Pokémon: The First Movie – A Battle of Belonging and Identity 🧬⚔️🎭🔬💔🐭🌌🌱🧠✨

🎬 Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama | Released in 1998 (Japan) / 1999 (International)

Plot Summary

The story begins with the creation of Mewtwo, a powerful psychic-type Pokémon cloned from the ancient and mysterious Mew. Designed in a lab by humans seeking to control nature’s power, Mewtwo becomes painfully aware of its artificial origins. It escapes captivity and plots its revenge against the humans who created it—and the world that allowed such cruelty.

Ash Ketchum, along with his friends Misty and Brock, receives a mysterious invitation to the world’s greatest Pokémon trainer challenge. Upon arrival, they discover that the host is none other than Mewtwo, who has built a fortress and assembled a team of cloned Pokémon to battle against the originals. Mewtwo believes clones are superior, created with a purpose that exceeds natural Pokémon—and now, it’s time to prove it.

As Ash and his friends get caught in this clash of ideology and power, it’s the unexpected—an act of pure selflessness—that changes everything. Ash sacrifices himself to stop the battle, and in doing so, helps Mewtwo realize that being born differently doesn't mean you don't belong.

Performances & Direction

The English dub, a staple for many 90s kids, brings heart and intensity to the story, particularly through Mewtwo's introspective narration. Veronica Taylor’s Ash is as brave and determined as ever, while Phillip Bartlett’s Mewtwo carries the weight of deep existential pain and philosophical doubt.

Director Kunihiko Yuyama delivers a film that, while clearly meant to tie into the franchise's global success, reaches for more than just battles and nostalgia. The pacing balances action and emotion, and the animation (especially during the Mew vs. Mewtwo showdown) holds up remarkably well with its ethereal energy and dramatic flair.

My Review: More Than a Pokémon Battle ⚡💔

As a kid, Pokémon: The First Movie was just the coolest thing ever. I mean, Pikachu fighting his clone? Ash turning to stone? TEARS. REAL TEARS. But rewatching it as an adult, something much deeper stands out: the theme of belonging.

Mewtwo’s journey is heartbreaking. He wasn’t asked to be created. He didn’t choose to be different. And when he tries to understand his place in the world, all he’s met with is fear, control, and judgment. Who wouldn’t lash out in anger when your very existence is treated like a mistake?

The movie tackles the pain of not fitting in—of being told you’re too different, too broken, too "other." It shows us how easy it is to see people (or Pokémon) as threats when we don’t understand them. But it also shows the healing power of empathy. It’s in Ash’s sacrifice, and Pikachu’s refusal to fight his clone, that Mewtwo learns something that all of us—especially as kids—need to hear: you are not defined by how you were made. You are defined by the choices you make.

This isn’t just a movie about Pokémon. It’s about identity. It’s about finding your place in a world that didn’t prepare for you. And it’s about realizing that you do belong, even when others say you don’t.

So yeah, Pokémon: The First Movie may have started as a way to sell cards and toys—but it gave us something real. It gave us Mewtwo’s story, and a powerful message: it’s okay to question who you are, but don’t let anger or fear write your story. Because, as Mewtwo eventually learns, “The circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.”

Mic drop. 🎤✨