Overview
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution matters as a full-CGI reworking of a landmark Pokémon film, bringing its questions about identity, creation, and the uses of power into a modern visual style. Its 98-minute format keeps the experience focused, balancing creature battles and adventure with a surprisingly reflective emotional core.
Viewers can expect accessible action, recognizable Pokémon appeal, and a story shaped by ideas about nature, humanity, and self-worth. It is an approachable choice for younger audiences and newcomers, while viewers familiar with the earlier film may appreciate comparing its updated presentation with the original.
Synopsis
Researchers use a fossil from the Mythical Pokémon Mew to create Mewtwo, a powerful living weapon intended for destruction. After awakening and learning about its artificial origins from Dr. Fuji, Mewtwo begins to question the purpose imposed on it and turns against the humans who brought it into existence.
As Mewtwo seeks revenge, Pokémon and their trainers are drawn into a dangerous confrontation shaped by competing ideas about identity, natural life, and the right to control living beings. The conflict places Mewtwo's resentment and formidable abilities at the center of a battle that challenges both Pokémon and humans.
Trailer
Should You Watch It?
Watch it if you enjoy
- Choose this for a focused 98-minute Pokémon movie with creature battles, adventure, and accessible themes about identity and self-worth.
- Try it if you want a modern full-CGI reworking of Pokémon: The First Movie, with no need to follow a long series first.
It may not suit you if
- It may not suit viewers seeking a new sequel, since it retells the earlier film rather than continuing its story.
- The updated full-CGI presentation may feel less appealing to viewers attached to the original film’s visual style.
The primary starting work is a movie, so the full film is the natural Volluble Test Drive. This gives you the complete story instead of applying an episodic trial to a feature-length work.
Why It Connects With Audiences
Why people love it
- Mewtwo’s conflict gives the adventure a reflective emotional core centered on creation, freedom, and the uses of power.
- The self-contained format combines recognizable Pokémon appeal with action, comedy, fantasy, and a clear central premise.
Common criticisms
- As a remake, it offers limited narrative novelty for viewers already familiar with Pokémon: The First Movie.
- Its compact movie structure may leave some philosophical and emotional ideas less developed than a longer series could allow.
Volluble DNA
A quick profile of the title’s dominant storytelling ingredients.
Characters and Voice Actors25 characters
Satoshi
Main character- Japanese: Rica Matsumoto
- English: Sarah Natochenny
Kasumi
Main character- Japanese: Mayumi Iizuka
- English: Michele Knotz
Takeshi
Main character- Japanese: Yuuji Ueda
- English: Bill Rogers
Pikachu
Main character- Japanese: Ikue Ootani
Mewtwo
Main character- English: Jay Snyder
- Japanese: Masachika Ichimura
Mew
Main character- Japanese: Kouichi Yamadera
Musashi
Supporting character- Japanese: Megumi Hayashibara
- English: Michele Knotz
Kojirou
Supporting character- Japanese: Shinichirou Miki
- English: James Cathcart
Nyarth
Supporting character- Japanese: Inuko Inuyama
- English: James Cathcart
Joy
Supporting character- Japanese: Chika Fujimura
- English: Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld
Sakaki
Supporting character- Japanese: Kenta Miyake
- English: Ted Lewis
Junsa
Supporting character- Japanese: Chinami Nishimura
Sorao
Supporting character- Japanese: Hiroshi Kamiya
- English: Ted Lewis
Sweet
Supporting character- English: Lisa Ortiz
- Japanese: Ayane Sakura
Umio
Supporting character- Japanese: Hiroyuki Yoshino
- English: James Cathcart
Voyager
Supporting character- English: Lisa Ortiz
- Japanese: Sachiko Kobayashi
Raymond
Supporting character- Japanese: Raymond Johnson
Narrator
Supporting character- Japanese: Unshou Ishizuka
- English: Rodger Parsons
Togepy
Supporting character- Japanese: Satomi Koorogi
Fuji Hakase
Supporting character- Japanese: Minoru Inaba
- English: Billy Bob Thompson
Koduck
Supporting character- English: Michele Knotz
- Japanese: Rikako Aikawa
Fushigidane
Supporting character- Japanese: Megumi Hayashibara
Lizardon
Supporting character- Japanese: Shinichirou Miki
Zenigame
Supporting character- Japanese: Rikako Aikawa
Rokon
Supporting characterProduction and Staff27 credits
View all 15 additional credits
Production Background
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution is a 2019 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Motonori Sakakibara. It was produced through the combined animation work of OLM, OLM Digital, and Sprite Animation Studios, using computer-generated imagery for its presentation.
The film is a CGI remake of Pokémon: The First Movie, released in Japan on July 12, 2019. It has a 98-minute runtime and became available worldwide through Netflix on February 27, 2020.
Franchise Context
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution is a 2019 feature-length entry in the Pokémon anime film series. It is the franchise’s twenty-second anime movie and is set during the period covered by Pokémon: Indigo League, placing it alongside the early television adventures rather than after the later film installments. As a single 98-minute movie, it is a self-contained part of the broader Pokémon screen franchise.
This film is a full CGI remake of Pokémon: The First Movie, released in 1998, rather than a new sequel or a spin-off. Its place in the franchise is therefore best understood as an alternate visual version of an established movie story, with the same central premise revisited through updated computer animation. It was released theatrically in Japan in 2019 and later distributed worldwide through Netflix. Viewers can approach it independently, while watching the earlier film offers a direct comparison between the original presentation and this remake.
Where This Fits in Pokémon
A spoiler-light guide to where this exact work fits within the broader Pokémon franchise.
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Step 1
Start with Pokémon: Indigo League for the surrounding anime context, since this story takes place during that period.
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Step 2
For the earlier version of the same story, watch Pokémon: The First Movie (1998) before comparing it with this film.
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Step 3
Treat Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution as an optional CGI remake and alternate retelling, not a required sequel to the original film.
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Step 4
No specific follow-up is established by the supplied record, so continue with the wider Pokémon anime according to your preferred series order.
Franchise Path
- Pokémon: The First Movie (1998) — watch as the original version before this CGI remake.
After You Finish
Continue with
- Continue with the wider Pokémon anime; no direct follow-up is established for this self-contained film.
Community Verdict
Quick reader and viewer signals from the Volluble community.
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