Pokémon: The First Movie was released over two decades ago, and the franchise has expanded massively since then with a huge number of big and small screen adventures, not to mention the long-running video game series. Now, though, English audiences (it was released theatrically in Japan last year) finally have the opportunity to watch the CGI remake of that original movie with the launch of
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution on Netflix.
It's an odd experience rewatching this story in many ways, but
Mewtwo Strikes Back has definitely benefited from a CGI overhaul. While it's still the exact same story which hits all the familiar beats, a few key moments are expanded on, and sequences which were just a few seconds long in the original are now sometimes full-blown action sequences. Charizard's battle against his clone is a perfect example of that, but the only downside is that some of these moments feel a little
too stretched out and tend to drag as a result. Oh, and if you're going in expecting a "Director's Cut" of sorts, you'll likely be disappointed because completely new scenes are few and far between.
Ultimately, that wasn't the point of
Mewtwo Strikes Back, as it is essentially meant to be a shot for shot remake of the original with updated visuals. However, where it really excels is with the Pokemon battles. They're absolutely epic, and newer technology has really helped bring them to a point where they make for edge of your seat viewing. The way the powers of Pokemon like Pikachu and Blastoise are portrayed is visually stunning and possibly the best we've seen from one of these films. This new animation style benefits the humans as well, and the deigns here are so good that you'll no doubt end this movie desperately hoping for a new animated series set during this period in Ash, Misty, and Brock's life.
Talking of Brock, he's an undeniable highlight, but some of the voices just don't fit the characters (Team Rocket simply don't sound right). That's a minor complaint, though, and the movie, as a complete package, should work well for old and new fans alike. If you're hoping to introduce your child to the world of Pokemon, this is the perfect place to start, while longtime followers of the franchise are bound to have fun with
Mewtwo Strikes Back. It packs the same powerful emotional punch as the original, and the aforementioned Pokemon battles should help ensure that this version is every bit as worthy of repeat viewings as that classic first film.
Oh, and make sure you stick around until the end of the credits for a little something extra!
It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution looks phenomenal thanks to its updated visuals, and the action-packed and epic battles help make this the perfect Pokémon movie for fans.