The Pokémon franchise has come a long way, from the early days of Kanto to the newer terrains of Kalos and Alola. Where Bulbasaur stands at #1 in the National Pokédex, the iconic legendary Mewtwo-Mew dynamic duo is listed as #150 and #151 respectively, the last of Gen I Pokémon – and one of the first few Legendaries to be introduced.
“彼が帰って来る。2019年、ミュウツーイヤー始動”
「ミュウツーの逆襲 EVOLUTION」が7月12日（金）に公開決定！ 映画公式サイトで最新情報をチェックしよう！ https://t.co/Dioc9l3uRY #ミュウツーの逆襲 pic.twitter.com/NlHhxkhwru
— ポケモン公式ツイッター (@Pokemon_cojp) January 1, 2019
With a new teaser trailer for its upcoming feature film, the roots of Mewtwo are set to be revisited. Titled Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution, it was first teased about a week ago, with its 45-second debut clip seemingly hinting at a CGI-reimagined iteration of the original, first-ever Pokémon movie Pokémon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, alongside the promise that “the legend is back”.
While the small scene of Mewtwo flying alongside Mew above the cloud is hardly indicative of much, the use of only CGI effects in the reel has cemented the idea that it will indeed be a full CGI title. It should be noted, though, that it is also not uncommon to have partial CGI in animated films, but one fact remains true either way: the jarring 3D style definitely needs some time getting used to, especially for those who have grown familiar with the 2D visuals of its anime counterpart.
It is difficult to say if Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution will stay faithful to the 1998 version, since the two movies in the main series line-up before this have both deviated from the original series and movies. The fact that late Takeshi Shudo is said to be the writer of the movie, however, should assure fans of its quality – after all, here’s the guy who wrote the original three movies as well.
In light of this, 2019 will certainly prove to be an interesting year for the Pokémon series, with plenty of exciting content for fans. An upcoming RPG title is reportedly in the pipeline, as is the live-action hybrid film Detective Pikachu, the latter of which is set to arrive on May 9, 2019. Meanwhile, the theatrical release of Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution is dated July 12, 2019, in line with the 20th anniversary of the first movie’s western release – a year after its Japanese counterpart on November 6, 1999.
All hail the return of the legend, and with that, our childhood memories, too!
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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