Pokémon is one of the most popular franchises in all of pop culture. There are very few other franchises that even come close. Between the television shows, trading cards, video games, and movies, there is a lot to love about Pokémon. Among all of the movies that have been made in the franchise, there is one that stands above the rest.
Pokémon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back was the very first movie that was made in response to the overwhelming popularity of the television series. As of 2020, this movie also received a CGI remake in the form of Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution. As popular as the original movie was, it hasn’t aged perfectly over the two decades since its release. Here are five ways Mewtwo Strikes Back has aged poorly and five ways it’s timeless.
10 Aged Poorly: Action
Made over 20 years ago, Mewtwo Strikes Back isn’t quite up to date with how it presents the action in the show. Given the limitations of the animation at the time, these action scenes are not nearly as dynamic as they could have been if the movie had been made just a few years later.
With how animated storytelling has advanced over the past several years, action in such films has been greatly improved. This is especially evident in the newly released remake of the film, Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution.
9 Timeless: Classic Roster of Pokémon
As the first-ever Pokémon movie, Mewtwo Strike Back did quite an amazing job at showcasing many of the series greatest/most classic Pokémon. From the many great monsters in Ash’s team to pretty much every other Pokémon showcased in the original series, Mewtwo Strikes Back has it all.
This is what everyone goes to a Pokémon movie to see. The more cute little pocket monsters included, the better.
8 Aged Poorly: Voice Acting
While some of the voice performances in Mewtwo Strikes Back stand out as iconic and impressive even to this day, others don’t quite achieve the same effect.
Nowadays, many of the most capable and experienced actors in the industry are providing their voice performances to animated projects. Back in the 1990s, voice acting was a much less competitive field.
7 Timeless: Cool New Characters
The new additions of Mewtwo and Mew to the franchise helped catapult Pokémon to a whole new level. With the introductions of these two legendary Pokémon came also some detailed backstories that helped flesh out their characters.
The sign of any good Pokémon movie is introducing cool new legendary Pokémon. Mewtwo Strikes Back does that better than any other movie in the entire series.
6 Aged Poorly: Over The Top
When it comes to the performances, action, and different story beats, a lot about Pokémon: The First Movie is very over the top. This is to be expected from a cartoon that came out in the 1990s.
In a lot of ways, over the top storytelling can be very effective. Just look at most of the popular anime series today like Naruto and One Piece. If you don’t fully commit to it, however, it doesn’t quite work out.
5 Timeless: Sympathetic Antagonist
Mewtwo is one of the most beloved Pokémon by fans of the franchise. Much of this is due to the fact that he is so mysterious and incredibly powerful. Some of it is also due to the fact that Mewtwo is such an incredible character.
A clone struggling with a lack of personal identity, it’s hard not to put yourself in Mewtwo’s shoes. This is why the movie overall has so much impact because we can all imagine doing the same things if we were in his position.
4 Aged Poorly: Emotional Impact
With the older animation, over the top storytelling, and somewhat hokey voice acting, it’s hard to get the same amount of emotional impact that the story would otherwise have provided to audiences.
If the performances were tightened up and the animation was just a little bit cleaner, the emotional impact of this movie would hit home just a little bit harder. Unfortunately, none of those things are true.
3 Timeless: Character Interactions
Getting to see different Pokémong trainers interacting with one another is always a huge plus. What really helps Mewtwo Strikes Back stand out is the many unique character interactions it displays between the actual Pokémon themselves.
Pikachu, Mew, Mewtwo, Ash, Brock, Misty, and many more characters make up the incredible roster of Pokémon characters in this movie. The sign of any good movie that is a part of a larger franchise/universe is having various characters of all sorts of interesting characters coming together in new and interesting ways. Mewtwo Strikes Back accomplished just that.
2 Aged Poorly: Animation
While the many character designs of the trainers and Pokémon in Mewtwo Strikes Back remain iconic to this day, the animation as a whole leaves something to be desired. In the decades since the film’s release, the animation capabilities of the film industry have greatly been enhanced.
If the new remake of this movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution, proves anything, it is that modern-day animation has taken a huge leap forward in the last couple of decades. One of the few things keeping this classic movie from being truly timeless is the aging animation. If that was not the case, there would not be a remake today.
1 Timeless: Character Arcs
Ash, Mewtwo, Pikachu, and many other characters have great character arcs in this movie. Following these fictional characters as they grow and change over the course of the film is what makes it a truly special experience.
The sign of any good filmmaking is being able to take characters at the beginning of a movie and change them in unexpected, big ways by the end of the film. With the storytelling and writing behind Mewtwo Strikes Back, that goal was achieved wonderfully.
