Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back
Synopsis — from MyAnimeList
Using the fossil of the Legendary Pokémon Mew, Team Rocket has created the first successful Pokémon clone. Named Mewtwo, the man-made Pokémon quickly becomes upset with the circumstances of its creation and goes on a rampage. It is soon approached by Sakaki, the leader of Team Rocket, and is manipulated into committing evil acts. Repulsed by the tricks of mankind and the cruelties it has suffered, Mewtwo isolates itself from everyone and plots against humans whilst trying to discover its true purpose in life. Disguising as the world's strongest Pokémon trainer, Mewtwo draws in the region's most powerful trainers who want to fight the new, mysterious opponent. With the fate of the world at stake, renowned trainers Satoshi, Takeshi, and Kasumi must battle against Mewtwo and defeat it before it brings about the downfall of humanity.
Audience Consensus
The audience largely agrees that Pokemon: The First Movie is a standout entry in the franchise, praised for its surprisingly deep philosophical themes, emotional impact, and darker tone compared to the series. However, a significant point of contention is the heavily altered international dubs, which many feel diluted the original message and context, leading to a divided opinion on the film's ultimate thematic clarity.
Strengths
- Mewtwo's characterization and exploration of philosophical themes like purpose, identity, and the nature of life resonate strongly with audiences.
- The movie's dark and serious tone, particularly the themes of creation, suffering, and the human condition, are noted as impactful and surprisingly deep for a children's film.
- The animation and art style are generally praised as being a step up from the series, with good use of music to enhance the emotional impact of key scenes.
- The exploration of cloning and genetic modification themes provides a thought-provoking element that appeals to both younger and older viewers.
- The emotional weight of certain scenes, particularly those involving Mewtwo's pain and the Pokémon's reactions, are frequently cited as being genuinely heartbreaking and memorable.
Weaknesses
- Significant portions of the original Japanese version's depth and context were cut from the international dubs (particularly the 4Kids version), leading to a distorted or dumbed-down message.
- The 'fighting is wrong' message is perceived by some as hypocritical and shoehorned into a movie about monster battles.
- The original series' characters are noted as not having much development, and the clones themselves are described as generic.
- The animation, while better than the series, is still considered average by some, and the CGI integration is seen as dated.
- The movie is considered inaccessible to those unfamiliar with the Pokémon franchise, lacking sufficient background information.