Preview M22: Mewtwo's Counterattack Evolution

[Gengarzilla]

It's official. Pokémon movies have jumped the shark.

That trailer there has just killed off the very tiny scraps of hype I admittedly held for this "new" movie. I thought Hoopa and the Clash of Ages was an absolute mess of a movie but at least that wasn't a blatant sellout for the sole purposes of nostalgia. The CGI aspect doesn't even matter to me anymore now that it's simply the equivalent of a fresh paint job. This, right there, was why I wanted nothing to do with a remake of the first movie and I'm glad to have been against the idea from day one.

Thank goodness for Detective Pikachu, right? At least we've still got a new and promising concept for a movie this year.

 

[yab]

I wish they made at least one Sun/Moon anime movie. This was basically their last chance, it's a shame we're getting what looks to be an ugly CG 1:1 re-tread of movie 1 for more Gen 1 nostalgia instead of an SM movie for the Alola cast. The SM anime cast really got screwed over due to this Gen 1 pandering.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I wish they made at least one Sun/Moon anime movie. This was basically their last chance, it's a shame we're getting what looks to be an ugly CG 1:1 re-tread of movie 1 for more Gen 1 nostalgia instead of an SM movie for the Alola cast. The SM anime cast really got screwed over due to this Gen 1 pandering.

I don't think that the SM cast had much of a chance for their own movie to begin with. If they decided to make The Power of Us instead of a movie set in SM when the anime wasn't celebrating its own 20th anniversary, then I don't think that they would have done that for this movie even if they didn't decide to remake the first movie. I'm also not sure if being in a movie would really help the SM cast. Most of the movies are focused on Ash and his friends are lucky if they're able to do anything significant to help with the conflict. The Power of Us did make me think that they could have possibly handled the SM cast in a movie, but even then, it's not really a guarantee that it would have happened.

Besides that, I think I prefer the movies doing their own thing instead of trying to fit in somewhere within the anime's continuity. That's one reason why I like the previous movies. They could just do whatever they want without trying to fit the events somewhere during Ash's adventures in Alola, which probably helped to make them more refreshing for me.

 

[NeoMiniTails]

I am one of those who wish that the Alola cast would've been given a movie. This large cast with its vibrant personality and colors had the potential to give a Pixar powerhouse of a movie especially with how well they've handled darker subjects this season.

That being said, I doubt the new movie will be an exact same remake. They're probably only showing scenes that are familiar to retro fans. With the way the writings been lately, the story will probably be improved upon.

 

[Silktree]

There is still no hint of another scriptwriter, and the notion of hiring one to "correct" a dead person's work is irksome at best. If anything, Yuyama may go over Shudo's drafts and find something "new", or just use the radio drama material. Doing both would be neat.

Also, with the way the Aether and Necrozma arcs were written, I don't feel that the SM cast could have received some great Ultra Space movie. It would have looked better than the TV versions, but that's about it.

 

[kantoskies]

hm.......alright.........

The scenery looks gorgeous. The Pokemon range from looking great to decent. The humans on the other hand....? I saw a screencap of Satoshi + group before seeing the full trailer and thought it was a Robot Chicken parody for a full minute. On the bright side this means we are probably getting a Together With the Wind remaster!

Is this really going to be a shot-for-shot remake? Or will they pull an Origins and have 3/4 of it be a faithful retelling and then shoehorn in a new game mechanic at the end? If they do alter the original in some way, this doesn't seem to be in the same alternate universe as the previous two films since Satoshi's hat has its usual symbol on it, so would this version now be considered canon over M01?

If there's still no sign of an additional screenwriter I'm not sure how likely it is there'd be any major alterations, but like Unown Seer said perhaps they'll incorporate the radio drama stuff or something from an earlier draft. M23 should really be that scrapped t-rex fossil movie...

The more we learn about this the more confused I become.

 

[Silktree]

If they do alter the original in some way, this doesn't seem to be in the same alternate universe as the previous two films since Satoshi's hat has its usual symbol on it, so would this version now be considered canon over M01?

I view it as the same story just rendered in different graphics. If we get a more substantial difference than Ash's shirt, then it will be a different canon.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

There is still no hint of another scriptwriter, and the notion of hiring one to "correct" a dead person's work is irksome at best.

Why do you see it as "correcting" someone's work instead of providing something new for the audience?

 

[Silktree]

Because NeoMiniTails literally said the "writing will be improved upon"? I don't have a problem with replacing some of the minor Pokemon (although that only seems possible for the prologue now) or improving the battles, because Shudo didn't care much for the latter by his own admission. And the radio drama elements plus some an unused idea or two would be plenty new for the vast majority of viewers.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Didn’t notice that the comment was in regard to the previous post. My apologies.

 

[Neo Blaze]

A new look at some of the 3D models has been released:

Spoiler

 

[Islander Princess]

I think the Pokémon look really good! Love how you can just see the fur on Pikachu. I think this is a great contrast to Detective Pikachu, where some people were put off or weirded out by how real the Pokémon looked. These models stay a bit closer to the anime portrayal, so I personally like that we kind of get both sides of the coin here in two different movies.

 

[Silktree]

I want to pet that Vulpix.

Despite the humans, I think that the Pokemon and scenery will be pleasant to watch. And I'm of the opinion that the anime looked at its best in the OS movies.

 

[Hidden Mew]

The Pokemon do look pretty great in CGI. I especially like how you can see the fur on Vulpix there, as well as in the trailer with Meowth. It adds a bit of realism without straying too far away from their original designs. Plus, the Pokemon designs probably translate better to CGI than the human characters do. Although, it helps that we've seen CGI Pokemon designs before this movie too.

 

[RetroPokeFan]

Lemme hug that Vulpix, it's cute.

 

[Neo Blaze]

You can also see the scales on Squirtle's skin if you look closely. The level of detail they've put in the models is remarkable. We'll see if they'll look this good during the finished film and if they've put this kind of detail in all of the Pokémon, but I appreciate that they seem to have at least some eye for detail.

As for the movie itself, I truly hope there's some surprises left in store but I'm not very optimistic. I'd prefer a mostly original movie but if there's at least one significant difference or added scene from M01 I'd be at least interested. A complete 1 on 1 remake would bum me out.

 

[DarkraiKnight]

As for the movie itself, I truly hope there's some surprises left in store but I'm not very optimistic. I'd prefer a mostly original movie but if there's at least one significant difference or added scene from M01 I'd be at least interested. A complete 1 on 1 remake would bum me out.

This movie would be the perfect time to give Mega Mewtwo X some time to shine (in the anime, at least) and have Mew do Genesis Supernova.

 

[Silktree]

This movie would be the perfect time to give Mega Mewtwo X

I doubt that. The merchandise is pointing to Armored Mewtwo, so if anything that might get a bigger role than it did originally. Which I'd dislike, as Mewtwo ruined that armor for a reason.

 

[BulbaTCG]

Anyone wanna bet that these guys will probably have the same voices in the dub of this film?

 

[PokeMasterLA]

It looks like this marks Ted Lewis’ return to the Pokemon movies since Giovanni will most likely appear in this movie. Aside from the narrator, he will probably be the only 4Kids era voice actor reprising an original role in this movie.