Pokémonis ready to kick off the summer with a bang by making its most popular movie,Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back,free to stream on YouTube. For those who haven’t seen the film since it debuted in theaters 26 years ago, now is the perfect chance to dive back in for some summery nostalgia.
Mewtwo Strikes Backwas the firstPokémonmovie, and was released in 1998 in Japan and 1999 in the US. It was an instant success, becoming the only anime movie to top the international box office, at least untilDemon Slayer: Mugen Trainwas released in 2021.
The story ofMewtwo Strikes Backfeatures Ash, Pikachu, and his friends being invited to a mysterious event, only to be thwarted before their arrival by a mysterious storm. Dead set on attending, the group of assembled trainers push on into the storm, risking life and limb to show up at Mewtwo’s mysterious palace.
Mewtwo Strikes Back Remains One of Pokémon’s Best Movies
The Film Creates an Excellent Villain in Mewtwo
Mewtwo owes a lot of its popularity to the movie, as he was provided with a sympathetic characterization, and the film unveils a lot of Mewtwo’s past and backstory, which is only alluded to in thePokémon RedandBluegames.Mewtwo gets to show off its phenomenal power in a showdown with Mew, as the other clones and Pokémon battle it out.
The film is also famous for its climactic scene, in which Ash charges forward to put a stop to the fighting, and is turned to stone by Mew and Mewtwo’s fighting. This leads to Pikachu crying as he desperately tries to revive Ash with thundershocks in what was one of the most devastating scenes for children in the 1990s.
Mewtwo Strikes Backalso deals with some heavy topics, such as cloning and the meaning of existence, which might surprise fans who haven’t seen the movie in a long time. While the English version of the film does have some cuts which damage the story, it’s still surprisingly poignant, with Mewtwo departing with its iconic words:
“I see now that the circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.”
Mewtwo Strikes Back Will Be Around For a Limited Time
The Film May Stay on YouTube for the Summer
The movie is currently available for free on YouTube, and is just the first of severalPokémonfilms that will be released this way over the summer. Unfortunately, the availability of these films is going to be limited; while no end date was listed for the promotion, it is confirmed that the film won’t be available for free forever, so watch it while you can!
