Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998)

Scientists genetically create a new Pokémon, Mewtwo, but the results are horrific and disastrous.

Directors:

Kunihiko Yuyama, Michael Haigney

Writers:

Satoshi Tajiri (creator), Takeshi Shudo

Stars:

Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Veronica Taylor	...	Ash Ketchum / Female Scientist / Computer / Fuji's Wife (voice)
Jay Goede	...	Mewtwo / Dr. Fuji (voice) (as Philip Bartlett)
Rachael Lillis	...	Misty / Jessie / Wigglytuff (voice)
Eric Stuart	...	Brock / James / Squirtle / Weezing / Scyther / Hitmonlee / Magneton / Male Scientist / Squirtletwo (voice)
Madeleine Blaustein	...	Raymond / Meowth / Alakazam (voice) (as Addie Blaustein)
Ikue Ôtani	...	Pikachu (voice) (as Ikue Otani)
Ted Lewis	...	Giovanni / Corey / Male Scientist (voice) (as Ed Paul)
James Carter Cathcart	...	Fergus (voice) (as Jimmy Zoppi)
Michael Haigney	...	Psyduck / Venusaur / Nidoqueen / Blastoise / Dewgong / Venusaurtwo / Blastoisetwo / Raticate / Spearow / Charmandertwo (voice)
Kayzie Rogers	...	Miranda / Vaporeon / Vileplume / Ninetales (voice)
Rodger Parsons	...	Narrator (voice) (as Ken Gates)
Hirotaka Suzuoki	...	Sakaki (voice)
Lee Quick	...	Officer Jenny (voice)
Ayako Shiraishi	...	Joi (voice)
Chinami Nishimura	...	Junsar (voice)

Storyline

When a group of scientists are offered funding into genetic research if they agree to try and clone the greatest ever Pokémon, Mew, the end result is success and Mewtwo is born. However Mewtwo is bitter about his purpose in life and kills his masters. In order to become the greatest he throws open a challenge to the world to battle him and his Pokémon. Ash and his friends are one of the few groups of trainers who pass the first test and prepare for battle. However they soon find out about further cloning and Mewtwo's ultimate plan for the earth.

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Plot Keywords:

clone | pokemon | scientist | battle | cloning | 

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Taglines:

Who am I? Where am I?

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Sport

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Kids' WB Official site

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

10 November 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back

Filming Locations:

Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,036,678, 14 November 1999, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$85,744,662, 27 February 2000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$163,644,662

Company Credits

Production Co:

Oriental Light and Magic (OLM),Shogakukan Production,Tomy

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 85 min (Extended Cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A narrator and Mewtwo's voice were added in the American version, in the first segment of the movie, to help better explain the movie to people who may not have had such a wide knowledge of the Pokemon craze, for example parents who took their children to see the movie.

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Goofs

After the real Charizard, Venusaur and Blastoise have battle cloned versions of other Charizard, Venusaur and Blastoise. Mewtwo "claims his prize" by capturing most of the pokemon (not his own, and some of the trainer pokemon are missed such as Misty's Togepi) so he can clone them which would result in 2 clones of Charizard, Venusaur and Blastoise (original and new) yet we only ever see the original clones.

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Quotes

Mewtwo: Human and Pokemon can *NEVER* be friends.

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Crazy Credits

As the ending credits roll, we see clips of Ash, Brock and Misty continuing on their journey, in different places and times. In order they show: them walking down the coast as the waves lap beside the credits. Them walking through a grassy field. Them by a waterfall, with Misty sitting down with a fishing rod. Them all standing in a field watching a herd of Taurus grazing in the distance. Them all sitting in a cave, while the sky is filled with black clouds and it is raining. Them walking through a forest full of enormous trees. A panning shot of all three of them sleeping in sleeping bags out in the woods. All three of the gang walking up a desert highway. The gang sitting on top of a high mountain with a campfire, watching the sun set. The three heading toward a forest, with a huge rainbow in the foreground. And the final shot of the three is of them walking towards the camera, through a poppy field.

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Doug's 1st Movie (2011)

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Soundtracks

Kaze to Issho Ni
Written by Toda Shuogo
Performed by Sachiko Kobayashi

User Reviews

This is a wonderful, moving film that everyone should see!

I'm a nearly 17 year old girl, and therefore I am not the targeted audience for this film. However, as soon as my little brother introduced me to the world of Pokemon, I fell in love. And what's not to love? The TV show is smart, funny, sweet, and at times touching (I sobbed during "Goodbye Pikachu" and "Bye bye Butterfree"). There are plenty of characters for both girls and boys to identify with (which are something I think a lot of cartoons/video games/comic books lack these days) and it teaches good morals. So needless to say I was thrilled to go see Pokemon the first movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, and today my Mom(who's also a huge Pokemon fan at age 47) and little brother and I went to the theater.

I was surprised to find the place was packed with a lot of boys who looked like they were at least in their late teens or early 20s. But of course there were plenty younger kids and parents there as well. My Mom and brother (who's 12 btw) had seen the Japanese sub-titled version of the film and had warned me that it was going to be a rather dark plot, and that it was sad... But I didn't expect what actually happened at all.

The first half an hour or so is taken up but a short, and very cute film called "Pikachu's Summer Vacation" which I became absorbed in as the 3 year old a few rows back! Of course it helped that my favourite Pokemon, Jigglypuff, had a part in it!

Moving on, the feature film, "Mewtwo Strikes Back" started out in a very dramatic, Batman-ish way, and I don't think that the younger kids in the audience were ready for that. The next part of the film, which introduces us to Ash, Misty, Brock, and their Pokemon, happens in a much lighter tone - like the show usually is, but that doesn't last for long. Soon afterwards our heroes, along with some other trainers are invited to a battle with someone described as the world's toughest trainer.

Now for those of you who've never seen Pokemon or know little about it, one of the important things to remember is that these are NOT war like battles and the object is not to kill anyone's Pokemon. What Pokemon battles are, is more like a karate match where they fight for sport until one of them is K.O'd (or fainted as they say in the video game). They never fight for the sake of fighting; they fight because it helps the Pokemon become stronger.

One of the things that I really loved about the trainers that were invited to this ultimate battle is that they really did love their pokemon and they cared for them, as one should with any living being. A lot of people tend to ignore this aspect of Pokemon and consider it to be a marketing scheme because of the tag line "Gotta Catch 'em All" but in truth it is not that way at all. On the show and in the game (although not in the movie) Ash's rival trainer Gary is obsessed with the act of catching as many pokemon as possible...And that's a trait to be looked down upon. Although Ash doesn't have as many Pokemon as Gary, he cares for the ones he does have and treats them as his best friends, and that's why he's the hero and Gary is not.

The new Pokemon in the film, Mewtwo, does not understand that many of the trainers love their Pokemon, because he was created by scientists for their own benefit and he has a strong hatred for humans because of this.

Once the characters had entered the Castle where this battle was to take place, the film became a lot darker and action packed. In turn many of the little kids who were there started screaming - but that's understandable, I mean I was freaked out by some of the things that happened! Also the intensity becomes a lot greater.

Never fear though, Ash being the brave person he is comes through and saves the day - with the help of the pokemon, and teaches Mewtwo that it isn't the life that you're given that makes you who you are, but rather it's what you choose to do with it.

I am a person who tries very hard never to cry in public places (which include movie theaters) no matter how sad I am. But with the Pokemon movie, I just couldn't hold back and spent the last half-hour of it crying my eyes out! Honestly, it touched me on a level that few movies have been able to.

The only complaint I have about it is that the soundtrack was made in extremely poor taste. I've been into Pokemon for about 2 years now, and I must say that with the exception of 3 songs on that album, the rest had NOTHING to do with the meaning of Pokemon or the film! It wasn't the fact that the type of music and the artists that were on the album are not really my style... But it was rather that the songs were *very* sexual and I think it's INSANE to put songs about "giving it to you" among other things, on an album that's aimed for children! Especially when there's nothing even remotely related to that subject involved in anything Pokemon!