragon of Ideals to Duke it out but they ended up destroying the balance of the "Dragon Force" or nature's very balance. A king who had Victini as his friend used it to save the kingdom by moving sword shaped castle to correct the Dragon Force. This took the king's life and trapped Victini in a sort of barrier like prison and Victini is very sad and lonely. A local trainer wants to move the castle to the place it used to be a reunite all of his people who had been displaced and scattered, not knowing that the castle shouldn't moved again. He befriends the Zekrom in this movie and Ash befriends Reshiram. The real joy with the movie is how adorable and precious Victini is. There's a part where he appears to be dead but at the end of the movie he is shown to be alive and back to eating macarons.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Ash (Sarah Natochenny) and his friends arrive in Eindoak Town for a big festival and a Pokemon battle. Ash's Pokemon win handily, but with some unseen help from an invisible Pokemon named Victini (Nana Mizuki). With some homemade macaroons, Ash lures Victini out of hiding, and they become fast friends. He learns Victini's sad story, that he once helped watch over a magical castle and kept the Dragon Force flowing freely -- but that he has been trapped and lonely for a millennia. A local, Damon (J. Michael Tatum), wants to harness Victini's power and return the castle to its former resting place. This requires Ash to awaken the long-dormant dragon Reshiram (Marc Thompson), who represents the path of "truth." But what Damon doesn't know is that moving the castle again will lead to certain disaster.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (6):

This Pokemon movie seems more thoughtful and less interested in flashy violence than others in the franchise. The pace is more leisurely than usual, the plotline is less convoluted, and the animation and artwork are more elegant and genuinely lovely, recalling some of Hayao Miyazaki's work. It may be the finest Pokemon of the franchise. The hero this time is an adorable new Pokemon called Victini, who shyly comes out of hiding and quickly wins Ash's heart (as well as ours).

The main focus is on helping Victini out of his sad situation and trying to bring a dying land back to life. There isn't even a real villain here; the antagonist is acting in what he believes is everyone's best interests, though he lacks all the information he needs. (The naughty Team Rocket shows up for a few obligatory comic relief scenes.) As for the two alternate movies, it's not clear what the point really is, since they lead to the same conclusion, but they may get viewers talking about the meanings of "ideals" and "truth."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Pokemon the Movie: Black's violence. Why did the filmmakers feel it was necessary? Does it make the movie more thrilling or less appealing? How did you feel when Victini was hurt?

  • What's the movie's message? When asked about "ideals" and "truth," what does Ash answer? What's the difference between the two movies?

  • Did watching this movie make you want to buy more Pokemon toys, games, or cards? Why?

  • Why are there two movies? How do they affect one another? Did one movie make the other seem richer or deeper?

Movie Details

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