Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution

"The legend returns..."

2019 1h 38m JA

👍

6.7

SOLID

🥫

44%

ROTTEN

⭐

5.7

IMDB

★6.7TMDB · 580🥫44%Rotten Tomatoes★5.7IMDB · 6,472

AnimationAdventureFantasyActionFamily

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After accepting an invitation from a mysterious trainer, Ash, Misty and Brock meet Mewtwo, an artificially created Pokémon who wants to do battle.

“The legend returns...”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

NetflixSubscription

Netflix Standard with AdsSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Cast

Rica Matsumoto
Satoshi (voice)
Ikue Otani
Pikachu (voice)
Mayumi Izuka
Kasumi (voice)
Satomi Korogi
Togepi (voice)
Yuji Ueda
Takeshi (voice)
Megumi Hayashibara
Musashi (voice)
Shin-ichiro Miki
Kojiro (voice)
Inuko Inuyama
Nyarth (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Motonori Sakakibara
Writers: Takeshi Shudo, Takeshi Shudo, Kunihiko Yuyama
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 5

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 5

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Shinji Miyazaki. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 5

CAST

Did you know

Rica Matsumoto and Ikue Otani and Mayumi Izuka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 5

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The legend returns...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 5

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt8856470 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Motonori Sakakibara directs. Shinji Miyazaki scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 7 years ago.
2Original score by Shinji Miyazaki. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
3Rica Matsumoto and Ikue Otani and Mayumi Izuka carry the top of the cast.
4Marketing tagline: "The legend returns...".
5IMDB entry: tt8856470 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Released under 19 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Original score: Shinji Miyazaki
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $26,654,184
Original language: JA
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 44% 🥫 Rotten
IMDB rating: 5.7/10 · 6,472 votes
MPAA: TV-Y7

Also by

Motonori Sakakibara

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Gorkycreator2026-04-22
★ 3/10
If you saw the original movie a long time ago, you'll probably watch this and think, "Huh, it wasn't as good as I remembered." But then if you go watch the original, you'll realize this remake suffers in comparison because they sanitized a lot and changed more than you think. The biggest shift from the original is cutting Mewtwo's backstory. Originally, the scientist who cloned Mewtwo had a deceased daughter, Amber. He preserved her consciousness after some accident and was trying to clone a new body for her. Pretty dark. It makes sense why they took that part out, even if I disagree with that choice. However, the main problem is that those scenes provided two critical plot elements. First, Amber gave Mewtwo a positive first look at humanity; a little time for innocent development and hope. That is suddenly taken away and Mewtwo loses his first friends. That throws him into despair as the story transitions him into Giovanni's subjugation. That's where he sees the worst of humanity and develops his hardened hatred for them. The remake jumps straight into the awful part with no foundation for the bitterness that drives Mewtwo's actions for the rest of the film. He springs forth from the cloning tube hating humans. That makes him a really one-dimensional character, with dialog that previously referenced his past replaced with repetitive slogans that give no depth to his character. Second, Amber mentioned that Pokémon tears can grant wishes. It's a brief line, but BOY does the resolution to the conflict not make sense without it! "They just... cried and he got better? ...What?" That little piece of dialog adds lore to the world and preps the audience for the suspension of disbelief. It's not a lot, but something is infinitely more than nothing. Neither of these plot elements are replaced in the remake, they're just absent. My guess is that they couldn't add alternative scenes without detracting from what was otherwise supposed to be a very faithful remake. I'd highly recommend the original over this one. It's got more heart to it and the dialog is way less flat (as in the script, not the voice acting).

Production companies