Nostalgic Pokémon 90s Classic Now Streaming Free on YouTube

A well-known animated movie from the 1990s is now available to stream for free on YouTube. It’s a big deal for fans of the franchise, especially those who grew up watching the series when it first came out. Pokémon: The First Movie originally came out in Japan in 1998 and was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. It was the first time the franchise hit theaters, and it takes place during the early days of the animated show.

The film tells the story of a powerful Pokémon named Mewtwo. He was created in a lab by a group of scientists, led by Dr. Fuji, using the DNA of a rare Pokémon called Mew. Fuji’s reason for helping with the experiment was to bring back his daughter, Amber, in some form. In the process, Mewtwo ends up becoming self-aware and starts to question why he exists. After seeing how the scientists treat him, Mewtwo destroys the lab and sets out on his own.

In Japan, the film was well-received when it was released. Viewers liked the emotional story and the way it talked about things like cloning, identity, and the meaning of life. But when the movie was dubbed into English and released in North America in 1999 by Warner Bros., the response was much more mixed.

Many critics didn’t like the voice acting and said the message about peace didn’t fit the rest of the series. Some also pointed out that important parts of the original Japanese version were taken out, especially parts of Mewtwo’s backstory.

Even with all the criticism, the movie made a lot of money. It earned over $172 million around the world and sold 10 million copies on home video in the U.S. alone. According to Box Office Mojo, it even made over $58 million from VHS sales in 2000.

Critics were pretty harsh in their reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave the English version just 16% based on 91 reviews, with an average score of 3.57 out of 10. The site said, “Audiences other than children will find very little to entertain them.” On Metacritic, it got a score of 35 out of 100, which means most critics weren’t impressed. But CinemaScore, which surveys regular moviegoers, said audiences gave it an A− grade.

Roger Ebert, one of the most well-known film critics, gave the movie two out of four stars. He called it “a sound-and-light show, linked to the marketing push for Pokémon in general,” and added that it “had no level at which it enriches a young viewer, by encouraging thinking or observation.”

There was also some controversy around the movie’s release. In December 1999, a 13-month-old baby named Kira Murphy died after choking on a toy Poké Ball that came with a Burger King kids’ meal.

A second child in Kansas survived a similar accident, and Burger King eventually recalled the toys. Even after the recall, another child died in a similar incident. The families reached settlements, but the details were not made public.

Years later, fans and reviewers still talk about the differences between the Japanese version and the one that came out overseas. Many feel that a lot of the meaning was lost during the English localization. Still, for fans who watched the show growing up, it remains a major moment in the series.

Now that the movie is available for free on YouTube, it’s a chance for both longtime fans and new viewers to see it again, maybe even with fresh eyes.

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