Pokemon The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back

Here is a movie summary of the move Mewtwo Strikes Back.



As the title of the movie suggests this is the first Pokemon movie installment that has now since had over ten ‘sequels‘(Not direct sequels as most of the stories are individual and do not directly continue from one another other than movies 10-12).

The movie is set back in the Kanto region with the main Characters being Ash, Brock and Misty as they travel through Kanto as Ash attempts to obtain eight gym badges in order to enter the Indigo league.

The movie has some slightly different adaptations, some that come with a more in-depth introduction than others. I will begin by summing up this small introduction that not all movie versions included.




The movie begins in a Laboratory where scientist‘s are experimenting with the DNA of the Legendary pokemon Mew. With the intention to create a more physically and mentally advanced clone. This forms the base of the main storyline. As the scene goes on we see that the scientist‘s have successfully created a clone of Mew which they name Mewtwo. However shortly after confirming the success of the new clone Mewtwo wakes up questioning its existence. Mewtwo quickly breaks out of the libratory destroying everything in its way. We then see Mewtwo standing outside overlooking the pile of rubble that was once the laboratory where it was created. We are then shown a helicopter landing on the fresh pile of rubble, where a man steps out to confront Mewtwo. The man is revealed to be Giovanni the head of the evil organization Team Rocket, he offers Mewtwo help in finding his meaning and to help him grow in power.



Giovanni takes Mewtwo back to his headquarters where he attaches Mewtwo to some form machinery which is designed to increase his Psychic abilities. Shortly after Mewtwo, while still clueless to his meaning, begins to learn that Giovanni‘s intention are not to help him, but are for his own selfish goal of having unlimited power. After being forced to partake in pokemon battles to test his strength (including a battle again Gary Oak as previously shown in the anime as he challenges the Viridian Gym), Mewtwo decides he has had enough of the ‘evil‘ humans and decides to once again escape their grasp. So Mewtwo breaks out of Giovanni‘s headquarters where he was being held and is shown flying quickly into the sky.

Meanwhile Ash, Misty and Brock are shown to be having a break from their journey as they relax while enjoying one of Brock‘s freshly made lunches. Ash being his impatient self, while waiting for lunch takes on a passing trainer in a pokemon battle while the starting credits are shown. The battle concludes with Ash winning even after the trainer sends all his pokemon out in a rage, Ash defies battling logic knocking them all out with his Pikachu‘s thunderbolt. After the battle the gang‘s Lunch is interrupted by a Dragonite that was sent to deliver a letter to Ash. After the initial surprise of seeing such as powerful pokemon fly in from nowhere, the gang read the letter to find it is an invitation calling all pokemon trainers to an island to meet the ‘Pokemon Master‘. Ash being himself automatically gets psyched and accepts the invitation.





The gang then makes their way to the nearest dock with the hopes of getting a fairy to the island. Only to find that because of a sudden storm all fairys had been cancelled until further notice. Among other angry trainers keen to get to the island they also learn that they are unable to go to the local pokemon center to wait out the storm as Nurse Joy has gone missing. In all the commotion Ash and the other trainers start getting anxious and decide to take it upon themselves and their pokemon to make it to the island themselves. As other trainers depart on their powerful flying and water pokemon it soon dawns on Ash that as strong as his pokemon are they don‘t have the size or power to get him to the island. In desperation they conveniently come across some ‘Swedish Vikings‘… who offer to take them to the island in their small wooden boat. Being Ash, against their better judgment they decide to take the offer and set out on the small wooden boat attempting to make it to the island through the storm. After they set off it is soon revealed that the ‘Vikings‘ are actually Team Rocket in disguise. The gang are shocked, but have no option but to press onwards. After a while they soon realize the true strength of the storm as they are overwhelmed and capsized. Using their water pokemon the gang manage to get to the island while completely forgetting about Team Rocket.



They make their way into a huge building on the center of the island where they meet the other trainers who traveled through the storm with their pokemon. After getting acquainted everyone‘s attention is soon drawn to the center of the room where a figure floats down from the room above. The figure unknown to the trainers at first turns out to be Mewtwo who had been holding Nurse Joy under his control as a ‘Guinea Pig‘ in order to attract the trainers to his ‘lair‘. After Mewtwo is revealed the trainers are angry saying ‘A Pokemon cannot be a Pokemon master!‘ the hostility between the two sides soon starts a war as the trainers try and take down Mewtwo, however their pokemon are no watch for the titan and are all defeated. This is when Mewtwo reveals his plan to clone steal and clone all of their pokemon in the same way he was created! Mewtwo creates pokeball replicas and sends them after all the pokemon. This creates chaos as the trainers try to save their pokemon, however after the struggle all the pokemon are captured and taken away. Ash determined not to let Pikachu be captured chases after the ‘pokeball‘ that captured it, freeing it at the last minute before it is able to be cloned. Ash, Pikachu and the hidden Team Rocket then witness the freshly cloned pokemon awaken.



Ash releases all the captured pokemon and follows the clones back out into the main room in a dramatic entrance. Meanwhile unknown to Mewtwo, its original form, Mew had been there all along (as shown in small clips throughout the movie). Ash attempts to reason with Mewtwo but to no Avail, Mewtwo still confused about its existence has no trust for humans and attacks Ash, however the innocent and playful Mew steps in and blocks the attack. This begins the epic battle, Mew vs Mewtwo, the original pokemon vs the clones. Who will win? The scene goes on as the pokemon clash, every pokemon except Pikachu, who refuses to fight the meaningless fight. As the fight goes on all the trainers can do is watch in horror as the pokemon get hurt and exhausted. “Pokemon aren‘t meant to fight, not like this!“ as quoted by the now free willed Nurse Joy. Ash tries telling the pokemon to stop fighting but they don‘t listen. Getting both angry and upset Ash takes action into his own hands and runs directly into the colliding Blasts of Mew and Mewtwo! The room goes silent as Ash falls to the ground as solid rock. This action alone had stopped the fighting as all the pokemon original and clone alike stare at the rock that was Ash. Pikachu being the only one who refused to right walks up to Ash and begins to cry fearing his trainer to be dead. The other pokemon and trainers follow and also begin to cry. At that moment the tears of the pokemon and trainers are absorbed by Ash and by some kind of miracle bring him back to life!



As Ash and Pikachu and all his other pokemon and reunited everyone sigh a breath of relief and give a big smile. Mewtwo, after witnessing the selfless act of Ash realizes that not all Humans are evil. Although still unsure of his meaning to be, he decides to leave in peace taking Mew and his fellow clones with him. Mewtwo also decides to return all the trainers and pokemon back to the dock after blanking their memory of the whole experience.

The movie finishes showing Mewtwo, Mew and the clones flying off into the distance and Ash and the gang unsure of what just happened but keen to continue their adventures through Kanto.

And thus finishes the Strike of Mewtwo, until the next time we see him in Mewtwo Returns!

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