anime [Anime] Gotta Review 'Em All! #1: Pokémon: The First Movie

[ArdillaVerde93]

Name: Pokémon: The First Movie and Pikachu's Vacation.

Other names: Mewtwo Strikes Back, Mewtwo's Counterattack, and Pikachu's Summer Vacation.

Featured Pokémon: Mewtwo and Mew.

Generation: I(Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, and, technically, FireRed and LeafGreen.).

Anime season: 1(Indigo League.).

Availability: VHS, LaserDisc, DVD(by itself, or as a part of Pokemon: The First Three Movies.).

Key quotes:

"Maybe, if we start looking at what's the same, instead of what's different,... well, who knows?"

"I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."

ArdillaVerde93's tagline:

Personally, I prefer Action Replay.

*SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS NOT A TEST!! AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE WILL FOLLOW!! XD*

Welcome to my first anime review! I decided to start with Pokémon: The First Movie. Now, let me get a few things out of the way. In case you didn't know, Ash dies. That is a thing that happens in this movie. I understand that it's easily one of the most iconic moments in Pokémon history, and I'll certainly get to it, but not until it's time. Also, this movie was quite different in Japan. Let me explain.

The Japanese version begins with an explanation of Mewtwo's origin. Dr. Fuji(possibly related to Mr. Fuji from Pokémon Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen, and, debatably, Emerald.) desperately wants to clone his daughter, Amber, who died. Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, agrees to fund his research, on one condition; he wants a clone of the Legendary Pokémon, Mew, which is thought to be extinct. Fuji agrees and travels to Guyana(a real place, by the way, in South America. Look it up.), in hopes of finding Mew DNA with which to make the clone. He lucks out, finding - I shit you not - fossilized eyelashes! I'm no archeologist, but I don't think that's possible.

He, along with a team of scientists, is able to successfully clone Mew, as well as Amber, naming the clones Mewtwo and Ambertwo, respectively. Mewtwo and Ambertwo talk to each other via telepathy, and spark something resembling a friendship. Unfortunately, the friendship doesn't last long; Ambertwo fades away, the result of her being an imperfect clone. Mewtwo is distraught, but the scientists drug him, determined not to allow the brain wave spike caused by his outburst to result in him failing, as well. From there, the movie starts.

"Life; the great miracle, and the great mystery." That's how English-speaking audiences were introduced to this movie. The line is spoken by the narrator, and is accompanied by Mewtwo's breathy telepathic voice, asking who, what, and where he is, and stating that he is ready to be. Cut to inside a laboratory, and the movie switches to Mewtwo's point of view as he opens his eyes and finds himself in what looks like a giant test tube, some sort of liquid(considering the circumstances, I seriously doubt it's water.) surrounding him. The movie switches back to normal point of view, showing scientists in awe of the fact that Mewtwo has survived the cloning process. Mewtwo says that he needs to be outside, with "the voices," and telekinetically shatters the giant test tube, leaving the liquid inside to spill out onto the floor, Again, the scientists are in awe. One of them(Dr. Fuji?) silences the others, wanting to hear Mewtwo's psychic powers.

Once Mewtwo demonstrates his powers by using telepathy, Fuji explains that Mewtwo was created by the scientists, which angers Mewtwo, making him realize that he's just "the end result of an experiment." Fuji assures him that the experiment isn't over, and the scientists congratulate each other, angering Mewtwo even more. In a fit of rage, he destroys the laboratory, presumably killing everyone inside. As he surveys the carnage, Giovanni walks up to him and offers to train him, on the grounds that they're equals, and that, unless Mewtwo can keep his powers under control, he'll end up destroying everything(really?! You're a little late, dude!). Mewtwo reluctantly agrees. Cue training montage that's only missing "Eye Of The Tiger."

Once the training is complete, Giovanni reveals that Mewtwo was created to serve him. Mewtwo reminds him that they were supposed to be equals. Giovanni tells him that - insert "I lied!" picture here - HE LIED! His intention was to use Mewtwo as a tool for world domination. How does Mewtwo feel about that? Well, let's just say that that's the rest we see of Giovanni in the movie. Next up is something that the Pokémon movies are known for; amazing title sequences! This one in particular shows the movie's alternate name: Mewtwo Strikes Back. The Pokémon movies tended to have alternate names(Mewtwo Strikes Back, The Power Of One, etc.), up until Jirachi: Wish Maker. By the way, that's right; it took them this long to reveal the name of the movie.

We finally see Ash and his friends, who are taking a rest and waiting for Brock to finish making what he calls "Lazy Boy No-Chew Stew," which he says would be perfect for Ash, who is in danger of passing out from hunger. When a trainer challenges Ash to a battle, however, he gets a second wind. The viewers are treated to a few things here. A short battle, an alternate, extended version of the Pokémon theme song, and the first appearance of the Generation II Pokémon, Donphan.

After the battle, a random Dragonite is sent by Mewtwo to go find Ash, and deliver an invitation. The invitation is to a gathering on New Island, and only the strongest Pokémon trainers are invited(why Brock and Misty didn't get invited is beyond me, considering they're Gym Leaders.). Ash, of course, accepts, since it wouldn't be much of a movie if he didn't. They learn that, in order to reach New Island, they'll be taking a chartered ferry from Old Shore Wharf. Or, at least, they're supposed to. A dangerous storm is making travelling by the ferry impossible. In fact, a lady announces that the storm is prophetic, and it's called "The Winds Of Water." It had only happened once prior to the events of the movie, and it nearly wiped out all life on Earth. The Pokémon who were spared began crying, and their tears brought the victims back to life. As crazy as that sounds, those of you who've actually seen the movie know that that becomes important later.

A male trainer speaks up, saying that, since he only trains Water-type Pokémon, he could make it to New Island. The lady, as well as the local Officer Jenny, warn him against it, saying that not only are the waves treacherous, but, if his Pokemon were to be injured, there would be no medical help, as the local Nurse Joy has gone missing. Despite the clear warnings, the trainers head for the island, except for Ash and his friends, who don't have any Pokémon powerful enough to make it through the storm. Enter Team Rocket, disguised as Vikings, ship and all. Ever oblivious, our heroes accept a ride. In fact, only Brock seems to be onto the scheme, questioning whether or not Vikings still exist. Ash, however, assures him that they exist, but that "they mostly live in Minnesota," a reference to The Minnesota Vikings, a football team. And there goes the fourth wall.

With that out of the way, the ship is nearly capsized by a giant wave. The wave somehow manages to tear Team Rocket's disguise off, revealing that they were wearing their uniforms underneath. Anime logic. Anyway, there are obviously bigger things to worry about, so the groups split up, our heroes arriving at New Island via Squirtle and Staryu. They're greeted by a lady who Brock recognizes as one of the Pokémon World's many Nurse Joys. The lady refutes the claim, however, insisting that she had lived on the island for her entire life, in the service of her master. She leads them inside a large building and announces that everyone is now present. Only those who made it through the storm were worthy to be there. Fair enough.

After some introductions, Mewtwo reveals himself. He demonstrates his powers by deflecting a Hyper Beam back to its caster, a Gyarados. Mewtwo then states that he intends to rid the world of humans in order to save Pokemon. The trainers' Pokémon will not be spared, as they have "disgraced themselves by serving trainers." Pikachu tells him off, but he just says Pikachu is as pathetic as the rest. Apparently, he has finally crossed a line, because Ash challenges him to a Pokémon battle. Mewtwo reveals that he has Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise(all 3 on the same team, in Generation I? Hand over the GameShark, Mewtwo.), so Ash and 2 other trainers challenge him with the same Pokémon. Unfortunately, Mewtwo's Pokémon are more powerful. This is due to the fact that they're clones(again, GameShark.).

Mewtwo claims that, since he won, he deserves to take the Pokémon he defeated. To do that, he conjures several Pokéballs. These are special, though, in that they can can capture Pokémon from other trainers. Alright; that's it!

http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/GameShark

Anyway, Ash is having none of it, and he jumps down a hole, reaching a laboratory(which, by the way, Team Rocket had found a few minutes prior.). Enraged, he breaks the machine that's being used to clone the Pokémon. Too little, too late, unfortunately; the clones have been made, and they're being unleashed. Back in the main room, Mewtwo seems to know what Ash did, and, furthermore, he doesn't seem to care; he's rather nonplussed when Ash comes busting through the wall, alongside the captured Pokémon(breaking the machine freed them.)! Shit just got real.

Unfortunately, the mood only stays for a few seconds, because Ash decides to punch Mewtwo! Twice! REALLY?! Mewtwo sends him flying, and rightfully so, but Ash is saved by a random pink bubble! Enter Mew, who screws around a little bit before getting hit with a Shadow Ball. Alright; SERIOUSLY?! Mewtwo is totally cheating! That move DIDN'T EXIST in Generation I!! This starts a huge fight. Eventually, Mewtwo is finally injured; his own Shadow Ball is shot back at him by Mew. Mewtwo decides to start another battle. This one is between his cloned Pokémon, and the original Pokémon they were cloned from. This battle, and the events that follow it, are what most people remember from the movie.

With the Pokémon going at it tooth and nail, quite literally, the trainers, as well as Nurse Joy and even Team Rocket, realize that the Pokemon aren't engaging in normal conflict; they're fighting to the death. Ash remarks that someone needs to refuse to fight. He uses Pikachu, who is engaging in a one-sided slap fight with his clone, as an example. Finally, having seen enough, he does something that Pokémon fans everywhere remember; he runs onto the battlefield and gets hit with 2 attacks at once. When the dust settles, Ash is laying on the floor, turned into stone. Pikachu runs over to him and starts Thundershocking him, but to no avail. Finally, realizing he was "killed" as the result of a meaningless battle, the Pokémon(original and clone alike.) start crying. In what can be described as many things(cheesy and beautiful among them.), their tears bring Ash back to "life." Mewtwo realizes that not all humans are as bad as the scientists, and he leaves, bringing the clones with him. As he leaves, though, he wipes everyone's memory, then teleports them all back to Old Shore Wharf. They wonder where they are, but Nurse Joy's arrival placates them. The storm from before is still going strong... for a few seconds. When it dies down, Ash and his friends walk outside, where Ash sees Mew in the sky. This is dismissed as a hallucination, and the narrator says that there are still many more adventures awaiting our heroes. Oh, how right he was.

Team Rocket gets the last word. They point out that they don't know how they ended up where they are, then end the movie by saying "Team Rocket's signing off again!"

The credits are typical Pokémon movie fare; scenes of the main characters going about their lives, set to music that, while usually good, tends not to have much to do with the movie. Jirachi: Wish Maker hit the nail on the head with one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard in my life. Anyway, after the credits, the viewers are treated to one last sight of Mew, before it flies away, heading for the mountains.

And that ends my synopsis! What do I think? I think, if you haven't seen this movie, and you don't have a good reason for it, you're not a Pokémon fan. Seriously, check your basement and/or attic, or go to a thrift store or something. Don't bother with eBay or Amazon, because you can expect to pay quite a bit; this isn't a very cheap movie. Neither are the next 2, so, if you can find them at Goodwill, or a similar place, you should jump at the opportunity. Oh, and, by the way, I lied; my review isn't over.

It just so happens that there's a mini-movie that was shown with this. It was called "Pikachu's Vacation," and, obviously, it was included with the home video releases, as well. Let's go!

I wanna take a moment to point out that the "Pikachu The Movie" intro for this short is adorable; Pikachu chases an opening in the black screen, then squeezes himself through it. With that out of the way, the show starts. By the way, almost the entire thing is narrated by Ash's Pokédex, Dexter.

Ash, Misty, and Brock have taken their Pokemon to an amusement park for Pokémon, and are leaving them there for a little while. Unfortunately, with the rest of them playing, it's up to Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle to look after Togepi. Arceus help them all.

Togepi starts crying from hunger, so Pikachu makes funny faces to cheer it up. It actually works, until Squirtle decides to be a dick and scare the poor thing. Pikachu manages to find an apple, though, which Bulbasaur cuts down with Razor Leaf. Unfortunately, the apple rolls right into Psyduck, who promptly eats it! I wonder if there are laws against child abuse in the Pokémon world. Yeah, Togepi is a Pokémon, but we're splitting hairs at this point.

Anyway, Bulbasaur rocks Togepi with Vine Whip until it calms down. It also sings(Dexter calls it the Bulba-Bye.). What follows is one of several special scene transitions.

*Transition #1: 2 Bellsprout on a trippy background.*

Togepi has fallen asleep, and Pikachu and friends are happy. Suddenly, though, 4 Pokémon walk up to them. Dexter identifies them as Snubbull, Cubone, Raichu, and Marill. Pikachu tells them to be quiet, so as not to wake up Togepi. They see those as fighting words, though, despite Pikachu's attempts to calm them down. Pikachu says that they should set a good example for Togepi, who, at this point, is running off. Once Pikachu realizes that, he chases after it.

*Transition #2: A bunch of Water type Pokémon are shown. The last of them is Magikarp, who uses Bubble, which Magikarp can't naturally learn(GameShark strikes back.).*

Pikachu finds Togepi walking across a log being used as a bridge. It's unstable, though; when Pikachu gets on it, it starts rolling, leaving him frantically struggling to stay on. Togepi is enjoying it, though. Soon, Pikachu falls into a river. When he surfaces, he sees the log fall into a lake. He worries about Togepi, but soon sees it walking along the nearby cliff.

*Transition #3: A Slowpoke yawns for a long time.*

Meanwhile, Snubbull and Squirtle are trying to see who can puff out their chests more. Squirtle loses, so Bulbasaur steps in. It spins its eyes around, which makes Snubbull dizzy. Pikachu returns with Togepi just in time to see that Marill has challenged Squirtle.

*Transition #4: Several Primeape are fighting; we get a super close-up of one of them.*

A lake(likely the one from before.) is shown, as Marill and Squirtle prepare for what is now revealed to be a race. An Electrode rolls in, then uses Selfdestruct(equivalent to a starting pistol?), starting the race, which, appropriately, is set to Angela Via's "Catch Me If You Can." Marill takes an early lead, but ends up hitting a Starmie, which blasts it back to the start with Water Gun. Squirtle is confident that it can win, but it ends up on top of a Goldeen, which carries it back. Squirtle jumps off and swims to the finish line, but Marill already won.

*Transition #5: Some Exeggutor and Oddish are marching.*

Pikachu tries to play peacemaker, but soon has to run off and comfort Togepi, who was frightened by Raichu's sparks. A stray spark hits Pikachu, which causes Raichu and its gang to laugh. They've finally crossed a line, though; Pikachu turns around menacingly and threatens Raichu. They both press their cheeks together(Pikachu's right cheek against Raichu's left. This would be cute in almost any other context.) and run off, their speed and power increased by the electricity they're producing. They plow through everything, and everyone, in their way.

*Transition #6: Several Diglett and Dugtrio pop up out of the ground in rhythm, before they all pop up at once.*

Team Rocket is shown(or, at least, Arbok, Meowth, and Weezing are.). Meowth is about to take a nap, but he, and the other 2, get launched straight up by Pikachu and Raichu.

*Transition #7: A bunch of Farfetch'd run in straight lines. One of them winks at the screen.*

The next victims are a Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee, who suffer the same fate as Team Rocket.

*Transition #8: A Chansey, soon followed by more Chansey, is dancing.*

Pikachu and Raichu make the mistake of stepping on the tail of Ash's Charizard. Angry about that, as well as about being woken up from its nap, Charizard runs in front of them and blows them back with what I believe to be Whirlwind. Pikachu and Raichu are blown off of the cliff, landing on the belly of a Snorlax. They bounce off and hit the ground, then get crushed as Snorlax rolls over. They emerge from underneath, eager to keep going, but they both fall over from exhaustion. Charizard flies around triumphantly, but crashes and gets its head stuck in a pipe. Meowth, again trying to take a nap, yells at it, but a Flamethrower shuts him up.

*Transition #9: Several Magnemite crowd around a machine. The screen fades to black multiple times. Each time it does, there are more Magnemite on the machine when the screen goes back to normal. Finally, they rush towards the screen.*

The other Pokémon(minus Raichu's gang and Team Rocket.) try pulling Charizard's head out of the pipe, but Charizard is too strong, and sends them flying. Pikachu begs for Raichu's gang to help, and, except for Cubone, they agree.

"Cubone pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull the Pokémon wears are made by the tears it sheds." - Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.

"Cubone has earned its classification as the 'Lonely Pokémon from its usual attitude of caring only for itself." - Pikachu's Vacation.

Big difference! Anyway, Cubone eventually helps out, and they're able to free Charizard. That's the final straw for Meowth, who pulls a bomb out of Hammerspace. Charizard lands on him, though, causing him to take the blast. Charizard stands up, revealing a blackened Meowth. The Pokémon decide to celebrate by... making a playground? Alright.

*Transition #10: A bunch of Jigglypuff roll across the screen, singing. The song is different from the classic Jigglypuff Lullaby.*

As the sun sets, Ash, Misty, and Brock, call for their Pokémon. Pikachu shakes hands(paws?) with Snubbull before running off, then jumping into Ash's arms. Ash asks if he had fun, to which Pikachu's answer, while unintelligible, is positive.

And there you have it! Mewtwo Strikes Back and Pikachu's Vacation! They represent a simpler time. There were only 151 Pokémon, and there was no breeding, Pokemon Amie, Global Link,... Hell, back then, Pokémon lacked so much of what we take for granted today. Does that mean we should dismiss these as dusty relics? Absolutely not! For many Pokémon fans, Generation I was their childhood. There were only 3 Ghost types, and 3 Dragon types(and only 1 Dragon type move.), and Psychic types destroyed everything. Okay, so Generation I lacked variety, but what do you expect?

The point is, we shouldn't forget our roots, and Mewtwo Strikes Back, with its tense storyline, high-octane fights, and soulful soundtrack, is definitely a look back at the best Generation I had to offer. It's still worth watching, even now! Join me next time, when I'll be reviewing the next movie, The Power Of One! Can it compete with its predecessor? Will the combined might of 4 Legendary Pokémon be enough to outdo the 2 from this movie? Tune in next time to find out! ArdillaVerde93 signing off. Gotta Catch 'Em All!