Synopsis

A mysterious invitation brings Ash, Misty, and Brock to a remote island, where the genetically engineered Pokemon Mewtwo has assembled a group of Trainers for a battle. Determined to prove the superiority of clones over their originals, Mewtwo forces Pokemon and humans into conflict. Ash and Pikachu are caught in a struggle over identity, friendship, and the meaning of strength.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was released in Japan on July 18, 1998, under the title Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. The North American release followed on November 10, 1999.

• The theatrical package included the short film Pikachu's Vacation, which plays before the main feature and became many viewers' first big-screen introduction to the Pokemon characters.

• The English-language version was substantially rewritten during localization. Mewtwo's motives were made more explicitly villainous, and the Japanese score was replaced with a new soundtrack built around songs by contemporary English-language artists.

• The Japanese extended version includes a prologue about Mewtwo's creation and its childhood friendship with a human girl. The North American theatrical cut omitted this material, while later home-video editions restored only part of the story.

• The movie's U.S. release was supported by a major Burger King promotion reportedly costing $22 million. The campaign offered Pokemon toys and trading cards, helping make the film a central event of the late-1990s Pokemon craze.

• The film opened strongly in the United States, earning more than $31 million during its first weekend and eventually taking about $85.7 million domestically. Its success helped establish Pokemon as a major theatrical franchise.

• A computer-animated remake, Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution, was released in Japan in 2019 and later distributed internationally.