Siskel & Ebert (TV Series)

Anywhere But Here/Pokémon: The First Movie/Dogma/The Messenger/Felicia's Journey (1999)

Roger Ebert: Self - Host

Quotes 

• Joyce Kulhawik - Guest Co-Host : [reviewing "Pokemon: The First Movie"]  It took a while for me to warm up to the characters themselves, with the exception of Pikachu, who is the most expressive of the Pokemon, and figures prominently in the emotional climax. I could certainly recommend this movie for you kids. This is a cartoon with a very gentle, positive message which is clearly spelled out. My final assessment: "Pokemon" may be hokey for adults, but will be okey-dokey with the kids.

  Roger Ebert - Host : Well, you know, if a movie is not good for adults, in a way, it isn't good for kids, either, because this movie, it seems to me, is basically just part of the whole marketing thing to encourage kids to be inquisitive about these Pokemon things. And I know they're obsessed by 'em, I know there are four million Game Boys out there, and they all have the trading cards, and they watch the TV show, and all of that, but what is this REALLY about? I mean...

  Joyce Kulhawik - Guest Co-Host : Well, it's about love, it's about a lot of things.

  Roger Ebert - Host : It's about acquiring "Pokemens".

  Joyce Kulhawik - Guest Co-Host : I think that it's okay that it's maybe a movie just for kids, even though it's probably better...

  Roger Ebert - Host : That is technically okay, but y'know, there are movies, for example, "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Kiki's Delivery Service", two Japanese animated films...

  Joyce Kulhawik - Guest Co-Host : Those are beautiful movies, there's no denying that.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...That are so infinitely better and wiser and gentler and nicer. And in this one, they fight for an hour, and then they have a message at the end about how "fighting is bad", but then they're gonna have a sequel where they're gonna fight some more.

  Joyce Kulhawik - Guest Co-Host : I can't believe I'm actually sorta sticking up for "Pokemon", but I didn't think it was that bad. I thought the fighting was sort of controlled, I thought there was a human quality to it, I was really moved at the end when Pikachu teared up, and the final message is about love and togetherness and hanging in there, and even the villain is transformed.

  Roger Ebert - Host : Okay, well, I wish you would've directed the movie, because I think you've got a better message than I got out of the movie.