Pokémon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back ミュウツーの逆襲

Released Year: 1998
Directed by 湯山邦彥 Kunihiko Yuyama

Voiced by:
松本梨香 Rica Matsumoto & Veronica Taylor as Ash Ketchum (Satoshi)
飯塚雅弓 Mayumi Iizuka & Rachael Lillis as Misty (Kasumi)
上田祐司 Yūji Ueda & Eric Stuart as Brock (Takeshi)
市村正親 Masachika Ichimura & Philip Bartlett as Mewtwo
林原惠 Megumi Hayashibara & Rachael Lillis as Jessie (Musashi)
三木真一郎 Shin-ichiro Miki & Eric Stuart as James (Kojirō)
犬山犬子 Inuko Inuyama & Maddie Blaustein as Meowth (Nyarth)

Story:

Ash Ketchum, Misty, and Brock are sent to spend a day at a theme park built for Pokémon. Pikachu, Togepi, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle cross paths with a group of bullies consisting of a Raichu, Cubone, Marill, and a Snubbull. The two groups compete against each other in sports, but it leads to Ash’s Charizard getting its head stuck in a pipe. Pikachu, his friends, and the bullies work together and successfully free Charizard, spending the rest of the day playing before parting ways when their trainers return.

A group of scientists obtain a fossilised eyelash of the legendary Pokémon, Mew, and clone it to create a supersoldier, Mewtwo. The project is successful as Mewtwo awakens, but upon learning the scientists plan to treat him as an experiment, he unleashes his psychic powers and destroys the laboratory.

Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket and the project’s benefactor, convinces Mewtwo to work with him to hone his powers. However, Mewtwo learns his purpose was to be a weapon for Giovanni’s benefit and escapes back to New Island where he plots revenge against humanity. Several Pokémon trainers are invited to New Island to meet and battle the world’s greatest Pokémon Master. Ash, Misty, and Brock accept the challenge, but when they arrive at the port city Old Shore Wharf, a powerful storm whips up, preventing the trainers from sailing to the island. However, several trainers use their Pokémon to travel across the sea. Ash’s group are picked up by Team Rocket disguised as Vikings, but the storm sinks their boat, and they individually make it to New Island.

Escorted into the island’s palace by a maid, the trainers encounter Mewtwo, who releases the maid from his mind control, revealed to be a brainwashed Nurse Joy. Mewtwo plots to use the storm to wipe out humanity, leaving only wild and cloned Pokémon alive. Ash challenges Mewtwo’s power, leading to a battle between the trainers’ Pokémon and Mewtwo’s clones who prove to be vastly superior in combat. Mewtwo captures all of the Pokémon to clone them, Ash chasing the captured Pikachu down into the rebuilt lab, where Team Rocket’s Meowth is also cloned. Ash destroys the cloning machine, freeing the Pokémon, and leads them to confront Mewtwo. Mew appears and confronts Mewtwo.

All of the Pokémon battle save a defiant Pikachu, and Meowth, who makes peace with his own clone. Mew and Mewtwo’s psychic battle wounds all of the Pokémon, forcing a desperate Ash to charge into the firing line of their attacks and is petrified by the blast. Pikachu tries to revive Ash with his thunderbolt but it fails. However, the tears of the Pokémon, as per a legend mentioned earlier in the film, are able to heal and revive Ash. Moved by Ash’s sacrifice, Mewtwo realizes that he should not have to be judged by his origins but rather his choices in life. Departing with Mew and the clones, Mewtwo erases everyone’s memories of the event.

Ash, Misty, and Brock find themselves back in Old Shore Wharf unsure how they got there. The storm outside clears up, Ash spotting Mew flying through the clouds and tells his friends of how he saw another legendary Pokémon the day he left Pallet Town. Meanwhile, Team Rocket find themselves stranded on New Island but enjoy their time there.

L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment: 

Pokemon is a gameboy's game which started in 1995, the game is so popular that later on the series came right after it. Without failed, Pikachu leads all its fellow pokemon leap into the big screen on 1998 after they gain their fame through the animation series. Throughout these years, there were already 19 pokemon movies as at July 2016.

This first movie draw a legacy moment for pokemon movie series as everyone who watch the animation series enter the cinema to support the movie. This popular movie has hit a gross of USD163.6 Million worldwide. WOW !!!

Mew has been describe as the best during the series, Mewtwo occurred in the movie but with greater personality and emotional heart & feeling. The movie is great no matter i watched it many years ago or rewatching it nowadays. :)