Pokemon Movie 01: Mewtwo no Gyakushuu

story: mewtwo was the (poke)man. hes the guy that can own people that own pokemon, and ash wants some beef with him. pretty cool.

art: all the pokemon drawings and people look just as they did, colorful and reflective

sound: pokemon music was always pretty good.

characters: same as the anime so nothing all that different. they each have their own narrow persona and thats in the movie too.

enjoyment: i was pretty hyped when i was younger. and not to mention that intro movie with pikablu. only thing that sucked was i never got one of those exclusive cards you get for watching it at the movie. i ... checked under my chair and in the cupholder, nothing.

The first Pokemon movie is also the best, at least for me.

Lots of things jump out and ensure this movie gets such a high grade.
Mewtwo was an incredible villain, from his chilling voice (actor did a great job) to his dialogue, which often gets much more profound than you'd expect from a Pokemon movie. ("where am I, why am I, who am I", "I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are")
The story was compelling and surprisingly dark for Pokemon. Mewtwo's main beliefs are that humanity is ... worthless and everyone should be killed. Geez. Not to mention that when he was awakened he succeeded in killing several scientists.
There was lots of nice comedy throughout the movie, which helped lighten the surprisingly dark tone. ("Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! I think i'm going to have one!")
The fight scenes were all great, and intense.
The animation in the movie was super good. Lots of the scenery looked almost life-like.
But above all, though, was the direction/production/atmosphere, which was freaking amazing. In particular, the first half-hour or so created an incredibly dark (by Pokemon standards at least), chilling atmosphere, and felt more like a dark sci-fi thriller than a Pokemon movie, and all the better for it. And the movie's ending...good god.

The only flaws were the stupid shoehorned "fighting is wrong" message (in a movie about fighting monsters...can someone say "hypocrisy"?) and the "Brother My Brother" song. Neither of those were in the sub, so maybe if I saw that it could possibly even get a Perfect score! But still, it was an excellent movie overall. Anyone who likes Pokemon should love this.

Oh my Me, this is going to hurt!

You know the saying, that if you liked tomething as a child, you shouldn't like it as an adult? No? Just me? Okay. So, anyway... I love pokemon. Or... at least I used to, before they became sutch a sellouts, that it almoust hurst to admit, that I used to own my life at some point to this... this! I watched the anime, I played the games - all me, my sister, and my... mom - and we collected as many of the cards as possible... without ever understanding the rules of the card game itself! I was ... still a wee lass, when I first saw this movie, and let me tell you, although I still love pokemon, and this movie is one of my dearest treasures from my childhood... this isn't really good! At all! Compared to the third movie, spell of unknown, this movie is crap, and let me tell you, why!

The story isn't actually all that bad. Human kind expanding his knolewdge upon things he shouldn't be tempering with, screws everything up, and before we know it, there's a poke-armageddon on the way! Yay! We are of course given some relatively deep and meaningful thoughts about life, existence, what's the purpose in birth, evolution of life, loneliness and taking your place in a world... and so on. Good stuff, from coming from pokemon of all places, but when it comes actually handling all these themes with at most respect and fairness, keeping it's audience in mind, this movie holds water as well, as the bucket with holes on it! So many key-elements of the story, and most of the themes, decisions made, the actions out-carried, and the messages and morals spoken out loud, are so well shoehorned in our minds, and in our faces, that it's at some points really difficult to take it seriously... although this is just a pokemon, we're talking about here!

The only real thing, that I actually enjoyed in this movie, was the main star himself. No, not Ash! Mewtwo! Mewtwo was always my absolute favourite pokemon, out of the bunch, and I loved - and still do - how they managed to give him actually decent backstory, motives, believes and personality, that was both sympathetic, and threatening. The finnish voice of Mewtwo is both soothing, but cold and pleasant to listen to, making him both memorable, and believable... but that maybe just the nostalgia talking! To some, Mewtwo may come across as a hypocrite, but in my opinion, he was more like as someone, who - like his creators - pushed the limits of birth of what you can become, and therefore created a new kind of way to exist, without limits or boundaries, with nazies... no, clones, being the new ultimate form of life, and therefore more justified to live, as long as they first destroy the old, and weak. He touhgt himself as an ultimate being - like nazis did - but being so lonely, and lost, he didn't want to be only one of his kind, in the world. And since he hated humans, he had to despise all the pokemon as well. What's left to do, is to make better, stronger, and meaner clones, who aren't really pokemon - as he isn't either, in his state of mind, since he wasn't actually born to be one - and purge the world to a new one, for him, ad his kind. Again, really good stuff... but why o' why did they had to shoehorn the unneeded morals and messages in our faces?!

This movie is a source of pure nostalgia for those of us, who succeeded to escape from frizzly, sweaty hands of Dragon Ball- franchise, or the cold, plasticy feel of Digimon. The characters are all well-known and safe to the mind. The story is good, but simple enough, to satisfy even the simplest of the audiences - for some of the western viewers, the aspects of japanese mythologies may be too much to handle, but that's their problem! - and theres enough simple, yet deep-ish morals and themes mixed in, so that the adults don't feel too embarrased to watch this, with their toddlers.

Overall, I liked this movie, but it could have used some serious polishing up, here and there, before the actual releasing date. Fellow pokemon fans will atleast like this, but those, who haven't watched the original series... reel in some first two seasons of the show, and then come back for some more.

Story: 8
Art: 10
Sound: 9
Characters: 6
Enjoyment: 7
Overall: 7

Keep in mind that I view these movies completely unbiased and that I only watched the dub, not the sub. While I am a fan of the show and did watch it and loved it as a kid, that in no way affects how I view the movie now.

Story: This movie's story does seem to try a bit too hard to keep itself canon to the series, which causes a lot of BS moments towards the end, including the extremely confusing moment where something terrible happens to Ash (no spoilers for anyone that wants to watch the movie). I do believe that the movie would ... have been better had it not try to connect to the main series. They can use the main characters and their Pokemon, but just don't try to make it canon. This would have made not only for greater suspense at the beginning of the movie, but would have made the ending scenes not feel as cheesy or the actual ending a big cop out. There's also a lot of repetition in the story, such as telling us what we already saw at the beginning of the movie at about the half-way point. They could have used this to tell us about Mewtwo's creation and had his character become a mystery until his big reveal at the island. Sadly, this is not the case.

Art: The artwork is about as good as the regular shows for the most part, with exceptions going to some special CG scenes at the island and some of the fights. While it's not anything special, it's not terrible either.

Sound: This is where me only watching the dub and not the sub really comes into play. The dub has a lot of translation errors, mostly just saying the wrong names for different Pokemon. Some of the voice actors for the minor characters turn in rather mediocre performances. The soundtrack is what saves the movie in this department, though. There's some really great tracks like a remix of the main theme of the show and an incredibly emotional song known as Brother My Brother by Blessid Union of Souls. However, when the great songs aren't playing, we're dealing with the decent at best performances and the terrible script.

Character: Let's just start with the best character of the movie, Mewtwo. Mewtwo does work as a villain because we get to see why he doesn't like humans or any Pokemon that would defend them. By giving us more insight to his character, it makes us understand why he's doing what he's doing other than just being a gigantic dick. As for the other characters, they're pretty much how they are in the show. Ash being the goofy hero, Misty being the obnoxious female, and Brock being the more fatherly advise giver. While they actually do develop through the course of the movie (which is more than what I can say for later Pokemon movies), their development is completely cut out at the end due to the movie wanting to be canon with the series.

Enjoyment: While I did enjoy every aspect of the movie as a kid, when I watch it now, it's just a big joke. Seeing how much the series and other movies have grown since then, I can't look at this film anymore as really all that great. However, the fighting scenes do make it seem worth while and it's a big joke to any Pokemon fan, which I don't believe is intentional.

As the name suggests, Pokémon: The First Movie was the first big-picture outing for the juggernaut franchise. Released back in 1998, it's was a big deal for fans of the anime and games alike. I'm fairly well-versed into the Pokémon world, having played some of the games and currently watching the original series, so I was very excited to finally watch the first movie. How did it fare? Let's find out!

Story - The film follows Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum, along with his Pikachu and friends as they find themselves being challenged by Mewtwo, a powerful Pokémon hellbent on wiping out humanity as revenge for enslaving ... him. Things won't be easy for Ash and company as Mewtwo is nothing like anything they've seemed before. The story was good as I found it to be enjoyable, with some heavy emotional moments (that I won't spoil), humor, and relatable themes of friendship and being different.

Characters - The characters on the other hand are pretty straightforward. Ash is your brash protagonist; Misty is the naggy friend, and Brock is a lovable goofball. Team Rocket is here with their predictable tricks as well. Basically, the characters are the same as they are in the anime and don't get much in the way of development since the main focus is around Mewtwo.

Presentation - The First Movie is a big upgrade from the anime, with smoother animations and brighter artwork. There are a few CG scenes throughout the film that I felt was out of place and by today's standards are dated. The voicework is great, with the main cast from the anime being present though the main standout has to be Jay Goede as Mewtwo, who gives a standout performance. The music is also good, though nothing noteworthy that caught my attention.

Overall - Pokémon: The First Movie is a must-watch for fans of the anime and the franchise in general. As for newcomers, I wouldn't recommend it as it doesn't offer much backstory to its world to get you hooked. The story was great, the characters were decent, and the fights were awesome. Though nothing special, it was a fun watch.

If you haven't seen this, then you should.
I have this movie on VHS, and because recently we were getting rid of all our VHS tapes, I decided to give this one last viewing. I gotta say, it is pretty good. The story is pretty good, and without spoiling the 'tragic' part of the story, I can say that this nearly made me cry. Maybe its because pokemon is so nostalgic for me, being one of the few games I played heavily as a child, or maybe its because this is just plain good, but I think anyone can enjoy it. Of course, the ending ... is predictable, as it is a kid's cartoon, however, it doesn't seem to take too much away. Overall, I'd say it is a great movie, and I definitely don't regret my decision to re-watch it.
So what're you waiting for? Go watch already, ya nerd.

This is what got me into Pokemon. This was the start of the rabbit hole for me.

I somehow acquired this movie on video when I was two years old, and I loved every second of it. From the heart-warming interactions between Trainers and Pokemon to the darkness behind Mewtwo and its actions, This movie captured my toddler-sized heart, and it hasn't let me go since.

As a movie in itself, it's not great. To properly understand it, you kind of have to have some knowledge of the Pokemon franchise and how it works (unless you're a tiny child and have basically no concept of anything) but ... for Pokemon fans it's astounding. The animation isn't great but it was made in 1998 so we'll allow for that. The music was dramatic when necessary but also fun and light when it needed to be. The story in itself was captivating for me, and although the characters as a whole weren't great it was amazing to see Mewtwo develop its views and ideals as it met and interacted with other Pokemon and their trainers.

Overall, I love this movie. Although I have since got rid of the video tape I originally watched it on, never will I forget the great memories it brought me. It will always be a part of my life, and probably a rather significant one. I will treasure it for the rest of my life.

I have not watched much of the Pokemon TV show. I watched all of Diamond and Pearl while it was airing, but that was it. I didn’t watch the original series, nor Advanced Generation, and I fell off the entire franchise just a few episodes into Best Wishes. However, before that point, while I wasn’t keeping up with the TV show, I was absolutely keeping up with the movies. I saw every Pokemon movie up through Arceus and the Jewel of Life, and that was how I stayed up to date on what the current Pokemon status quo was. I don’t remember every detail from ... all those movies- it’s a lot of movies, after all- but I have fond memories of all of them. They were consistently my favorite part of Pokemon, moreso than the TV show, even moreso than the games. The Pokemon movies WERE Pokemon to me, and my memories of them are the standard upon which I judge the entire franchise.

But there’s no telling what will happen to those memories when I actually re-watch them. It’s been over a decade, after all, and I first watched them as a kid without much discerning taste. The Pokemon movies define my memories of the franchise, but are they gonna hold up upon revisitation? Will the epic tales they tell stand the test of time and prove themselves as enduring, worthwhile additions to this megolithic franchise? Or will they reveal themselves as little more than cheap cash grabs, pandering to the lowest common denominator in order to score a few more fistfuls of dollars from eager tykes and their parents’ open wallets? And am I even gonna be able to see them with fresh eyes when my nostalgia goggles are so tight around my experiences with them? There’s only one way to find out: just keep re-watching them, one at the end of every season of Pokemon just like they were released, and discover what they leave me with now that I’m 21-going-on-22 with a far more discerning critical eye. It’s gonna be a weird, wild experience, but I’ve never backed down from a challenge before, and I don’t intend to start now. So let’s dive right into the first Pokemon movie, conveniently titled Pokemon: The First Movie, to see where this grand tradition started, and see if it still holds up after all this time.

Mewtwo Strikes Back is one of those movies that pretty much everyone remembers watching as a kid. I won’t spoil anything major in case some of you reading it haven’t seen it yet, but it tells the tale of Mewtwo, the first ever Pokemon clone. He was cloned from the DNA of the legendary first Pokemon Mew, created as a lab experiment by Team Rocket to be the strongest Pokemon ever, capable of conquering anyone and anything with his psychic powers. But Team Rocket made an incalculable mistake in their quest to create the strongest Pokemon: they actually succeeded. Mewtwo is an unbeatable powerhouse who no one can control, and he’s none too happy at finding out that the purpose of his creation was to be a slave to humanity. He goes full Frankenstein’s Monster and rebels against his creators, setting off on his own with a heart full of rage and a burning desire to forge a new meaning for his existence, even if it means crushing the entire world under his unstoppable heel. Meanwhile, Ash and company are enjoying their adventures as always when an unexpected invitation embroils them in Mewtwo’s cataclysmic plans. Can they stop the mad Pokemon from destroying the world, or have the scars of his creation sunk in too deep to accept anything less than Armageddon?

Just by that description, I think you can get a sense of what made this movie leave such a lasting impact on the generation of kids who first experienced it. Pokemon has gone big in the past, but this is the first time the scope of its narrative has truly become massive. Mewtwo’s tale isn’t just another exciting romp or just another badass showdown; it’s a full-on epic tragedy, steeped in dark portent and an undercurrent of mythic awe that makes you feel like you’re watching a legend come to life before your eyes. The stage feels grander, the emotions rawer, the ultimate meaning far more ancient and everlasting. Mewtwo himself is a far more mature character than you might expect, driven to evil deeds not out of pettiness or inherent cruelty, but because of deep existential trauma that’s crippled his ability to grow as a sentient being. His entire purpose for existing in the first place was to be a tool for other’s to wield; he was born without meaning, and he projects that self-hatred onto the world around him as he rages against what he sees as the unchangeable evil of humans and Pokemon. In a lot of ways, I think Mewtwo Strikes Back was many of our first introductions to the idea that fiction would ask difficult questions of us. It could present us with villains who had to be stopped but demanded out sympathy all the same. It could present us with philosophical conundrums on the meaning of life, how we’re born versus who we choose to be. Sure, it’s not exactly Aristotle, but the epic scope and depth of the film’s ideas in contrast with its kid-friendly presentation make for the rare film that can ask make six-year-olds to step out of their comfort zones and face grander, less comfortable ideas than they might be used to.

Of course, if you remember anything from this film as an adult today, it’s sure to be the opening and ending sequences. The film’s middle stretch gets a little draggy as it puts all the pieces in place for the final showdown; there’s a lot of people and Pokemon involved, and even Team Rocket gets a b-story as they sneak around Mewtwo’s fortress to give the audience a tour of the inner machinery driving his plan. Also, this franchise has not yet lost its unfortunate affinity for cheesy 90s pop ballads in place of emotional heft. It still all looks very nice, as OLM flexes their movie budget to bring the Pokemon world to life like never before. The character animation on humans and Pokemon alike is fluid and satisfying, with plenty of nuanced little details that speak to their personalities. There’s an obvious effort to animate everyone in frame, not just the most important characters, background characters react to events in the foreground, Pokemon scuffle and play along the sidelines, and it goes a long way to selling the reality of this world. The cinematography gets an upgrade as well, with plenty of sweeping landscape shots that show off the well-realized background art and let you sink into the majesty of the environments. And good god, is it great seeing the Pokemon battles realized with the full potential of animation. The action is fast and furious, everyone’s pulling out a dozen different moves, and the impact of every blow rings across the screen. This is the first time the Pokemon fights have felt as organic and explosive as they deserve to, like we’re watching two sentient beings try to triumph over each other instead of just video game characters exchanging turn-based blows. It’s not exactly Ghibli, but it’s polished to a damn fine mirror shine all the same.

But that opening and ending. Sweet buttery Christ, that opening and ending. There’s a reason those two sequences have lingered in our collective cultural consciousness for upwards of two decades now; they are truly jaw-dropping. The prologue details Mewtwo’s creation, subjugation and liberation with the gravitas befitting a Shakesperian anti-hero; it pushes the franchise’s usual light-hearted good nature to the side in favor of pure mythic weight. And watching the evolution of Mewtwo’s consciousness as he becomes consumed by the darkness of his situation makes for one of the most gripping, awe-inspiring supervillain origin stories ever made. And a lot of credit needs to go to Mewtwo’s voice actor for pulling that off, because he sells the fuck out of this character’s tragic rage (honestly, the entire dub cast is in top form here). By the time he’s left his captors behind and sworn revenge on the world that’s wronged him, you’re left utterly spellbound; you just witnessed the birth of a vengeful god in a franchise about making cute plush critters battle each other. And without spoiling the ending, yeah, we all make fun of how cheesy and contrived that resolution is, but as it’s just letting that last battle play out, the weight and exhaustion and pain growing and growing and Pikachu taking a stand and Ash charging into the fray and the horrible wordless silence that settles in right before everything is set right again... Fuck, man. I’m not even ashamed to admit it still made me cry over a decade later. That’s the mark of something truly special; even though it’s a kid’s movie, it (mostly) lets its darkness be honest, uncompromising, and true.

So yeah, as amazed as I am to say it, Pokemon: The First Movie still holds up. It’s not perfect, and it does drag in the places between when it gets to really flex its more epic ideas, but your childhood self wasn’t wrong to find as much value in it as you did. It’s a shockingly resonant piece of epic fiction that pushes Pokemon to the next level and grounds it in something darker, grander, and more awe-inspiring than it’s even been capable of before. It’s a kid’s film through and through, but it’s the most colossal kid’s film I can possibly imagine that still appeals to such young sensibilities. Time and time again, Pokemon has proven itself to be more than just a money-printing machine; there’s a reason we keep coming back to these characters and their stories so many years later. And Mewtwo Strikes Back, while flawed, is proof that this franchise is capable of some truly incredible things

This is the best movie of pokemon, they catch the essence of the anime and put on the movie, with a good history and great graphics, one of the most beautiful animations that i ever seen.

This review is heavily influenced by nostalgia & a love of the franchise. I do not necessarily think an adult without the same childhood adoration of Pokemon will watch this movie and appreciate it.

HOWEVER; as an adult, looking back at one of my childhood faves, I cannot help but appreciate a few things:

The themes here are strong and cohesive. By strong, I mean they are complex; the writers did not assume that kids would be "too young" for a storyline that questions purpose, identity, and humanity. While the main plot spurs Ash, our MC, to an island under the pretense of battling a "strong ... trainer," the movie heightens this simplicity with its preface and Mewtwo's reckoning with creation, being manipulated by humans, and ultimately choosing isolation.

I also appreciate that kids' movies in the 90s knew how to mix a complex theme & satisfactory storyline into something less than two hours. It's short, but includes a heartfelt arc (as well as humor) and understands its place as a spin-off franchise movie.

I especially appreciate this movie in light of the games, where the plotting has become increasingly watered-down post gen. 5, with antagonists simply taking up space instead of having compelling motives or interesting arcs.

Anyway, I am slightly buzzed and this movie gave me more things to feel and more thoughts to think on a re-watch than I expected. I can't say, objectively, that it's worth watching. But if you feel compelled to compare it to other Pokemon media, or kids' movies in general, in may be worth your time.

I've decided to make the dumb decision to attempt to watch every Pokemon movie in release order -- because I remember caring only up until the third one and then peaced out for several years.

The nostalgia with this one in particular is strong because I was one of the many kids that went to see it in theaters when it came out (man, talk about H y p e because yeah I watched the show, collected the cards, tried to collect the toys, I was Into It, man). Even then, I didn't think it was the best movie but I still loved getting to ... finally see Mew. We only ever knew of the original 150 at that point, getting to see the ultra rare 151st was a Big Thing back then.

And now, coming back as an adult, there are still enjoyable moments (the new version of the Opening Theme is still A+ and Mewtwo straight up <i>murdering people</i> in the opening scenes is pretty dark for a Pokemon movie) I can't deny it overall just feels like an episode of the show with a larger budget.

The soundtrack is full of songs I'm pretty sure they picked because they seemed to fit the narrative (and yes I listened to this fucking soundtrack all the time when it came out) and the dub dialogue is super heavy-handed and kinda dumb.

But at the end of the day, still a decent enough watch for what it is.

Man, this is a classic. Reaching this in my pokemon marathon even I remembered it was quite entertaining, and entertain me it did. These film takes on this ideal of are you really a being of the Earth if you were cloned into existence and while rather simple it's enough to make me think and understand what the clones mean, even if it's kinda dumb. having a big team of pokemon fight really amps up the stakes, along with everything being paced almost a little too fast.

Overall a good little flick, 7/10, very surprised they got to a show a glass of liquor in a ... kids film.

This Pokemon movie is very much the definition of nostalgic, but not a good one. Many people have stated that this was one of the best Pokemon films, although a good film it definitely doesn’t hold that statement. This of course is a movie for kids at the end of the day, but a lot of story beats seemed either rushed or didn’t really work. Unlike the main series, this felt like it was more aimed at kids than a wider audience, which might explain the movies that came after it. It’s still pokemon at the end of the day, and I’d watch this compared ... to other lower movies in a heartbeat, just don't expect me to watch it again.

This review is just a blurt of thoughts as it is part of a Pokemon watch series I am doing with some friends. I apologize for the short format.

Just re-watched this film with some friends; it's still a meh film. It is mostly enjoyable due to nostalgia reasons. However as a film, it shows its cracks in many places. The narrative seems pointless, the side characters are not fleshed out what so ever, and in a lot of spots the animation and artwork look pretty bad even for a late 90's animated film.

However, this film is still quite watchable. It isn't bad but it ... isn't good.

Enjoyment: 4.5/10

Overall: 4/10