2019 looks set to be the biggest year yet in the history of the Pokémon franchise. We’ve got Detective Pikachu hitting cinemas in less than a month, Pokémon Go still breaking records and the hugely anticipated next full installment in the RPG series Pokémon Sword and Shield. But that’s not all, because we’re also getting a CG remake of Pokémon: The First Movie.
First released in Japan in 1998, the film went on to get a domestic theatrical release in November 1999 and proved to be a global box office hit. Now, 20 years on from its original debut, directors Kunihiko Yuyama and Motonori Sakakibara have reimagined the movie as Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution, and today brings our first proper look at it.
Judging by the trailer, the pic seems to be a pretty close recreation of the original plot. But the real draw for fans will be the new 3D CGI aesthetic. While the Pokémon themselves are no strangers to being depicted in 3D, it’s interesting to see classic characters like Ash, Misty, Brock and Team Rocket rendered in the new style. It seems that the advance of technology has also improved the various Pokémon attacks, with Pikachu’s lightning looking especially neat (and I’m also liking Mewtwo’s new armor).
While it’s nice to see the old story given a new lick of paint, I’m a little on the fence about the look of the 3D human characters. While it’s not hugely unusual to see 2D anime characters translated into 3D, there’s something slightly off about these models. Let’s hope that during the movie we’ll acclimatize to the way they look.
Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution is due for release in Japan on July 12th. There’s no word yet of a US release (or an English dub), but I’m sure it’s in the works and will be along sooner rather than later.
