Every Pokemon Movie Ranked Worst To Best

It may have not been a critical hit back in its day, but the third entry into the Pokemon canon outranks nearly all of the competition with its surprisingly mature examination of the hidden darkness within childish wish fulfillment and the loss of a parent - as well as a sensational face-off between two fire-breathing monsters of the highest calibre.

Spell of the Unown tracks the young Molly Hale, the daughter of a pair of Pokemon researchers, who creates her own cocooned fantasy world following the disappearance of her apparently widowed father with the help of the titular Pokemon - an ominous, pulsing collective of psychic masters capable of reshaping reality. When events take a personal turn for her childhood friend Ash, the stakes only get higher.

The beauty of the film is that it operates with a universal affection more than any other entry in the franchise. Cut behind the typical bluster, and it exemplifies all of the franchise's strengths with panache and aplomb, culminating in one of the all-time great Pokemon battles for good measure as the Legendary beast Entei squares off with Charizard. It's the series' absolute winner.