Review and impressions of the movie "Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution"

"Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution" - A moving remake and a new challenge

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

July 12, 2019 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toho

■Frequencies

98 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Satoshi Tajiri

■ Director

Kunihiko Yuyama and Mikinori Sakakibara

■ Production

・Production: OLM Digital

■Works

©Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK, TV Tokyo, ShoPro, JR Kikaku ©Pokémon ©2019 Pikachu Project

■ Story

Mew is a mythical Pokémon that only appears to adventurers with a pure heart and a strong desire to meet it. It is said to be the "origin" of all Pokémon, and while Pokémon researchers from around the world are searching for it, one scientist finally discovers a Mew fossil and uses it to commit a forbidden act that defies God.
"Where am I? Who am I?"
A legendary Pokémon born into this world due to the ego of humans wanting to create the strongest Pokémon. Its name is Mewtwo. Without even knowing the reason for its existence, Mewtwo is repeatedly experimented on as the strongest weapon, and in its heart it begins to harbor hatred for the humans who created it.
"This is my revenge against the human race that created me!"

■Explanation

This is the 22nd Pokémon theatrical film, released on July 12, 2019, and commemorates TV Tokyo's 55th anniversary.
A remake of the first film, entirely rendered in 3DCG.

■Cast

・Satoshi/Rika Matsumoto・Pikachu/Ikue Otani・Takeshi/Yuji Ueda・Kasumi/Masayumi Iizuka・Musashi/Megumi Hayashibara・Kojiro/Shinichiro Miki・Meowth/Inuko Inuyama・Mewtwo/Masachika Ichimura・Mew/Koichi Yamadera

■ Main staff

・Director / Kunihiko Yuyama, Mikinori Sakakibara ・Executive Producer / Junya Okamoto, Hidenaga Katagami ・Producer / Satoshi Shimodaira, Ayaka Sekiguchi, Yosuke Nagabuchi ・CGI Supervisor / Motohito Nasu ・Screenplay / Tsuyoshi Shuto ・Music / Shinji Miyazaki ・Sound Director / Masafumi Mima ・Sound Effects / Daisuke Jinbo, Hiromune Kurahashi ・Animation Producer / Masashi Kobayashi ・Animation Production / OLM Digital, Sprite Animation Studios
Produced by: Pikachu Project Distributed by: Toho

■ Main Characters

Satoshi is the protagonist of this work. A 10-year-old Pokemon trainer who continues his journey of training to become a Pokemon Master. After defeating a pirate-like trainer, Satoshi is seen as a promising Pokemon trainer and receives an invitation from a mysterious person who calls himself the strongest Pokemon trainer, and heads to Pokemon Castle.
Kasumi: The heroine of this work. A girl who travels with Satoshi with the goal of becoming the world's best water Pokémon user.
Takeshi is a former Nibi gym leader who travels with Satoshi and friends with the aim of becoming the world's best Pokemon breeder. He likes beautiful older women, but has no luck with them. In this work, he falls in love with Mewtwo's maid, but thanks to that, he quickly realizes that she is the missing Joey.
Pikachu Satoshi's first Pokemon. In the opening, he wiped out the three Pokemon that the pirate trainer brought out (including Golem, which for some reason shouldn't be affected) with "Thunderbolt". He hates being in a Pokeball. He runs away from Mewtwo's Pokeball, but is eventually caught. Thanks to Satoshi, who chased after him, he escaped from Mewtwo's Pokeball.
・A member of Team Musashi Rocket. He uses his frying pan to catch a Dragonite that is about to fly away, and finds an invitation addressed to Satoshi. He and Kojiro and Meowth pretend to be sailors to catch Pikachu, but fail due to a storm. After that, he follows Satoshi and his friends and infiltrates Pokemon Castle.
Kojiro: A member of Team Rocket, he was originally the heir to a wealthy family. When he was thrown into the ocean with Satoshi and his friends, he survived by using his partner Weezing's buoyancy as a life jacket.
Meowth: A member of Team Rocket. A bipedal Pokémon that speaks human language. He translates Pokémon in this game, and his role as an interpreter plays an important role. He was originally not good at fighting, so he did not participate in the battles.
While Musashi and his friends were watching the process of copy Pokemon being made, he gets caught in the copying device, and although they rescue him, his tail hair is pulled out and a copy of himself is created.

■ Related works

・Pokémon ・Pokémon Advanced Generation ・Pokémon Diamond and Pearl ・Pokémon Best Wishes ・Pokémon Best Wishes Season 2 (including Episode N and Decolora Adventure)
・Pokémon XY (later onwards & Z)
・Pokémon Sun & Moon ・Pokémon (broadcast version from 2019)
・Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back ・Pokémon the Movie: The Birth of Lugia ・Pokémon the Movie: The Emperor of the Crystal Tower
・Pokémon the Movie: Celebi - Encounter Beyond Time・Pokémon the Movie: Latias & Latios, Guardians of the Water Capital・Pokémon the Movie: Advanced Generation: Jirachi - Wish Maker・Pokémon the Movie: Advanced Generation: The Visitor from the Sky Fissure - Deoxys・Pokémon the Movie: Advanced Generation: Mew and the Wave-Motion Hero: Lucario・Pokémon the Movie: Advanced Generation: Pokémon Ranger and the Sea Prince: Manaphy・Pokémon the Movie: Diamond and Pearl: Dialga vs. Palkia vs. Darkrai・Pokémon the Movie: Diamond and Pearl: Giratina and the Sky Bouquet: Shaymin・Pokémon the Movie: Diamond and Pearl: Arceus: Conquering Dimensions・Pokémon the Movie: Diamond and Pearl: Master of Illusions: Zoroark・Pokémon the Movie: Best Wishes: Black Hero: Victini and Zekrom・Pokémon the Movie: Best Wishes: White Hero: Victini and Reshiram・Pokémon the Movie: Best Wishes: Kyurem vs. the Sacred Swordsman Keldeo, Pokémon Best Wishes the Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Destruction and Diancie, Pokémon the Movie: XY: The Clash of Clans and Hoopa, Pokémon the Movie: XY&Z: Volcanion and the Mechanical Magearna, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!
・Pokémon the Movie: Everyone's Story

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
"Aim to be a Pokémon Master '98 (2019 Remaster)"
Lyrics by Shogo Toda
・Composition: Hirokazu Tanaka ・Arrangement: Cher Watanabe
Remastered version engineer: Masashi Kudo (SME Records)
・Song: Rika Matsumoto・Ending theme
・"Together with the Wind"
Lyrics: Shogo Toda; Composition: Hirokazu Tanaka; Arrangement: Seiji Kameda (Sony Music Records)
・Songs: Sachiko Kobayashi & Shoko Nakagawa

The excitement and evolution of "Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution"

"Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution" was released in 2019 as a remake of "Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back" which was released in 1998. This work is also positioned as a commemorative work for the 55th anniversary of the launch of TV Tokyo, and is a work that holds a special meaning for fans of the Pokémon series. Drawn entirely in 3DCG, this work depicts the evolved world of Pokémon with new technology and expressions while retaining the excitement of the original work.

The appeal of the story

The story of this film begins when a scientist searching for the mythical Pokémon Mew creates the strongest Pokémon, Mewtwo, from Mew's fossil. Mewtwo tries to understand who he is and why he exists, but is used as a tool for experiments by human ego. This theme, like the original work, evokes deep emotions and asks the audience, "What is life?" and "What is the meaning of existence?"

The familiar characters, including Satoshi and Pikachu, show off their fighting spirit against Mewtwo's counterattack, reminding us of the importance of friendship and bonds. In particular, the scene where Satoshi shouts at Mewtwo, "Pokemon aren't tools for fighting!" recreates a famous scene from the original work, while the beautiful 3DCG images enhance the emotion even more.

The evolution of 3DCG

The biggest feature of this work is that it is drawn entirely in 3D CG. While the original 1998 version was 2D animation, the 2019 remake uses the latest CG technology to realistically express the movements and expressions of Pokemon, as well as the beauty of the backgrounds. In particular, the Mewtwo battle scenes and the spectacular depiction of Pokemon Castle have the power to draw the audience in.

In addition, the characters' expressions and movements are drawn in detail, conveying the emotions of Satoshi and Pikachu more realistically. With the evolution of 3DCG, the world of Pokemon is depicted more realistically and beautifully, which is one of the main attractions of this work.

Cast and crew

The cast of this film is the same as the original, with Rika Matsumoto playing Satoshi and Ikue Otani playing Pikachu. In particular, Rika Matsumoto's passionate performance as Satoshi's voice actor moved the audience and showed respect for the original work. In addition, Masachika Ichimura's deep voice as Mewtwo also brings out the depth of the character.

The production team includes veterans of the Pokémon series, such as directors Kunihiko Yuyama and Mikinori Sakakibara, screenwriter Takeshi Shuto, and composer Shinji Miyazaki. Their work recreates the excitement of the original and adds new expressions. In particular, the technical skills of CGI supervisor Motohito Nasu support the beauty of the 3DCG.

Theme songs and music

The opening theme of this work is "Become a Pokémon Master '98 (2019 Remaster)", sung by Rika Matsumoto, just like the original. This song not only evokes the excitement of the original, but also has a new charm as a remastered version. The ending theme, "Kaze to Issho ni", is a collaboration between Sachiko Kobayashi and Shoko Nakagawa, and is a fitting song to conclude the moving story.

Related works and series history

"Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution" occupies an important place in the long history of the Pokémon series. The Pokémon series began as a game and has expanded into various media such as anime, movies, and manga. This film is a remake of the particularly popular "Mewtwo Strikes Back," and is a must-see for fans of the series.

This film is also being positioned as a commemorative work for the 55th anniversary of TV Tokyo's launch, and can be said to be a special work where the history of the Pokemon series and the history of TV Tokyo intersect. It will be an opportunity to rediscover the appeal of the Pokemon series, including the related works, the "Pokemon" series, and other movies.

Message to the audience

"Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution" depicts the world of Pokémon that has evolved with new technology and expression while keeping the excitement of the original. This is a film that can be recommended not only to fans of the Pokémon series, but also to those who are experiencing Pokémon for the first time. In particular, I would like you to pay attention to the beauty of the 3DCG and the emotional expression of the characters.

This work also has a profound theme that asks, "What is life?" and "What is the meaning of existence?" It will give each audience member an opportunity to reconsider their own lives and values. Please come and experience this moving remake at the theater.

Recommended points

1. **A moving story**: The story, told in a new way while keeping the excitement of the original, will deeply move the audience. In particular, the dialogue scene between Satoshi and Mewtwo is a must-see.
2. **Beautiful 3DCG**: This work is entirely drawn in 3DCG, and the movements of the Pokemon and the beauty of the backgrounds are realistically expressed. In particular, the battle scenes with Mewtwo are spectacular.
3. **Character Emotional Expression**: Satoshi and Pikachu's emotions are depicted in detail and are conveyed to the audience in a realistic way. Satoshi's passionate performance is particularly moving.
4. **The appeal of the theme songs**: The opening theme "Become a Pokémon Master '98 (2019 Remaster)" and the ending theme "Kaze to Issho ni" not only evoke the excitement of the original work, but also exude new charm.
5. **Series History**: This title occupies an important position in the long history of the Pokémon series, and is a must-have for fans of the series. By enjoying it together with related works, you can rediscover the charm of the Pokémon series.

Above, we have introduced the emotions and evolution of "Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution" in detail. This is a movie that can be recommended not only to fans of the Pokémon series, but also to those who are experiencing Pokémon for the first time. Please experience this moving remake at the theater.