My Thoughts on: Pokémon: Jirachi—Wish Maker (2003)

In this time of crisis, with all the issues the coronavirus is causing, it seemed like the perfect time to dive back into my backlog and do a series of movie reviews that I’ve been meaning to do for a long time. Among these films is the sixth Pokémon film, Pokémon: Jirachi—Wish Maker.

As with everything after the third Pokémon film, I had not seen nor really heard of this film before, so I was excited to see what this story was all about. The story is set during the sixth season of Pokémon: Advanced, and follows Ash and company as they encounter the mythical Pokémon Jirachi when the Millennium Comet swings by the Earth. Allegedly, Jirachi has the power to grant wishes, and there are not-so-friendly forces who want to get their hands on that power.

I’ve never seen any of the Pokémon television series, so I wasn’t aware that the cast changed as time went on. While I was pleased to see Brock was still traveling with Ash, I was very disappointed that Misty isn’t around anymore. To me there’s no trio more iconic in this story than Ash, Misty, and Brock. May and Max were a lot of fun, don’t get me wrong, but I did feel Misty’s absence in the story. Also, pardon my ignorance, but is Team Magma supposed to be like Team Rocket? They sure act like Team Rocket (not Jessie, James, and Meowth but the sinister organization that Giovanni is in charge of). The further I get into the films, the more I’m convinced I really need to do some catching up on these old anime series.

Jirachi is one of my favorite parts of this film and he is adorable! I like how his “headdress” his shaped like a star to kind of correspond with the idea that he’s a living “wishing star.” If I had a Jirachi plushie I would hug him all day long, because he is that adorable. I also really adore his friendship with Max which is so sweet and wholesome that it makes the ending really hard to get through (seriously, what is it with Pokémon films making me cry by the end).

I was relieved to see Team Rocket make their appearance known for a few minutes early in the story (trying to steal Pikachu again). This was a big step up compared to their appearance in the previous film, even though they didn’t do much except trail our heroes after that. I wish they would do more, but I’m glad the film at least included them, these stories don’t feel the same without Jessie, James and Meowth.

I really liked Butler, the would-be villain of this story. He’s introduced as a skilled magician, which he is, but he’s got one heck of a backstory that you do not see coming at first. I actually got really behind him because he’s the living embodiment of “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it” and once he gets what he thinks he wants, he immediately does an about-face and is like “My God, what have I done?” No true villain would have that kind of reaction, so Butler is really alright. It’s one of those situations where you think you want something until you get it and you realize it’s actually a really, REALLY bad thing.

In conclusion, I think you’ll really like Pokémon: Jirachi—Wish Maker. It’s a fun story, it’s got an adorable mythical Pokémon at the center of the action, and a fairly straightforward plot. Really, what more can you ask for from a story like this? Be sure to check this film out if you can.

Let me know what you think about Pokémon: Jirachi—Wish Maker in the comments below and have a great day!