What is the title of the first Pokémon anime film?

The first Pokémon anime film is titled Pokémon: The First Movie.

The film was released in Japan on July 18, 1998, under the Japanese title Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. It was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and produced by OLM, the animation studio responsible for much of the Pokémon television series.

The story centers on Mewtwo, a genetically engineered Pokémon created from research involving Mew. Mewtwo invites Pokémon Trainers to New Island, where it tests its strength and confronts questions about identity, creation, and whether clones can have independent lives.

The North American version was released by Warner Bros. in November 1999 and was marketed as Pokémon: The First Movie—Mewtwo Strikes Back. The Japanese release included a shorter Pikachu feature, Pikachu’s Summer Vacation, while later versions added an extended prologue about Mewtwo’s origin. The 2019 film Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution is a computer-animated remake.