Pokémon The First Movie

*Pokémon: The First Movie*

Directed By

Kunihiko Yuyama

Written By

Takeshi Shudō

Produced By

Choji Yoshikawa
Tomoyuki Igarashi
Takemoto Mori

Studio

Toho (Japan (Original))
Warner Bros. Pictures, Kids WB, Nintendo and 4Kids Entertainment (English (Original))
Colin Productions (English (New))

Release Date

July 18, 1998

Budget
¥3 billion
(US $30 million)

Gross
$163.6 million

Based on
*Pokémon* series

Followed by
*Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns*

***Pokémon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back***, commonly referred to as ***Pokémon: The First Movie***, originally released as ***Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back!*** (劇場版ポケットモンスター ミュウツーの逆襲 Gekijōban Poketto Monsutā: Myūtsū no Gyakushū), is a 1998 Japanese anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, the chief director of the *Pokémon* television series. It is the first theatrical release in the *Pokémon* franchise.

It was released in Japan on July 18, 1998. The English-language adaptation, produced by 4Kids Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, was released in North America on November 12, 1999. It was released in 2015 produced and distributed by Colin Productions which it will follows the movie that when the old English removed all the scenes from the movie so the creator will follows the Japanese version with an English language which it was appears in the third episode.

## Plots

### *Pikachu's Vacation*

***Pikachu's Vacation*** (ピカチュウのなつやすみ Pikachū no Natsuyasumi, ***Pikachu's Summer Vacation***) is a 21-minute short film that is shown before *Mewtwo Strikes Back* in both the theatrical, VHS and the DVD version of the main film. It is the first of the "Pikachu shorts" in what would be a traditional process of hosting a 20+ minute mini-movie before the main Pokémon feature that would last up until the sixth that would follow, focuses primarily on an action-packed affair involving solely the Pokémon seen from the anime as they take part in a scenario that eventually illustrates a moral.

In Pokémon fan communities, Pikachu's Vacation was noted for introducing the never-before-seen Pokémon character Snubbull, as well as the first primary anime appearance of Marill. This became a tradition for all Pikachu shorts, as they were used to introduce new Pokémon from the upcoming "generations" of Pokémon games, cards, and anime material.

When Ash and his friends stumble upon a Pokémon-only vacation resort, they decide to let their Pokémon have a day of fun and relaxation and let all their Pokémon out as the trainers go relaxing on their own. Pikachu and the Pokémon (Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Pidgeotto, Geodude, Onix, Vulpix, Zubat, Staryu, Goldeen, Psyduck, and Togepi) go off into the resort and immediately contend with an unhappy Togepi, which they succeed in doing. Soon, a group of border-ruffian Pokémon — a Raichu, Cubone, Snubbull, and Marill — come along and immediately cause trouble for Pikachu's group. The ensuing standoff soon becomes a series of competitions such as a swimming race and cheek-to-cheek run. Their increasingly passionate rivalry soon comes to a standstill when Pikachu's companion Charizard finds its head stuck. Putting aside their squabble, Pikachu and Raichu's groups join together to release Charizard, and they soon find themselves as friends for the rest of the day. At the end of the day, Pikachu and his fellow Pokémon leave the resort with fond memories and new friends and rejoin their trainers.

### *The Story of Mewtwo’s Origin*

The devious leader of Team Rocket Organization, Giovanni, has a fervent ambition to take control of the Pokémon world through both financial and military means. To achieve his military needs, he covets a Pokémon stronger and more adept than any other, a veritable living war weapon, so he enlists a scientist named Doctor Fuji to create this being from the DNA of the ancestor of all Pokémon and most powerful of Pokémon, Mew, which Fuji had found on a previous jungle expedition. Fuji accepts, for he is heavily into the prospect of cloning to create and restore life itself, because of his love for his deceased daughter, Amber. At the time of her tragic death, Fuji was devastated. Rather than trying to overcome his grief, Fuji figured he could instead clone Amber, and was in the process of creating Amber's consciousness in his offshore laboratory. However, his wife, as much as she loved their daughter, could not bear to see Fuji’s misguided drive to tinker with life, and thus she parted with him for good. Fuji then received the order from Giovanni to commence the Mew cloning project, which he continued while trying to clone Amber.

A while passes, and a now physical, but young, Mewtwo rests in an unconscious slumber of development inside a containment cell, next to a cell containing the glowing conscience of a cloned Amber. Mewtwo stirs in mind and begins to communicate with the artificial conscience of Ambertwo in a plane of limbo, and the two entities grow a personal bond. This exchange is tragically short-lived, however, as the inability of science to recreate souls catches up with the project, and Ambertwo’s consciousness fades into the darkness forever with the other prospective clones. She leaves the traumatized Mewtwo with the advice that life is wonderful, and to be alive is the greatest gift he has. Mewtwo, confused by her departure, succumbs to grief and desperately calls out for Amber telepathically, his brainwaves nearly overloading the lab’s systems. Fuji immediately administers a hundred doses of serum, forcing Mewtwo to be subdued into an artificial state of calmness and ignorance of what just transpired. Fuji, emotionally broken by the now-permanent loss of his daughter, is now intent on ensuring that Mewtwo, his brainchild, survives.

Alone in the darkness, and unaware of whatever he apparently lost, Mewtwo develops in size and power, but is tormented in sleep by a single, cryptic question: *“Life is wonderful… but why?”.*

### *Mewtwo Strikes Back*

The Pokémon Mewtwo was created on new island in a laboratory from the DNA of Mew, a rare Pokémon believed to be extinct, recovered from fossilized remains. Displeased with the concept of being nothing more than a mere lab experiment, Mewtwo destroys the laboratory.[2] Shortly afterward, he meets Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket, who proposes a partnership with the Pokémon in exchange of helping him control his powers. Mewtwo is "trained" over the next few months, being pitted against challengers in Giovanni's gym and restraining Pokémon for Team Rocket to capture. Mewtwo eventually realizes that Giovanni is merely using him as a tool and destroys his headquarters. After defeating Giovanni, Mewtwo flies back to the island where he was created and begins plotting revenge against humanity.

Meanwhile, Ash Ketchum and his friends Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and all their Pokémon companions receive an invitation to a party hosted by the world's "greatest Pokémon Master" on New Island. Ash and his friends are excited and rush to the docks in an attempt to catch a boat to New Island, but a storm is mysteriously formed and all boat rides to the island are canceled. Undeterred, several trainers make their way out to the island by riding their Pokémon, though neither Ash nor his friends have any Pokémon of their own that can help them safely navigate the stormy sea. In their latest plot to steal rare Pokémon, Team Rocket offers the trio a lift to the island, disguised as a pair of Vikings, but their small wooden boat is destroyed by a wave. Ash and his friends manage to reach the island with their aquatic Pokémon, and are escorted inside the palace on the island.

Mewtwo reveals himself to Ash, his friends, and three other trainers who braved the storm battle as the "World's Greatest Pokémon Master," and that he had created the storm with its powers to test the trainers' wills. After being berated by Mewtwo for the relationships they share with their Pokémon, Ash and some of the other trainers challenge Mewtwo after witnessing Mewtwo's confession of having kidnapped Nurse Joy for his own personal purposes. The trainers pit Shell Shocker, Brute Root, and Ash's Charizard against clones of Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard. Ash pursues his Pokémon as they are taken deep into a cloning facility on the island and rescues them while they are being cloned. The clones join with Mewtwo and the cloning machine explodes, releasing all the captured Pokémon. Mewtwo announces his intentions to overthrow humanity with his army of Pokémon.

Enraged, Ash lashes out at Mewtwo, who repels and blasts him away with his psychic powers. Ash is saved by Mew, the rare, playful Pokémon having appeared periodically before, who is engaged by Mewtwo. A brutal battle between the Trainers' Pokémon and their clones erupts, although Pikachu refuses to fight with his own clone resorting to slapping it (Meowth's clone also seems to refuse to fight, causing the original to ponder on what the two sides have in common).

The trainers are unable to bear this senseless violence, even while Mew and Mewtwo grow tired but continue fighting. In an attempt to put an end to the ordeal, Mew and Mewtwo sum up all their remaining powers for one final duel. However, just as they open fire, Ash runs to the center of the arena in a brave, desperate attempt to stop the fight. Both Mew and Mewtwo's attacks hit Ash at the same time, turning him to stone after he collapses onto the floor.

Pikachu runs to Ash's side and tries to wake him up. He uses Thunderbolt on Ash, while the other Pokémon, Brock, Misty, and Nurse Joy look on. After several vain attempts to revive Ash using Thunderbolt, Pikachu grows tired and stops. Realizing Ash is dead, Pikachu starts crying for his fallen friend and the other Pokémon do so as well. Their tears [Only Pokémon tears can bring people back from death] all gather together and eventually flow towards Ash, their mystical healing powers bringing him back to life. Overjoyed, Pikachu leaps into Ash's arms as the two embrace, happy to be reunited once again and everyone rejoices.

Mewtwo, taken aback by Ash's selfless act to save all the Pokémon, has an epiphany over the relationship between humans and Pokémon, and realizes that the past is irrelevant and should not divide anyone. He leaves the island with Mew and the cloned Pokémon and erases everyone else's memory of the terrible event since it is for the best.

Ash and his friends are transported back to the docks with no idea how they got there. Ash looks up to the sky, spots Mew flying past, and recounts to his friends how he saw a rare Pokémon on the first day of his travels.

## Characters

Heroes

* Ash Ketchum
* Pikachu
* Misty
* Brock
* Mew
* Other Pokémon trainers
* Nurse Joy
* Dr. Fuji
* Amber
* Doctor Fuji's wife

Villains

* Mewtwo
* Pokémon clones
* Jessie, James & Meowth
* Giovanni (unseen true main villain until the real main villian)
* Dr. Fuji

## Critical response

The film received negative reviews from film critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 14% "rotten" approval rating, based on the reviews of 79 critics, the consensus being: "Audiences other than children will find very little to entertain them." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 35 out of 100 based on 25 reviews, meaning "generally unfavorable reviews".

*Pikachu's Summer Vacation* also received generally negative reviews. Anime News Network's review called the main feature "contradictory", stating that "the anti-violent message that is pretty much crammed down our throats works directly against the entire point of the franchise" and criticized *Pikachu's Summer Vacation* for being "incoherent, pointless and fluffy". Patrick Butters, of The Washington Times, accused *Pokémon: The First Movie* of taking ideas from other films such as Star Wars and being "just another cog in the mighty Nintendo machine". Michael Wood, of England's Coventry Evening Telegraph said that *Pikachu's Summer Vacation* "can only be described as a mind-numbingly tedious piece, with no discernible storyline and lots of trippy images and silly voices". Wood did note that the main feature had a "mildly intriguing premise", but said that the rest of the film "was like a martial arts movie without the thrills".

## Gallery

### Videoes

Pikachu Short 1- Pikachu's VacationThe Origin of Mewtwo