The first Pokémon animated film, Pokémon: The First Movie, was released in Japan in 1998.
Its Japanese title was Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. The story follows Mewtwo, a genetically engineered Pokémon who challenges human ideas about identity, creation, and strength. Ash Ketchum and his companions become involved after receiving an invitation to a mysterious island.
The film was produced as an extension of the Pokémon anime and became a major theatrical event in Japan. Its central conflict between Mewtwo and Mew helped make the movie distinct from a normal television episode, while Pikachu and Ash connected it to the established series.
The movie is sometimes confused with Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution, a computer-animated remake released in 2019. The original film’s English-language title is Pokémon: The First Movie, and its Japanese theatrical release came in 1998. It was followed by later animated films and, eventually, the live-action Pokémon Detective Pikachu in 2019.