There have been many films and anime that have appeared in the Pokemon franchise, with Pokemon: The First Movie marking the beginning of its venture into film. This movie explores the creation of MewTwo by humans and its search for its purpose in life. MewTwo is held captive by multiple people, causing it to have a negative outlook on humans.
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As a film for children, Pokemon: The First Movie covers more intricate and dark subjects than most content for children. Despite this, however, many critics have given it a poor rating, while fans consider it to be a cult classic. Where exactly are these differing opinions coming from?
What Makes Pokemon: The First Movie a Cult Classic?
This film is worth more than just another children's comedy or fantasy that barely has any substance. Instead, it explores MewTwo and the Pokemon's creation, and its search for freedom and identity. It might not sound like much at first, but when explored deeply, viewers can see how this relates to a lot of real-life experiences of animals or humans that are trapped with no other choice but to comply. Even when MewTwo thinks there is a human that has come along to treat it like an actual living being, MewTwo gets taken advantage of again and used as this person's own personal weapon, similar to Kurama in Naruto.
As MewTwo searches for its purpose in life, it struggles along the way, as most humans want to treat MewTwo as another 'monster' that must obey humans. Because of its rough life since the beginning of its creation, MewTwo is not strictly a 'villain' like in most anime. Instead, its origins and intentions are much more in the gray area of morality.
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The Deeper Questions Explored in Pokemon: The First Movie
Outside the internal struggle that MewTwo experiences, Pokemon: The First Movie explores these various heavy topics as well:
- What gives our life purpose?
- Are we tied to our initial destiny, and how were we created?
- Is violence justified, even when experiencing harm from others?
MewTwo's initial experiences with humans are only that of slavery, so it only makes sense that MewTwo would assume that all humans are of this nature. MewTwo felt that the only way to be free of the abuse it experienced is by attempting to take over the world as its own, and ridding the world of all humans and Pokemon that opposed it.
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MewTwo even questions the morality of the humans capturing Pokemon to use as their own weapons fighting against each other. MewTwo states that it could be considered slavery, just as he lived his life at first in captivity, which is a common issue that many fans of Pokemon have brought up in the past. While it is often stated that some trainers treat their Pokemon like their friends, they are still stuck in Poke Balls most of the time and must fight when they are summoned.
It is clear that the film is a cult classic to many fans due to its nostalgia factor and the character development shown in MewTwo. Instead of just your typical anime villain, MewTwo shows how pain and trauma from the past can change someone, but doesn't make them evil at heart. MewTwo has the opportunity to change once it is exposed to humans who respect it, therefore allowing MewTwo to see a different purpose to its life.
The Animation Style in Pokemon: The First Movie
Besides the story, Pokemon: The First Movie also features that classic, nostalgic animation style that fans of Pokemon from the 90s will recognize immediately. It will remind viewers of a time when animation was bright and colorful, with its own style that stood out from others.
Especially during the scene when Ash dies, and the Pokemon tears begin to sparkle around Ash, this scene was a sight to experience. It also adds more emotion to the scene, showing just how much Ash cares about sacrificing himself for the well-being of those around him.
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Why Are Critics Against Pokemon: The First Movie?
How Critics View the Film
- Animation style lacking
- Plot is simplistic
- Feels commercial
On the other hand, however, what made the critics dislike Pokemon: The First Movie so much? This is a common issue with media aimed towards children; for those who didn't grow up watching Pokemon, they are less likely to feel an attachment to the series. Therefore, they are more likely to be extra critical of the film.
Many say that the film feels empty and not much is explored in terms of plot. However, since it is a children's film, it's more difficult to include intense and complicated plot lines. This will cause young viewers to be more likely to lose interest and the film is less likely to become a hit. Since the film is aimed towards children, this is the audience whose opinion matters more.
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Along with this, a lot of critics have argued that the animation is poor, and the film is focused on selling more cards and games to children. The Pokemon franchise, however, has always been tied to multiple forms of media, including card games, films, television, video games, and more.
For those who have had an interest in Pokemon since childhood, Pokemon: The First Movie is definitely worth a watch and is some lighthearted fun just like the anime. Even if it has less substance than some other films, sometimes it's better to enjoy a light story.
Pokemon: The First Movie
- Release Date
- July 18, 1998
- Runtime
- 75 minutes
Cast
-
Rica MatsumotoSatoshi -
Ikue OtaniPikachu
-
Mayumi IzukaKasumi
-
Satomi KorogiTogepy
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Takeshi Shudo
- Franchise(s)
- Pokemon
