Release date: July 18th, 1998 (Toho-Japan).
Box Office: 172.7 million USD
Director: Kunihiko Yuyama
Summary: Mewtwo is a mere lab experiment to these scientists, Mewtwo disagrees. Giovanni and Mewtwo team up to make Mewtwo invincible. Mewtwo gets some sweet armor, and start owning every Pokémon in its path. The voice over aspect of Mewtwo inner monologue as he realizes Giovanni is trying to enslave him as a super-Pokémon is a powerful piece of editing. Ash and the gang are eating some lunch, and a Dragonite does some scouting while Ash battles a weird pirate dude. This is the first time we get to see Donphan, I love Donphan too much! Team Rocket enters the picture, while the gang get an invitation to from a woman who looks eerily like Nurse Joy. Everyone who is invited goes to the ferry port, with only the brave few willing to brave a storm to get to New Island, per the invitation. Ash and the gang take Team Rocket’s Viking boat which gets decimated in the storm, but Staryu (HYUUUUUUU) and Squirtle save the day. Staryu is the perfect Pokémon, not Mewtwo. The storm passes, and who is cute pink blob in the sky, is that Mew’s music?!
Our heroes make it to new island, and find the other brave trainers in a large, cold room. Nurse Joy is still hoodwinked, but Brock’s beauty-radar is on point. Ash and the rest of the trainers meet Mewtwo, while Team Rocket makes their way through New Island’s sewer systems. Mewtwo shows off his big Poke-member, while Team Rocket stumble upon Mewtwo’s Pokémon cloning operation. I find this part of the story very advanced, and reminiscent of rhythms in Japanese science-fiction, such as Abe Kobo’s Inter Ice-Age 4 (1958-1959). Mewtwo goes on to explain that they blame all humans for their creation, and Mewtwo wants to destroy all people and Pokémon to make a new world for Mewtwo’s world of clones. Pikachu admonishes Mewtwo for trying to say Ash isn’t his friend, and a ruckus breaks out. Mewtwo summons their clone Pokémon to a battlefield, where they embarrass the other trainers. Mewtwo captures many of the Pokémon and makes them into clones while Ash and the other trainers try to run away with their Pokémon. Ash and Pikachu do the best job at escaping, warding off one ball after another. Ash breaks through after getting Pikachu and returning to the battle, with OG Pokémon in tow. Mew shows itself to Mewtwo, and as time to play with bubbles before Mewtwo tries to knock it out of this world. Every Pokémon fights their clone as Mewtwo and Mew face off. Here we go. I’m not going to cry. But when “brother, my brother” comes on… it’s a little misty in here right now. The battle rages, with some funny and some sad cut scenes, in the end Ash gets turned to stone by a collision with Mewtwo’s psychic energy ball. Again, not going to cry, but Pikachu’s tears waking Ash up is cheesy but effective. The sun comes out, Mewtwo realizes the best way forward is for them and their clones to find solace away from all others in this imperfect world. Mewtwo wipes everyone’s memory and transports them to the dock, and the movie ends.
Best Scene: Pikachu’s tears reviving Ash.
Notable goofs/errors: When Ash is introduced to the other trainers, one trainer has a Pidgeot, but in the English version the trainer says it’s his Pidgeotto (a criminally underrated Pokémon).
Best Shot: The camera rotating as Mewtwo explains to the brave trainers who they are, and the power they wield.
Quote(s) of the Movie: “I didn’t know Vikings still existed?” -Brock
“They mostly live in Minnesota” -Ash
“I was prepared for trouble, but not this” -James
Half-assed Internet Research: This movie was originally a manga written by Toshihiro Ono. Many years after the original release, a CGI remake was made entitled Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back.
Score out of 10 (0=unwatchable, 10=nearly perfect story, editing, cinematography, etc.):
7.3/10-This movie is the best Pokémon movie by far. Between the music, the editing, the epic battle scene, and an instantly-GIFable scene where Ash is turned to stone this movie has real staying power as a bright spot in the Pokémon film franchise.
Will Reviews Things 