Mewtwo At The Movies


If you still can't get enough of Pokemon, "Pokemon: The First Movie" will be premiering in the United States on November 12, 1999. Four new Pokemon will be introduced in this feature-length cartoon called "Mewtwo Strikes Back" and a short film called "Pikachu's Summer Vacation". When this movie was released in Japan last summer, it made $30 just in its first weekend and was one of the top five highest grossing films of 1998.

In "Mewtwo Strikes Back", scientists have cloned Mewtwo from the genes of the rare Pokemon, Mew. But when Mewtwo awakens, it is frightened and angry at what the scientists have done to it and destroys the laboratory. Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, approaches Mewtwo and gets it to work for them stealing Pokemon. Again, Mewtwo becomes angry and destroys Team Rocket head quarters. Mewtwo then sets up his own laboratory on New Island and begins to clone other Pokemon, determined to prove that they are superior to the originals. 

In "Pikachu's Summer Vacation," Ash, Misty, and Brock leave their Pokemon at Pokemon Land, an exclusive park for Pokemon. When they arrive, Pikachu and his friends have trouble with another group of Pokemon. They argue and begin to fight but ultimately, they must cooperate to help another Pokemon.

A second movie was released in Japan in July of 1999. It was called "Revelation Lugia" and it contained a short called "Pikachu's Exploration Party." The movie had a budget of 700 million yen (roughly $6.3 million)- twice that of the first movie. In "Revelation Lugia, a Pokemon trainer is determined to capture the legendary Lugia. Legend states that Lugia will appear if all three of the legendary birds, Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno, are brought together. As the trainer collects the the birds, he upsets the natural balance of the weather. Ash and his friends are now out to stop him, since legend also states that Lugia will destroy the world. Will this movie also be released in the United States? We'll have to wait and see. 



-Excerpt from "Collector Guide: Pokemon" Copyright CheckerBee Inc.
-Typed by June Vixen