Look, this is a Pokémon movie from the franchise's middle years when they were churning them out annually, and it shows. The ratings tell the story: 5.5/10 on IMDb, 43% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, 2.6/5 on Letterboxd. Even Pokémon fans weren't feeling it.
It's perfectly safe and hits the usual beats—friendship, teamwork, misunderstood legendary Pokémon—but the execution is forgettable. The Genesect are interesting in concept (ancient bug Pokémon revived and modified), but the movie doesn't do much with them. Mewtwo's return feels more like franchise obligation than creative inspiration.
If your kid is in peak Pokémon obsession and has already watched the better movies (the first one, Pokémon 2000, maybe Lucario), sure, throw this on. But if you're looking for quality family viewing, there are way better options both inside and outside the Pokémon universe. This one's a C-minus effort that'll keep the kids quiet for 71 minutes but won't leave any lasting impression.



