Upon the release of Pokémon: Blue Version and Pokémon: Red Version (Game Freak, 1996), a new craze swept through playgrounds across the world. Entire generations grew up with Pokémon as clever marketing saw Nintendo’s newest franchise become a massively lucrative and popular multimedia powerhouse that endures to this day. Accordingly, February 27th is now internationally recognised as “National Pokémon Day”, which I’m expanding to an entire month of Pokémon every Tuesday in February, which is even more fitting given that February 6th is the day that Mew successfully gave birth to my favourite Pokémon, Mewtwo!
Released: 13 July 2013
Director: Kunihiko Yuyama
Distributor: Toho
Budget: Unknown
Stars: Sarah Natochenny, Miriam Pultro, Scottie Ray, Samia Mounts, Eileen Stevens, Jason Griffith, and Ikue Ōtani
The Plot:
Ash Ketchum (Natochenny) and his friends arrive in Pokémon Hills, where a Red Genesect (Ray) and its brethren seek to forcibly make their home. This attracts the attention of the Unovan Mewtwo (Pultro), who seeks not only to challenge the Genesect’s power but to shield them from the abuse of their human creators.
The Background:
It would be foolish to deny how influential Pokémon (Nintendo/Creatures/Game Freak, 1995 to present) has become ever since the first games were released. The success of the game is only ever half the story when it comes to Pokémon, however; the franchise has dominated a wide variety of media over the years, thanks in no small part to the still-ongoing anime series (1997 to present). Following the financial success of the aptly-titled Pokémon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back (Yuyama, 1998), animated feature-length productions became commonplace for the franchise, with fifteen released by 2013 and the last three focused on promoting the fifth generation of the videogames. Reportedly, Genesect and the Legend Awakened drew inspiration from New York City for its setting but the main story surrounding the film was its inclusion of Mewtwo. While this isn’t surprising considering Mewtwo is one of franchise’s most popular characters, what made this different was that this version of the character was entirely new due to legal issues and therefore more recognisably female. Debuting at number two at the Japanese box office and going on to become the tenth highest-grossing film of the year in Japan, Genesect and the Legend Awakened received mostly mixed reviews; some praised for its darker tone and cinematic scope while others criticised the inclusion of a new Mewtwo and largely derivative plot.
The Review:
By the time of Genesect and the Legend Awakened, the anime was firmly entrenched in the Unova region and Ash and his faithful friend Pikachu (Ōtani) were traveling alongside Iris (Stevens), a Gym Leader specialising in Dragon-Type Pokémon and accompanied by Axew (Kayzie Rogers), and Cilan (Griffith), another of the region’s Gym Leaders who favoured Grass-Types. My experience with these seasons of the anime is almost entirely limited to the feature films that were released around this time, though the dynamic between the three really isn’t all the different from what was seen between Ash and his other travelling companions; they function as his moral support and guidance, but there are some interesting distinctions, such as Iris being a bit of a wild child and Cilan being very loquacious. The three find themselves in New Tork City, a bustling island metropolis that features a grand park right in the middle (a “Central Park”, if you will), Pokémon Hills, in which various Pokémon roam freely beneath a special dome and where Ash encounters the mysterious, armoured insectoid Pokémon known as Genesect (Stevens). Immediately intrigued by the strange creature, Ash is blown away when it showcases the ability to switch between a bipedal form and a super-fast, aerodynamic form that’s perfect for flying (and sky-surfing), and further stunned when it exhibits the ability to talk using telepathy. Ash and his friends are moved by the lost Genesect’s plight; it’s desperate to return “home” and Ash is determined to help it, only to incur the wrath of its overprotective patriarch, the Red Genesect, who regards all humans as a threat.
Luckily, Mewtwo is on hand to defend them, but its priority is safeguarding Pokémon rather than humans; although Ash briefly expresses familiarity with Mewtwo, he mentions nothing of his previous encounters with it and the two are strangers to each other, largely because this isn’t the same Mewtwo he’s met before. While Mewtwo focuses on helping the Genesect and defending the local Pokémon, Ash and the others are also assisted by a concerned Sableye (Bill Rogers) that’s driven from Pokémon Hills by the Genesect’s aggressive invasion, and befriend the friendly, childlike Genesect they first encounter. This friendly Genesect opposes Mewtwo’s belief that all the Genesect crave destruction and simply wants to go home, where its beloved Panna Lotus flowers bloom, a desire shared by its brethren and which makes them susceptible to the Red Genesect’s destructive whims. As ever, Ash is shadowed by Jessie (Michele Knotz), James (Carter Cathcart), and Meowth (ibid) of Team Rocket and meet a new friend, Eric (Jake Paque), a park ranger who oversees Pokémon Hills and brought and ancient Panna Lotus flowers there from Absentia Natural Park, an achievement he’s very proud of given the rarity of the flowers. Naturally, Eric primarily delivers exposition regarding the city and its famous Pokémon reserve and realises that the Genesect’s invasive nest poses a significant threat to the city as it directly siphons its power supply and he proves instrumental in restoring power to the city while the genetic Pokémon engage in a furious battle. Team Rocket’s desire to kidnap Pikachu gives way to a plot to capture the Genesect, and Mewtwo, not to curry favour with their boss but to realise their own ambitions for power. Of course, they’re easily dispatched by the Genesect, once again reducing them to a throwaway gag that has little impact on the plot. Similarly, there’s not much for Iris or Cilan to do here; when they are useful and bring a bunch of wild Pokémon to help quell the Genesect’s attack, they quickly realise that the brutal fight is misguided as the Genesect simply want to live in peace and are largely being forced to attack by the red-hued leader.
One of the things I absolutely loved about Mewtwo Strikes Back was the sense of mystery and foreboding surrounding Mewtwo (Philip Bartlett). The entire opening sequence was devoted to its tragic origins and painting it as a destructive and slighted Pokémon, and from there it was kept shrouded in shadow and mystery before its big reveal. Much of that is tossed out of the window here; Mewtwo is the first character we see onscreen, blasting through the skies over the Unova region, and she is presented as being sociable with local Pokémon and enjoying testing her limits by freely assuming her Mega Mewtwo Y form. Although Pokémon are rarely identified by their gender in the anime (even Pikachu is generally just called “it”), I feel comfortable describing this Mewtwo as a female since her voice is clearly female and her Mega Mewtwo Y form clearly evokes female anatomy, all of which demonstrates that this is an entirely different character from the one we knew before even commenting on her more carefree nature. In comparison, the Red Genesect and its brethren emerge from dark clouds and cross through frigid mountains, indicating that they don’t enjoy the same freedoms as Mewtwo. The Red Genesect is clearly positioned as the group’s leader; unlike its regular purple variants, it is forceful, commanding, and confident, exuding a maternal protectiveness over its kin and is fully capable of bending the other Genesect to its will when they hesitate to follow its commands. While all the Genesect see others, especially humans as a threat, they’re largely timid and childlike; the Red Genesect, however, is aggressive and forceful, attacking Mewtwo even after she helped its kin and leading the Genesect in an all-out assault against Pokémon Hills in order to build their nest.
The Nitty-Gritty:
The visual inspirations of New York City are undeniable in Genesect and the Legend Awakened; it’s normal for Pokémon to base its regions and towns on real places but the influence is so strong here that New Tork City may as well be the famed City That Never Sleeps. Not only is it a lively megalopolis with a central reservation for wild Pokémon, its skyline is dominated by skyscrapers, sirens are everywhere, it’s lit up at night with hustle and bustle, and humans and Pokémon work together to maintain the city. One thing I will say about the Pokémon movies is that their presentation definitely improved as the years went on; the blend between traditional animation and CGI is far less jarring than before and used to great effect whenever the Genesect and Mewtwo engage in battle or multiple Pokémon fill the screen. The Genesect are very unnerving Pokémon; they’re very rigid and almost robotic, but also capable of unleashing powerful elemental attacks with their different “Drives” and transforming into a faster form at will. Their childlike demeanour and blank expressions are also quite unsettling, making the Red Genesect’s domineering personality all the more unnerving as it barks orders and forces its kin to assert themselves even when they have no desire to.
So, it’s clear from the moment we first meet this Mewtwo that she’s different from the last one; this Mewtwo enjoys testing her powers, especially her Mega Evolution, even going so far as to breach the upper atmosphere to go beyond her limits. Like its more recognisably male counterpart, this Mewtwo was created by a group of scientists using Mew’s genetic material; however, she endured horrendous torture at the hands of her creators, seemingly destroying them in a bid for freedom and finding acceptance and friendship with Unova’s wild Pokémon rather than being driven to destroy humanity. Thus, just as the male Mewtwo wished to liberate Pokémon from human control and fought valiantly to keep its clones safe from persecution, this Mewtwo is very protective of Pokémon. She doesn’t hesitate to swoop in and carry the Genesect to safety when they’re threatened by an avalanche or to shield others from the Genesect; however, while she has no love for humans, she’s far less aggressive towards them and simply chooses to ignore them rather than directly target them. Mewtwo feels a kinship with the Genesect due to their similar backgrounds; like her, the Genesect were genetically recreated against their will after Team Plasma extracted their DNA from fossils. The comparisons don’t end there; just as Mewtwo was scientifically augmented to have incredible psychic powers, the Genesect were outfitted with powerful laser cannons, and they too also went on a destructive rampage soon after being awakened and have been searching for their place in the world ever since. Mewtwo’s first instinct is to help them but, when the Red Genesect proves hell-bent on destruction, she stands against them purely to protect the native Pokémon. Even now, I find the decision to introduce an all-new Mewtwo incredibly bizarre; I get that there were legal issues, but I feel like a more creative solution could’ve been found, or maybe just excise Mewtwo from the script altogether as it’s really weird that another Mewtwo was created by the exact same methods and resulted in an almost identical character; maybe if she had been shiny or spent the entire time in her Mega Evolution form it would’ve helped but, as is, it’s very confusing and distracting from everything else happening in the film.
Since Mewtwo so strongly associates with the Genesect’s plight, she’s eager to help them but is met with aggression at every turn from the Red Genesect, which refuses to listen to reason and forces Mewtwo to battle it in the heart of the city in an action-packed fight that resembles a kaiju battle! Mewtwo’s Mega Evolution gives her the speed and power she needs to match the Red Genesect’s unrelenting assault; she shields herself from its energy beams, vanishes in the blink of an eye, and moves so fast that time slows around her. Once again, Ash is compelled to throw himself in the line of fire to shield innocents from the Genesect’s relentless attack, only this time it’s the friendly Genesect that takes the hit, sacrificing itself to save its new friend. This only compels the Red Genesect to redouble its attack, however, which Mewtwo is more than willing to match; using her Mega Evolution, she takes on the Red Genesect and three remaining kin all by herself, easily dodging and countering their attacks with her blinding speed. Unfortunately, the city’s power supply is damaged during the fracas and the nest goes up in flames, trapping and threatening all within. Thankfully, the downed Genesect is revived by the sight of its beloved flowers and fights to put out the flames alongside the other Pokémon, saving the other Genesect and proving to them that they need not fear the world. Blinded by rage, the Red Genesect refuses to back down and even opens fire on its brethren; frustrated by the creature’s stubbornness, Mewtwo pushes herself beyond her limits to force the Red Genesect into the upper atmosphere, where they both finally realise that their lives have more meaning than pure destruction and that even anomalies such as them can coexist in the world. Moved by the sight of a world without boundaries, the Red Genesect finally relents, and the other Genesect work alongside the other Pokémon to save the two as they plummet to the ground on re-entry. Thanks to Ash’s friendship and help, Mewtwo relaxes her prejudices against humanity and, in the aftermath, the protagonists help their newfound friends construct a new nest in Absentia Natural Park, where the Panna Lotus flowers are plentiful, finally allowing them to build the home they’ve longed for since their resurrection.
The Summary:
Genesect and the Legend Awakened is definitely one of the poignant Pokémon movies; generally, the films teach similar messages about acceptance and friendship and equality but, by retreading some of the same ground that we saw in Mewtwo Strikes Back, the film touches upon some of the more mature themes regarding identity and acceptance that made that first movie so memorable. As is often the case, there isn’t much for Ash’s supporting cast to do here, but there’s a decent enough reason for that; the plot is firmly focused on the dynamic and parallels between Mewtwo and the Genesect, especially the hyper-aggressive Red Genesect, which embodies all of the destructive prejudices of Mewtwo’s male counterpart and cares for nothing other than the survival of itself and its kin. This parallel works well in the film, since Mewtwo may not care for humans but she absolutely cares for the safety of Pokémon, and results in some explosive action sequences as we finally see Mewtwo unleashing her true power, but it’s hard to really be that invested since this isn’t the same Mewtwo we’ve come to know. I wish I could say that the movie is able to overcome this but, while it is entertaining in its own right, it just sticks out like a sore thumb; had this been the same Mewtwo, the juxtaposition of one genetically-engineered Pokémon opposing another, one that has learned to set aside hatred and violence, with a less morally inclined counterpart would’ve landed so much better. Ash could also have been more invested in Mewtwo’s battle, rather than simply helping out because he’s such a friendly kid, and Mewtwo’s story could’ve come full circle in a satisfying way. Instead, I just can’t help but keep asking why there’s another Mewtwo, how she can possibly be so similar to the other one, or wondering where the male Mewtwo is or if it even exists! If you’re able to set all this aside then this is a pretty decent Pokémon feature, one that delivers an important message, but personally I can’t really get past this decision and it makes the film more of an anomaly than anything else.
My Rating:
Pretty Good
What did you think of Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened? Were you put off by the bizarre inclusion of a new version of Mewtwo or did her Mega Evolution make up for this? What did you think to the Genesect and their plight, specifically the Red Genesect’s vendetta? Were you disappointed that the supporting cast didn’t have much to do or did the visual spectacle distract from this? How are you celebrating Mewtwo’s birthday this year? Whatever you think about Genesect and the Legend Awakened, Mewtwo, and Pokémon in general, leave your thoughts in the comments below or leave a reply on my social media.
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