Pokemon the First Movie - Mewtwo vs. Mew poster & wallpaper
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Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Addie Blaustein, Eric Stuart, Ed Paul ... see more see more... , Michelle Goguen , Eric Rath , Neil Stewart , Ikue Otani , Ted Lewis , Philip Bartlett

The internationally popular toy, comic book, and video game characters who stormed the big screen in the surprise hit Pokemon: The First Movie are back in this Japanese anime feature. Lawrence III, wh... read more read more...o collects the elusive creatures known as Pokemon, will become the greatest Pokemon trainer on Earth if he can capture and tame Lugia, a huge Pokemon of the sea. Lugia's powers are so great that they could destroy the world if they fell into the wrong hands, so lead trainer Ash and his friends must stop Lawrence's dangerous quest before it's too late. Pokemon the Movie: 2000 was originally released in Japan in 1999 under the title Poketto monsutaa: Maboroshi no Pokemon X: Lugia Bakudan, which translates as "Pocket Monsters The Movie: The Phantom Pokemon: Lugia's Explosive Birth." The U.S. release of Pokemon the Movie: 2000 was paired with a short subject, Pikachu's Rescue Adventure. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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56% liked it

64,469 ratings

Critics

14% liked it

79 critics

G, 1 hr. 21 min.

Directed by: Kunihiko Yuyama, Kunohiko Yuyama, Michael Haigney

Release Date: November 6, 1999

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DVD Release Date: March 21, 2000

Stats: 3,523 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,523)

  • fb100002384654145
    March 12, 2012
    fb100002384654145
    Unless you are a fan of the show or a child, this movie is not going to do anything to broaden your horizons about the Pokemon TV show. The plot is essentially an extended episode with bland characters, cheesy dialogue (complete with cringe-worthy humor), and an ending that esse... read morentially turns the whole affair into a shaggy dog story. Even as a kid I forgot about this movie in a matter of two weeks, the only aspect of the film that stuck with me was the villain Mewtwo, and that is only because he looks cool. In the U.S. release of the film, the distributors try to instill a"fighting is wrong" message that is almost hilariously squeezed into the film's climax. The message is ironic coming from a show in which humans force monsters fight each other in every episode. Not only that, but the movie essentially hits the reset button in the end, erasing the characters recollection of the film's events. The Japanese version of the movie is no better, except they develop Mewtwo's character more in a prologue that was deleted in U.S. theatrical release. The prologue traces Mewtwo's origins, and it is actually a pretty interesting film-within-a-film that only exemplifies Mewtwo's wasted potential. Overall, an incredibly bland animated feature that only existed to sell products.
  • aquateen2
    November 1, 2011
    aquateen2
    I had big expectations for the batlle between these two characters as im a fan of the games. But the film is terrible. It suffers from bad animation, bad dialogue, little tension and no heart. This im sure would be the reaction to fans of the games and filmgoers in general.
  • spielberg00
    September 25, 2011
    spielberg00
    Based on the anime series of the same primary title, POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE (wow, that's a really boring title) really is not any good at all. Watching it at the time when I loved the entire POKEMON franchise, from the trading cards to the TV series, this film was amazing and ... read morecrazy fun for my eyes. But looking at it nowadays, it's stupid, boring, and not well-explained. In other words, one would have to watch a few seasons worth of POKEMON to understand the superficial parlance and humor used throughout this film. Die-hard fans only.
  • fb733768972
    July 9, 2011
    fb733768972
    I may be a sucker into the pokemon universe, but being a fan of the original series, I have come to love this film just as much as the show, not even caring about how many flaws they forgot about. I would watch this film over and over again. It pulls me in and has me feeling the ... read moreemotions of the pokemon, it sounds ridiculous, but it is very true. The war between pokemon is under way, and as I watch it, I feel like anything is possible. The lessons are amazing and the story is believable. This highly underrated film has me on the edge of my seat every time I watch it. I love POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE!
  • DreamExtractor
    May 15, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    What is this crap. I grew up loving this movie, now I hate it.
  • skeletonking101
    July 19, 2010
    skeletonking101
    i dont get what some people dont like about this movie i mean if you arent fans of pokemon why did you see it i understand if you have kids but that doesnt mean you have to give a crap i mean just enjoy what you see its one of my favorite movies i enjoy the different characters t... read morehe animation is top notch the comedy is spot on and it contains one of my favorite villains mewtwo
  • kiriyamakazou
    February 12, 2010
    kiriyamakazou
    You have to love Pokemon to love this, and boy do I love Pokemon. After 70-odd epidsodes this was the battle everyone was waiting for. It begins well, really well, with Mewtwo blowing the shit out of his own creators. He is soon questioning life and existence in some rather heavy... read more handed dialogue. Pokemon is made pretty darn fast, and the animation doesn't improve greatly from the TV show. Luckily, Mewtwo and Mew are great characters and Team Rocket's bumbling is kept to a minimum. At least it tries to explore some themes and characters as well as being an advertisement for all the merchandise.
  • deano
    November 24, 2009
    deano
    I remembered all about Pokémon since I last watched on TV animated series. The truth is I'm not such a Pokémon fanatic as well as I just wanted to see what it was like.
    Well, this was decent. There are some entertaining sequences, but it drags on a few parts. The climax was good... read more. I thought the animation was just like the anime which I enjoyed when I was little. I tell you, Japan has some big franchises.
  • stormyweather980
    August 15, 2009
    stormyweather980
    I haven't ever watched the Pokemon cartoon that much, but I didn't want to miss the chance to see the movies. While I was watching this movie, I thought for awhile that it was gonna just be a bunch of different cartoons because the first part of the movie is a cartoon called "Pik... read moreachu's Vacation" that's only about 20 minutes long. Then the "Mewtwo Strikes Back" finally came on.
    In "Mewtwo Strikes Back," some scientists clone and create Mewtwo, which becomes the strongest Pokemon of all. What the scientists don't realize is that Mewtwo is psychic. Mewtwo gets real upset and wants to be ruler of all Pokemon and humans. Pikachu and the rest of the Pokemon crew must find a way to stop Mewtwo from becoming ruler of the world.

    "Pokemon The First Movie" is a good movie. It has good effects for a cartoon movie and once it gets to "Mewtwo Strikes Back," it will keep your interest. The only drawback I saw in the movie was that I didn't really see the point of including "Pikachu's Vacation" at the beginning of the movie. Not that it's bad, but I just didn't see the point in it. It would be better if it was just "Mewtwo Strikes Back." If you like watching a good cartoon movie every now and then, or if you're a fan of Pokemon, you should like this movie. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2000. Pokemon...I was never much into it at all but had an OLDER brother that was one of its biggest fans in the world lol.
  • YosemiteSamFan
    June 29, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    Fun movie for Pokemon! fans. The short "Pikachu's Vacation" is gold: there's cute interactions between the little creatures in their natural habitats which you don't often see on the TV show.

    The Feature: "Mewtwo vs. Mew" has a new lab-created Pokemon Mewtwo. It's a powerful t... read morehing indeed, with the ability to speak English; which is considered a mutation in the Pokemon universe. They treat this new creature as a threat. Mewtwo can destroy the planet.
    (Hmm... I wonder if this movie is where they got the Rise of the Silver Surfer plot from?)

    They then find a derived creature called "Mew" to battle "Mewtwo", hence the title of the movie. "Mew" is a cute little pink kitten-thing who can zap around very quickly. It's an epic battle in the sky.

    It's hard not to think of it as a very long Pokemon episode. The production values are slightly higher however, with full orchestral score, dynamic shading and "camera" movements. It's an afternoon treat for Pokemon fans, or a good way for those who don't speak the language to finally understand what Pokemon is all about.

    Hmm... I wonder if this movie is where they got the Rise of the Silver Surfer plot from? I hope they do a Pokemon-Drawn Together crossover featuring Ling-Ling.

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Critic Reviews

Lisa Alspector
February 28, 2007
Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader

The repetitive plot is essentially a string of excuses for fantastical combat sequences, but somehow several characters' insistence that violence is bad doesn't come off as hypocritical. Full Review

Liam Lacey
April 5, 2002
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

The wisdom of putting bad experiences behind us never rang more true than after viewing this movie. Avoiding it though, may be impossible, so be prepared. Full Review

Peter Stack
January 1, 2000
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

For the record, it isn't terrible. It's far from a milestone in Japanese animation, and not an especially memorable entertainment. Yet it doesn't try to be either of those things. Full Review

John Monaghan
January 1, 2000
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press

Heart is something sadly lacking in Pokemon: The First Movie.

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, At the Movies

It's just a sound-and-light show, linked to the marketing push for Pokemon in general. Full Review

Michael Rechtshaffen
January 1, 2000
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter

Adults may cringe at the preachy heavy-handedness and the extremely limited motion animation that sets the art form back a couple of generations.

Bob Longino
January 1, 2000
Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With intentionally stilted animation, uninspired music and lame jokes, Pokemon is basically an ultralong version of the phenomenon's own boring TV 'toon. Full Review

Betsy Sherman
January 1, 2000
Betsy Sherman, Boston Globe

The Japanese animation is beautiful, and the script adaptation for the English-speaking audience is well-paced, clever, and absorbing enough to keep parents from squirming.

Jay Boyar
January 1, 2000
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel

My baseline for boredom had been standing in line to renew my automobile registration. But now, thanks to this Pokemon film, I have a brand-new baseline.

Mark Jenkins
January 1, 2000
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post

A dull, crudely animated Pokemon byproduct. Full Review

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