What name was given to the first Pokémon movie in its English release?

The first Pokémon movie was released in English as Pokémon: The First Movie.

Its full English title is Pokémon: The First Movie—Mewtwo Strikes Back. The 1998 Japanese film was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and centers on Mewtwo, a powerful Pokémon created through scientific experimentation and cloning.

The movie was the first theatrical film in the Pokémon anime film series. It follows Ash, Pikachu, and their companions as they are invited to a mysterious island and drawn into a conflict involving Mewtwo and Mew.

The film’s Japanese title is commonly translated as Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. International marketing shortened the prominent title to Pokémon: The First Movie, which is why both forms appear in references and home-video listings.