Almost everyone these days has an idea of what the concept behind Pokemon is. Before the franchise could settle into something that was beloved though it had to hit a brick wall and slow down. Ironically, the wall was hit with a Pokemon product that was the most anticipated product to come from the franchise.
Even though the anime and video games were huge hits, this would be the product that would be the true coming-out party to the world, and the franchise’s best foot would have to be put forward to solidify the franchise as something that could be enjoyed by people of all ages. That product was Pokemon: The First, the first theatrical motion of the franchise.
Mewtwo Strikes Back in Japan
Released as Pocket Monsters: Mewtwo Strikes Back in Japan, the story revolved around a biologically created Pokemon named Mewtwo, who was cloned and created in a lab. Mewtwo is confused about his very existence and is angry at a world that seems interested in playing God. Mewtwo sets off on a journey to prove his worth and purpose in life. This of course results in a Pokemon battle where Mewtwo realizes that life is precious and worth living regardless of the circumstances of his existence.
Viewers in Japan reacted positively to the film. That a film based on a cartoon whose primary purpose was to sell toys would go through the trouble of introducing complex themes was considered bold and creative by critics and audiences alike. Pocket Monsters: Mewtwo Strikes Back proved to the general public that Pokemon was a franchise to take seriously.
4Kids Entertainment Tackles Mewtwo Strikes Back
Pokemon was not a franchise that adults got to spend much time with. It was one thing for the series to be on TV: Parents were going to have to pay to see a movie, so this was going to be the event that brought all of America face-to-face with Pokemon. 4Kids Entertainment would be dubbing the movie, and they were shouldered with the responsibility of making a movie that could be embraced by both fans and newcomers. Either 4Kids didn’t understand this responsibility or they didn’t care. While the movie was praised in Japan for introducing complex themes and ambiguity, the producers at 4Kids were spooked by those themes. According to Japanese producer Masakazu Kubo:
The people at Warner gave us some hassle over the script. According to them, the Japanese original does not distinguish clearly enough between the good guys and the bad In other words, the heroes and villains needed to be identified clearly.
The American producers weren’t looking to release a movie that questioned the meaning of life and had a morally ambiguous antagonist; they just wanted to sell merchandise. They decided to remove most of the backstory that explained exactly why the scientists wanted to clone Mew, as it revolved around the death of a child and her father playing God in his attempt to bring her back to life.
They would remove all the questions Mewtwo had about life and existence. Finally, the script would be neutered further so that an anti-fighting message could be shoehorned in. When all was said and done, 4Kids had changed all but the bare basics of the original film. They were proud of their efforts and felt they had made the movie better. Soon the public would get a glimpse of Pokemon: The First Movie and most would not share their positive opinions of the movie with 4Kids producers.
Pokemon: The First Movie Is a Box Office Sensation
Pokemon: The First Movie opened in American movie theaters on November 12, 1999. It opened that weekend with a gross of $31 million dollars and $85.7 million overall. It set the record for being the first anime to open at number one at the box office and remained the highest-grossing opening for an anime in America until Demon Slayer: The Movie opened in 2020.
The problem was the final product that was delivered wasn’t very good. 4Kids re-writing of the script ended up being disastrous. In Japan, the film was being appreciated by those who had never seen the show. In America, was hated for its confusing story and oversimplified villain. Famed film critic Roger Ebert wrote:
I can't recommend the film or work up much enthusiasm for it because there is no level at which it enriches a young viewer, by encouraging thinking or observation. It's just a sound-and-light show, linked to the marketing push for Pokemon in general.
What’s more, the screenplay backfired with some kids watching the movie as well, as they walked away confused about a movie that was telling them that fighting was bad and never the solution when the battles are what they loved about the franchise.
Though $85 million is a respectful gross, considering how popular Pokemon was at the time a gross over $100 million should have been a given. Instead, kids and parents saw a movie that seemed stupid beyond belief. The Rotten Tomatoes score sits at an abysmal 16%. 4Kids made a version of the movie that they felt was better, yet the world rejected this version with scorn and condemnation. As one fan would lament years later:
The movie is subtitled, Mewtwo versus Mew, yet this dramatic conflict serves only as a backdrop to the grinding, useless Pokemon vs. Pokemon fight. The final product is sadly and ultimately pointless as the former bad guy makes everything go away, along with any lessons that may have been learned - cripes, why not have everything be a dream, while we're at it? Ash's "death" is simply the last nail in the coffin for me - how can I react in anyway but a negative manner to such a ham-fisted attempt to manipulate my emotions?
When Pokemon: The Movie 2000 and Pokemon 3: The Movie were released in cinemas, the movies made far less money, taking in $43.7 million and $17 million respectively. For years whenever you would talk to the average person about Pokemon most would remember how they saw the first movie in theaters and the reaction to it would most certainly be mixed. With so much damage done to the Pokemon brand, there was little anyone could do but try to right the ship.
Nintendo of America Steps In
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On October 10, 2005, Nintendo parted ways with 4Kids Entertainment and took control so that all future Pokemon productions would be done in-house. This resulted in direct-to-video dubs that were much more faithful to the original scripts. When Pokemon GO! became a worldwide sensation, a whole new generation of fans were able to finally get past the reputation that the first film left. Even Warner Bros.- having long abandoned the franchise – decided to give it another go by making the live-action film Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, which was released to decent box office results and good reviews.
There was even some redemption when Mewtwo Strikes Back was given a CGI remake for the film’s 20th anniversary. The dub kept most of the mature themes, and the original music, and gave viewers the proper adaptation they should have received the first time around. With the Netflix release of the CGI remake of Mewtwo Strike Backs the world could finally see the movie it was always supposed to be.
Pokemon’s Bright Future
Had Pokemon not chugged along for another two decades, Pokemon: The First Movie could have stained the franchise’s reputation forever. While it might be over-dramatic to say it almost single-handily destroyed the franchise, the fact that so many people walked away with a negative impression of it speaks volumes about how bad it really was. Maybe adults still wouldn’t have flocked to the franchise had the movie arrived in its proper state the first time around, but there is little doubt that reception wouldn’t have been nearly as bad.
With the franchise healthier than ever, it’s easy to laugh off Pokemon: The First Movie as an anomaly in the franchise. Yet it’s worth remembering that worldwide success is never a guarantee, and when you decide to release your first movie of a major franchise it’s best to make that product as good as you can make it.
Source: GameStop, Stomp Tokyo, Dogasu's Backpack, Films Fatale