Pokémon: The First Movie (1998) [Anime Review]

Pokémon: The First Movie; or, The Power of Nostalgia

With all the craze going on across North America and Europe due to the release of Pokémon Go game, the Japanese franchise returned in glory into the pop-cultural mainstream. As for myself, I saw an opportunity to take a trip down the memory lane and dust off some of the Pokémon merchandise from my childhood years. In addition, I also recalled the never-ending anime series (which was a big hit on Polish tv in the late 1990s/early 2000s) as well as the theatrical features. I was surprised to find out that so many of them were made (19 films so far!) and the Pokémon Company has no intention of slowing down. In view of Pokémon’s recent renaissance, I decided to review the very first Pokémon anime film, released internationally as Pokémon: The First Movie, but its original title is Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back!

Release Info

Directed by: Kunihiko Yuyama Voice actors: Rica Matsumoto, Ikue Ōtani, Masachika Ichimura
Language: Japanese Original Title: Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā: Myūtsū no Gyakushū Runtime: 75 min

Plot

Originally, the theatrical release of Pokémon: The First Movie consisted of three segments: Pikachu’s Vacation (20 minutes long), focusing on how Pikachu and other Pokémon spend a day at a theme park and have to help Charizard who got stuck; Mewtwo Origins (10 minutes long), which serves as the film’s prologue as it presents the genesis of the film’s antagonist; and the main feature, Mewtwo Stikes Back (75 minutes long). The feature tells the story of Mewtwo, a genetically-engineered clone of an ancient Pokémon known as Mew. He was created in a lab for the purpose of serving Team Rocket’s leader, Giovanni, as a weapon against other Pokémon. However, with his exceptional fighting abilities, Mewtwo also developed consciousness and advanced psychic powers. He rebels against the way how Pokémon are treated by humans and destroys Giovanni’s facility. Later, Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, Misty and Brock receive an invitation for a special Pokémon tournament which is to be held on New Island. When the protagonists arrive there, it turns out that Mewtwo invited respected trainers in order to steal their Pokémon and create better clones out of their DNA. Ash and other trainers try to stop Mewtwo but to no avail. Only the unexpected appearance of original Mew provides an opportunity to stop Mewtwo’s devilish plan.

Back in the good old days

In Poland, only the first three Pokémon theatrical features were released in cinemas between 2001 and 2002. Those were my primary school days and every kid around the corner knew about Pokémon. We used to collect Pokémon Tazos Pogs, Caps, and Cards; early seasons of anime were constantly on tv, not to mention the grandeur of video games. I still vividly remember when I went to check it out. However, I can't recall seeing Pikachu’s Vacation and Mewtwo Origins segments before Mewtwo Strikes Back. I suspect that Polish distributors decided to be lazy bums and released only the main segment itself. Also, in terms of home media, things vary according to the country and some of the releases have the aforementioned segments, whereas some of them don’t. However, do not despair if your old vhs or dvd version of the film (like mine) doesn’t have the segments, because they’re easily accessible to watch on youtube (links below the review).

In terms of the film itself, I must say that I have really mixed feelings after re-watching it 15 years since the first viewing. The film was made by Kunihiko Yuyama (as every other Pokémon theatrical movie so far) who is the chief director of the anime series. As a result, the film greatly reflects the tone of the television show. It is not a remake of the pilot episode or new introduction into the world of Pokémon, but just another adventure of Ash and Pikachu. The beginning of the film provides a very interesting premise: the most powerful Pokémon on the surface of the Earth decides to rebel. In addition, the opening sequence of Ash having a match with other trainer is outstanding. When the remixed version of anime’s English theme kicked in, a shiver went down my spine (say anything you want about the English dub, but Gotta Catch’em All song is the best).

Unfortunately, as our heroes arrive on the island, things are sadly going downhill. It seems as if the screenwriters couldn’t decide whether to focus their attention on action or the message of the story they started building up through the character of Mewtwo. In consequence, the film shifts indecisively between these two aspects, trying to present some great Pokémon fights, but also become a learning experience for children. To me, makers of the film completely lost their way. The first thing which doesn’t work is Mewtwo’s plan of stealing and cloning Pokémon for the purpose of conquering the world. Wouldn’t it be simpler and more interesting to show a full tournament between the trainers and later reveal that a Pokémon was behind all this? The cloning idea leads to a second issue: Pokémon forced to fight with their clones. That’s the moment when the makers are trying to sell the film’s message on force and promote some educational values. It would be more interesting to see Pokémon uniting against Mewtwo. The third and last issue is Mew. When he shows up, the viewers are led to believe that there is going to be a huge showdown on the screen, yet it is disrupted by Ash’s sacrifice, which... actually works.

Yes, the finale’s last 10 minutes bring the movie back from its knees. The scene of Pikachu trying to resurrect Ash is in the third place of my personal top tear-jerking moments in animation films (right behind locking up of Mrs Jumbo and Mufasa’s death). Also, Mewtwo’s sudden change of heart is a bit out of the ordinary, but his setting out on a quest along with Pokémon clones brings a satisfactory closure to the convoluted storyline.

Recommendations

Obviously, recommended for Pokémon fans. The film was made for kids, but grown-up fans can enjoy it as well. Pokémon: The First Movie has great opening, mediocre middle, and epic ending, but by no means it is the worst anime picture. The movie was an international blockbuster during its original release and the demand for it is still there, considering a recent release of 20th anniversary release of the remastered version on Blu-ray. It may not be the best Pokémon feature out there, yet the aura of nostalgia preserved its charm over the decades.

Overall score: 7/10