If you’re a ’90s kid, you’ve no doubt caught wind of The Pokémon Company’s plan to re-release The First Movie (1998) as Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution.
Packed to the rafters with nostalgia and cutting-edge CGI, this long-anticipated remake has been turning heads and raising eyebrows, not least because of its decision to incorporate a new digital animation style, rendering Ash, Brock, and Misty as human characters, as opposed to the cartoons of old.
However, at a fundamental level, the story remains the same, Ash and the gang leave Old Shore Wharf in search of a mysterious island. Upon arriving, they cross paths with the bioengineered Mewtwo, the first man-made Pokémon and one caught in the midst of an identity crisis. Cue the mind control.
If you’re wanting a sneak peek of what to expect, we’ve got you covered. On the eve of the film’s Japanese debut, The Pokémon Company have rolled out not one, but two TV spots for us to pore over.
Here’s the official synopsis for Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution, courtesy of the company’s Japanese YouTube channel (excuse the broken English):
A phantom pokemon of an appearance that appears only before an adventurer with the two Mew. It is said that all Pokemon ‘start’, and while Pokémon researchers all over the world follow their way, one scientist finally discovers Mew’s fossils.
Japanese moviegoers will be able to catch Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution tomorrow, July 12th, though it seems those of us in the west will have to wait that little bit longer before basking in the nostalgia, as there’s currently no mention of when the CGI remake is expected to debut in North America or Europe. It’ll likely be some time in 2019 though, given the Pokémon franchise will soon be firing on all cylinders when Sword and Shield make their way onto the Nintendo Switch.
