The film people mean is *Pokémon: The First Movie — Mewtwo Strikes Back*, released in Japan in July 1998 and in North America in November 1999. It was the first theatrical Pokémon film, and it remains the highest-profile entry point to the animated side of the franchise. One clarification matters before you rent anything: the Pokémon anime did not begin with a movie.
The television series *Pokémon* premiered in Japan in April 1997, more than a year earlier, and the film was built on top of a show that was already a hit. If you want the true beginning of the anime, you want the series premiere. If you want the first movie, you want *Mewtwo Strikes Back*.
Table of Contents
- What *Mewtwo Strikes Back* actually is
- Why the TV series, not the film, is the real starting point
- Which version you watch changes the film
- The sequel question, and where *Mewtwo Returns* fits
- How to watch it now
- Frequently Asked Questions
What *Mewtwo Strikes Back* actually is
Ash Ketchum, Misty and Brock — the trio from the TV show — are lured to Mewtwo's island along with other trainers, where Mewtwo pits cloned Pokémon against their originals. The emotional centre of the film is that battle sequence and its aftermath, not a conventional villain defeat.
The film carries a theme unusually heavy for a children's property: whether a being made in a lab has a right to exist on its own terms. That tension is why the movie is still discussed by people who have no interest in the games.
- Mewtwo Strikes Back* is a feature-length animated film produced by OLM and directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, the same director who ran the television series. It follows Mewtwo, a Pokémon created in a laboratory from the genetic material of the rare Pokémon Mew, who turns on the scientists who made him and sets out to prove himself superior to both humans and natural Pokémon.
Why the TV series, not the film, is the real starting point
The anime franchise began as a weekly television series adapting the Game Boy games *Pokémon Red* and *Green*. Ash leaves Pallet Town with a Pikachu that refuses to obey him, and the show's structure — travel, gym battles, Team Rocket — was established across dozens of episodes before any film existed. Because of that, *Mewtwo Strikes Back* assumes you already know who these characters are.
It does not introduce Ash, explain what a Poké Ball is, or set up Team Rocket. A viewer starting cold will follow the plot, but will miss why certain character beats land. The practical upshot: a movie is a poor first exposure if you want to understand the franchise, and a fine first exposure if you want a self-contained story about Mewtwo.
Which version you watch changes the film
There are meaningfully different cuts of this movie, and film-literate viewers should pick deliberately. If you are evaluating the film as a film, the Japanese cut with subtitles is the stronger text. If you are revisiting a childhood memory, the 4Kids dub is the thing you actually remember.
- **The Japanese original** (*Gekijōban Pocket Monsters: Mewtwo no Gyakushū*) has a different score, different dialogue emphasis, and a less moralising framing of Mewtwo's arc.
- **The 4Kids English dub** (1999) rewrote dialogue, replaced the music, and added an opening narration. It is the version most English-speaking adults remember.
- **The English release was paired with a short**, *Pikachu's Vacation*, which plays before the feature and is unrelated to the main plot.
- **A later CG remake**, *Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution* (2019), retells the same story in 3D animation with a near-identical script.
The sequel question, and where *Mewtwo Returns* fits
Mewtwo's story continues in *Mewtwo Returns*, a made-for-television follow-up rather than a theatrical feature. It exists mainly because the first film's ending left Mewtwo alive and unresolved, and it is worth watching only if that ending stayed with you.
A limitation worth stating plainly: the Pokémon film series has no continuous arc. There is no reward for watching them in order beyond tracking which TV series era Ash's travelling companions belong to.
- Mewtwo Strikes Back* was followed by an annual run of Pokémon films, beginning with *Pokémon: The Movie 2000 — The Power of One*. These are largely standalone: each introduces a legendary Pokémon and resolves within its own runtime, so skipping one costs you very little.
How to watch it now
Availability shifts between streaming services and by country, and Pokémon titles in particular have moved between platforms more than once. Rather than trusting a list, check the official Pokémon website's episode and movie guide, then your regional streaming services.
One caution on search results: "the first Pokémon movie" is also used loosely to describe *Detective Pikachu* (2019), a live-action film with no connection to the anime continuity. If a listing shows live actors, it is not the film this question is asking about.
- **Want the franchise's actual beginning?** Start with season 1, episode 1 of the TV series.
- **Want the first movie only?** *Pokémon: The First Movie — Mewtwo Strikes Back*.
- **Want the best-looking version of that story?** *Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution* (2019).
- **Want the version closest to the creators' intent?** The subtitled Japanese cut.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is *Mewtwo Strikes Back* a sequel to anything?
No. It is a standalone feature built on the TV series' cast and setting, requiring no prior film.
Do I need to play the games first?
No. The film explains its own stakes, though the TV series gives you the character relationships it leans on.
Is the 2019 CG version a remake or a sequel?
A remake. *Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution* retells the 1998 story in 3D animation with a closely matching script.