Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution | |||||
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Japanese name | |||||
Kanji | ミュウツーの逆襲 EVOLUTION | ||||
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Directed by | OLM, Inc. OLM Digital Sprite Animation Studios | ||||
Distributed by | Toho | ||||
Release dates |
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Running time | 98 minutes | ||||
Country | Japan | ||||
Language | Japanese | ||||
Box office | ¥2.98 billion ($27 million)[1] |
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution
It was released in Japan on July 12, 2019, and on Netflix worldwide on February 27, 2020.
Plot
Scientist Dr. Fuji is hired by Giovanni, leader of
.Several years later, Mewtwo has fully awakened from a long slumber in a laboratory on New Island and learns of his origin as Mew's clone from Dr. Fuji. Infuriated that Fuji and his colleagues see him as nothing more than an experiment, he unleashes his
After Mewtwo rebuilds the laboratory and establishes a base there, he invites several trainers with hologram messages to battle the world's greatest Pokémon trainer at New Island. Ash, Misty, and Brock receive a message and accept the invitation, but when they arrive at the port city, Old Shore Wharf, Mewtwo creates a storm, causing the boats on the wharf to be closed off for safety. As a result, Ash's group is picked up by
Escorted into the island's palace by the woman who appeared on the hologram, Ash and the other trainers who were able to reach the island encounter Mewtwo. The woman is revealed to be a brainwashed
All of the Pokémon originals battle their clones save for a defiant Pikachu and Meowth, who makes peace with his own clone after realizing the senselessness of their fighting. Horrified at the pain and anguish felt on both sides of the battle, Ash puts himself in between a psychic blast caused by Mewtwo and Mew's fighting, leading to Ash to become stone. Pikachu tries to revive Ash with its electricity but fails. However, the tears of the Pokémon are able to heal and revive Ash. Moved by Ash's sacrifice, Mewtwo realizes that he should not have to be judged by his origins but rather his choices in life. Departing with Mew and the clones, Mewtwo turns back time to just before the trainers leave Old Shore Wharf and erase everyone's memories of the event.
Back in Old Shore Wharf, the now-restored Nurse Joy has returned to reopen the Pokémon Center to shelter the trainers. The storm outside clears up, Ash spots Mew flying through the clouds and tells his friends how he saw another
After the credits, a brief scene shows Mewtwo, Mew, and the clones flying towards Mount Quena.
Voice cast
Character (Japanese) | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor |
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Ash Ketchum (Satoshi) | Rica Matsumoto | Sarah Natochenny |
Misty (Kasumi) | Mayumi Iizuka | Michele Knotz |
Brock (Takeshi) | Yuji Ueda
|
Bill Rogers |
Pikachu | ||
Togepi
|
Satomi Korogi | |
Jessie (Musashi)
|
Megumi Hayashibara | Michele Knotz |
James (Kojirō)
|
Shin-ichiro Miki | James Carter Cathcart |
Meowth (Nyarth)
|
Inuko Inuyama
| |
Narrator | Unshō Ishizuka | Rodger Parsons |
Giovanni (Sakaki) | Kenta Miyake | Ted Lewis |
Dr. Fuji | Minoru Inaba | Billy Bob Thompson |
Mew | Kōichi Yamadera | |
Mewtwo | Masachika Ichimura | Dan Green |
Miranda (Voyager) | Sachiko Kobayashi | Lisa Ortiz |
Corey (Sorao) | Hiroshi Kamiya | Ted Lewis |
Neesha (Sweet) | Ayane Sakura | Lisa Ortiz |
Fergus (Umio) | Hiroyuki Yoshino | James Carter Cathcart |
Pirate (Raymond) | Raymond Johnson | Aaron Phillips |
Nurse Joy (Joy) | Chika Fujimura | Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld |
Production
Since the film is a near
The film was publicly announced on December 14, 2018.
Music
For the film's end credits, the English song, "Keep Evolving", is performed by Haven Paschall (who voiced Serena in the Pokémon XY and XYZ series as well as Risa in
In the Japanese version, the opening and ending themes are the same as those from the first film, "Mezase Pokémon Master '98" (めざせポケモンマスター'98, lit. "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master '98") and "Kaze to Issho ni" (風といっしょに, lit. "Together With the Wind") respectively, with the former being a 2019 remaster of the original and the latter being a new arrangement.
Release
Theatrical run
The film was released on July 12, 2019, by Toho in Japan. A special Mewtwo (for use only in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!) was distributed in Japan from April 12 to September 30 for purchasers of premium advance tickets.[2] The film had its world premiere at Anime Expo 2019 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Home media
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan on December 18, 2019, and in North America on November 17, 2020.[8][9]
Streaming
On January 21, 2020, The Pokémon Company International announced that the film would be released worldwide (except for
The film was the most-watched anime title on Netflix in 2020.[12]
Reception
The film holds an approval rating of 44% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on nine reviews, with an average rating of 6/10.[13]
Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Charles Solomon criticized the film's animation, saying: "Ash and his friends Brock and Misty have the disturbing, plastic look of badly rendered skin", and added: "the cartoony characters look out of place amid the hyper-real water, lightning, explosions and other special effects." He concluded that the film "feels like poké-business as usual."[14]
Paul Asay of
See also
Notes
- ^ Originally released in Japan as Mewtwo Strikes Back: EVOLUTION (ミュウツーの逆襲 EVOLUTION, Myūtsū no Gyakushū EVOLUTION)
References
- ^ "2019". Eiren. Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
- ^ a b "ポケモン映画公式サイト「ミュウツーの逆襲 EVOLUTION」7月12日(金)公開". ポケモン映画公式サイト「ミュウツーの逆襲 EVOLUTION」7月12日(金)公開. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- ^ Water Pokémon Master (July 4, 2019). "'Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution' Impressions, Changes, And Sequels!". PokeBeach. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- ^ rawmeatcowboy (July 28, 2019). "POKEMON THE MOVIE: MEWTWO STRIKES BACK EVOLUTION'S DIRECTOR EXPLAINS THE DECISION TO US CG ANIMATION". Go Nintendo. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- ^ "伝説×伝説コラボレーションイラスト". Twitter. Official Twitter of the Pokemon Movie (Japan). Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- ^ "「ミュウツーの逆襲 EVOLUTION」公開記念企画!第7回 主題歌『風といっしょに』を熱唱、中川翔子さんが描く『しょこたんが選ぶ!思い出の名場面たち』". CoroCoro. Shogakukan. July 19, 2019. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- ^ "Pokémon movie reboots look to continue with announcement of Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution". December 14, 2018. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ "ニュース│ポケモン映画公式サイト". Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
- ^ "Anime Expo to Host Exclusive Screening of Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution!". June 10, 2019. Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
- ^ Pokémon [@Pokemon] (January 21, 2020). "As the Legendary Pokémon Mewtwo becomes aware of its own dubious origin, it begins to resent its human creators and seeks revenge… It's happening, Trainers. #MewtwoStrikesBackEvolution is coming to @Netflix on February 27!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Amanda N'Duka (January 21, 2020). "Netflix To Release Animated Movie 'Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back — Evolution'; Watch The Trailer". deadline.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "Netflix Anime Viewership Doubled in the U.S. and Across Asia This Year". HYPEBEAST. December 10, 2020. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- ^ Solomon, Charles (February 27, 2020). "Review: CGI is not the best look for Ash and Co. in 'Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back — Evolution'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ "Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution". Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ "Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back -- Evolution - Movie Review". February 28, 2020. Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
External links
- Official website (In Japanese)
- Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution at IMDb