Pokémon: The First Movie (1998)
I don’t believe in giving passes for nostalgic reasons; it just encourages studios to invest in time machines rather than making good movies. I remember seeing Pokémon: The First Movie in theatre to get the promotional cards they were handing out at the box office. I didn't see it then but this movie is awful.
The film is separated into three segments. The first is the 20-minute Pikachu’s Vacation, in which the electric mouse and his Pokémon buddies meet a group of 'mon bullies and the kiddies watching learn a lesson. The second is a prequel to the main feature and details the origin of the enigmatic Mewtwo (voiced by Philip Bartlett). In Mewtwo Strikes Back Ash (Veronica Taylor), Misty (Rachael Lillis) and Brock (Eric Stuart) are among a group of elite trainers invited by the island of the “World’s Greatest Pokémon Master”. Once there, they discover their host is actually a vengeful and immensely powerful psychic Pokémon named Mewtwo.
I really just want to get to the main feature (as anyone would) as quickly as possible but first, we've got to address the first two segments. Pikachu’s Vacation is... alright. It’s very peculiar in terms of visuals because every few minutes we get a trippy scene transition. The story, for what it is, has amusing moments as the weird creatures form a rivalry over some petty things. Psyduck acts like a moron, we get to see two “new” Pokémon in the form of Snubbull and Marill. The music's decent but there's nothing of substance.
The Story of Mewtwo’s Origin is more interesting. It gets you pumped but calling this segment (as it is in the English version of the film) a separate feature is ludicrous. It only lasts 10 minutes.
... and finally, we get to the main course. It isn't unfair to ask a few things from a tv show movie. We're leaving the comfort of our home so we better get:
Character development.
Plots and ideas that will impact the series.
Something worthy of a big screen.
Conclusions to story arcs and answers to the questions we've been asking.
Something new.
How does Pokémon the First Movie rank?
Poorly. As it is in the show, the characters are flat and gimmicky. Brock likes attractive women. Misty is aggressive. Ash… wants to be a Pokémon master and believes in friendship. Pikachu is a Pokémon. Team Rocket members Jessie (Rachael Lillis), James (Eric Stuart) and Meowth (Maddie Blaustein) are incompetent would-be criminals. We learn nothing new about anyone. Neither the humans nor the Pokémon evolve (physically or emotionally).
Also poor. Ash and Team Rocket does not come to any kind of understanding. Brock doesn’t find a girlfriend. Nobody catches a new Pokémon. No pocket monster learns any new attacks.
I’d say the scale is about the same as any gym battle or two-parter. The stakes appear to be higher, but when you see where it all ends up, there’s no reason this story couldn’t have played comfortably on Saturday morning. The animation is a bit more ambitious but that’s not really anything worth writing home about.
Finally, here is where the movie gets a few points. Mewtwo is a character that has appeared in the show briefly before. Now we get to know what its deal is.
There are a few Pokémon that are "new" or new to the audience.
Pokémon the First Movie is as big a disappointment as that first Magikarp you capture. It’s like realizing that once you evolve your Jigglypuff with that Moonstone, it doesn’t learn any new attacks. You have no idea what I’m talking about? Tough luck. This film is made for fans of the series, and ONLY fans of the series. Do not expect The First Movie to be a jumping on point.
The writing is atrocious. Future plot devices are introduced as subtly as an atomic bomb and serve to make the deus ex machina ending only slightly less lazy. The lines given to the voice actors feature obvious errors (including three Pokemon called by the wrong names) and feature some gems such as “Mew AND Mewtwo.” “So Mewtwo was cloned from Mew!”
Now we get to the film's biggest flaw: the message. When Pokémon began, parents complained about its violent content and it's not completely unfounded. At its core, it's about capturing monsters so you can use them to defeat your opponents' monsters in combat. There's a way to handle this idea well. You don't want to teach kids that might makes right all the time but some conflicts DO require a show of force and many sports are about physical contact and competition. In the film, Mewtwo uses a cloning facility to create Pokémon of its own. Will these creatures birthed strictly to fight measure up against those raised by human trainers who have learned to strategize, developed close-knit bonds with their teams, won badges thanks to perseverance and discipline, and ultimately care if their monsters win or lose? Naaaaah.... instead, let's paint a black-and-white picture about why fighting is wrong!
As a now grown-up looking back, you won’t be able to sit through Pokémon: The First Movie without feeling embarrassed. Even through the thick lens of nostalgia, you’ll grow weary of it quick - if you're not bored. It makes basic storytelling mistakes and tells an uninspired, self-contradictory message. If you choose to view or revisit it nonetheless, stick all the way through the credits to see a bonus scene. (On VHS, September 2, 2015)
