Preview M22: Mewtwo's Counterattack Evolution

[Hidden Mew]

I'm kind of surprised that there's so much backlash towards the CGI itself. I can understand not liking how the human characters look. They do look kind of plastic and I think Misty's eyes look a bit too long in CGI oddly enough, but the Pokemon models look perfectly fine. They add in some details like the fur and scales for certain Pokemon, but they still mainly look similar to how they did in the original movie. It's certainly not at the level of a knock off CGI movie since this movie actually has a budget. I can understand not liking this, especially if this is a shot for shot remake, but the CGI itself doesn't look that bad to me at all.

 

[KrspaceT]

I'm kind of surprised that there's so much backlash towards the CGI itself. I can understand not liking how the human characters look. They do look kind of plastic and I think Misty's eyes look a bit too long in CGI oddly enough, but the Pokemon models look perfectly fine. They add in some details like the fur and scales for certain Pokemon, but they still mainly look similar to how they did in the original movie. It's certainly not at the level of a knock off CGI movie since this movie actually has a budget. I can understand not liking this, especially if this is a shot for shot remake, but the CGI itself doesn't look that bad to me at all.

I have no issue with the mons, my entire concern is that the CGI Ash will consume my soul.

And I like Ash Ketchum, imagine how the 'Ass Ketchup' types will comment on it?

 

[Silktree]

Not to mention the diminishing returns of a shot for shot remake, many people who loved the original will not watch a shot for shot remake, because they can still go and watch the original. Even if its done in a different style, the new style will likely remove half the original audience because they won't like it. A shot for shot remake is one of the riskiest moves in filmmaking, and is usually not attempted. It's the reason why most do not attempt shot for shot remakes. I think this will make money, but not as much as the original, because of one reason, the bane of all shot for shot remakes: "Why would i go to the theaters to watch the first movie again, when I can just watch the original."

You seem to forget that the target audience are kids, and while they do have access to the first movie, that fact has seldom been promoted. More importantly, kids - especially in the west - like CGI. In Japan they're definitely open to it, as evidenced by the Doraemon movie's success. As far as I can tell, that movie wasn't very different than the source material, either.

And this movie is not expected to do as well as the original for the simple reason that no movie has come close in 20 years. But if it gets a wide theatrical release in the US and some other countries, it will have served its purpose.

 

[yab]

That's the problem, all the original fans who saw this movie in theaters are now 30+ year olds, and they'd be turned off by the CG. If you look at casual fans impressions on twitter and social media, they all hate it. Meanwhile younger kids won't get the nostalgia because the original came out 15-20 years before they were born, depending on what age they are. I remember similar backlash to the SM art style for Misty/Brock in their 2017 cameos from casual fans who hadn't watched the anime in over a decade. So it's weird to see this stuff aimed nostalgically when it ironically turns off the original fans these seem to be targeting.

 

[IncineROAR]

I have no issue with the mons, my entire concern is that the CGI Ash will consume my soul.

And I like Ash Ketchum, imagine how the 'Ass Ketchup' types will comment on it?

The art for Ash, Misty and Brock makes the character models of the characters in Pokemon XY look exquisite.

 

[yab]

It actually reminds me of the art from the old Gamecube Colosseum games, this is a game from 2004, people:

 

[Hidden Mew]

That's the problem, all the original fans who saw this movie in theaters are now 30+ year olds, and they'd be turned off by the CG. If you look at casual fans impressions on twitter and social media, they all hate it. Meanwhile younger kids won't get the nostalgia because the original came out 15-20 years before they were born, depending on what age they are. I remember similar backlash to the SM art style for Misty/Brock in their 2017 cameos from casual fans who hadn't watched the anime in over a decade. So it's weird to see this stuff aimed nostalgically when it ironically turns off the original fans these seem to be targeting.

I don't know about casual fans, but I've seen more positive reactions to this movie on other sites. I think I've read a few Japanese tweets that were positive/excited to see the movie in theaters too. I don't recall too that much backlash towards Misty and Brock's redesigns for their first SM appearance. I think that there were some mixed responses towards Misty, but most fans were just excited to see them again, especially Misty fans. Maybe I'm not seeing enough of casual fan reactions to both of these situations, but I don't know if the redesigns are that much of a turnoff for people.

 

[DarkraiKnight]

It actually reminds me of the art from the old Gamecube Colosseum games, this is a game from 2004, people:

The models might be similarly proportioned, but the animation is leagues ahead of Pokemon Colosseum. If you're going to make a comparison to the games, try Battle Revolution or at least XD; the animation in this movie still looks better, but it's a much closer comparison.

 

[Islander Princess]

I actually don't think the CGI looks that bad. Is it jarring? Well, yeah...we've only ever seen these characters in 2D for the past 20+ years. Suddenly seeing them in 3D is really weird. I've watched the trailer/seen the images quite a few times since they were released, however, and it's starting to become slightly less weird. But there is that one little bit that just won't budge, where every time I see it I'm like "what the heck." But overall, the CGI does look better in motion, although I do agree Misty's eyes look a bit weird for some reason and I think they made the marks under Ash's eyes too light. I also think Team Rocket looks really good in the CGI, actually.

The shot-by-shot remake is still throwing me, but I think it's actually kind of a fair argument that kids today may very well be totally unaware of the original movie, and that's the angle they're going for (on top, of course, the nostalgia factor which cannot be discounted). I liked the first movie, still not totally thrilled with a seemingly shot-for-shot remake, but I'm also not thrilled that the SM crew didn't get their own movie so I've pretty much come to accept I'm never going to fully love everything about any of these newer movies.

 

[Eliza]

I actually don't think the CGI looks that bad. Is it jarring? Well, yeah...we've only ever seen these characters in 2D for the past 20+ years. Suddenly seeing them in 3D is really weird. I've watched the trailer/seen the images quite a few times since they were released, however, and it's starting to become slightly less weird. But there is that one little bit that just won't budge, where every time I see it I'm like "what the heck." But overall, the CGI does look better in motion, although I do agree Misty's eyes look a bit weird for some reason and I think they made the marks under Ash's eyes too light. I also think Team Rocket looks really good in the CGI, actually.

The shot-by-shot remake is still throwing me, but I think it's actually kind of a fair argument that kids today may very well be totally unaware of the original movie, and that's the angle they're going for (on top, of course, the nostalgia factor which cannot be discounted). I liked the first movie, still not totally thrilled with a seemingly shot-for-shot remake, but I'm also not thrilled that the SM crew didn't get their own movie so I've pretty much come to accept I'm never going to fully love everything about any of these newer movies.

That was kind of the same thought sentiment that went into the 90s shot for shot remake of Psycho, the original was fine but they thought it was something that could cater to the at the time modern fans who were more used to color films vs black and white and that by doing it shot for shot they could bring in the original fans as well. Most of the original fans didn't want to watch a remake and the newer fans... well the original movie had been out on video and was readily available for people to watch and hearing it was shot for shot... well audiences went and rented the original rather than going to the theaters to watch the remake. And I feel the same will happen here.

 

[Silktree]

You're comparing a Hitchcock film to a remake that was directed by a less well known director (Gus Van Sant), to say nothing of the actors. In this case, even Shudo is still involved since they're reusing his script instead of changing it for the sake of it.

 

[Minnale101]

I actually watched mewtwo strikes back recently and nostalgia aside the movie really isn’t good

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Well, yeah...we've only ever seen these characters in 2D for the past 20+ years. Suddenly seeing them in 3D is really weird

We’ve seen Misty and Brock as 3D models though- LGPE.

 

[L-05308]

I hope we just go back to normal movies during Galar, no more of this alternate continuity new art style rubbish.

Thinking about it- this move can’t be cannon with I Choose you and the Power of Us...

 

[IncineROAR]

I hope we just go back to normal movies during Galar, no more of this alternate continuity new art style rubbish.

Thinking about it- this move can’t be cannon with I Choose you and the Power of Us...

I actually like the alternate universe in which the I Choose You and The Power of Us take place in, since the movies were never considered canon with the anime series, it gave them their own two feet to stand on. But when TCPi finally goes in the direction of doing something right, they shoot themselves in the foot.

If this movie premieres on Disney XD, maybe I'll watch it then. I'm not going to the cinemas for it, that is for sure.

 

[L-05308]

I actually like the alternate universe in which the I Choose You and The Power of Us take place in, since the movies were never considered canon with the anime series, it gave them their own two feet to stand on. But when TCPi finally goes in the direction of doing something right, they shoot themselves in the foot.

If this movie premieres on Disney XD, maybe I'll watch it then. I'm not going to the cinemas for it, that is for sure.

I went to the cinema, all special because it was only on one day- and I was probably guilty of hating it before I’d seen it, but I didn’t like it at all.

So I skipped seeing Power of Us at the cinema and waited until it was on ITVplayer, in all fairness Power of Us was really good.

 

[prog rocker]

Thinking about it- this move can’t be cannon with I Choose you and the Power of Us...

I guess this is yet another continuity.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I hope we just go back to normal movies during Galar, no more of this alternate continuity new art style rubbish.

Thinking about it- this move can’t be cannon with I Choose you and the Power of Us...

I really like having the movies set in their own continuity. Both I Choose You and The Power of Us felt quite refreshing partly because they didn't have to fit within the regular anime continuity. They could just do whatever they wanted to do for those movies and I really appreciated that. I don't think I'd want them to go back to regular movies with the next series. The past few series of movies felt a bit too standard. Most of them were good/enjoyable, but few of them really stood out to me. Say what you will regarding these past few movies, but I thought that there was more to speculate about them. Plus, just having the movies primarily focus on Ash and the movie only characters seems to be a better way to go about it. Ash's friends are lucky to do anything in these movies, let alone actually getting an important role in the plot, so I think it kind of makes more sense just to feature Ash, Pikachu and whatever new characters they have for the movies instead.

I actually like the alternate universe in which the I Choose You and The Power of Us take place in, since the movies were never considered canon with the anime series, it gave them their own two feet to stand on. But when TCPi finally goes in the direction of doing something right, they shoot themselves in the foot.

If this movie premieres on Disney XD, maybe I'll watch it then. I'm not going to the cinemas for it, that is for sure.

The movies were considered canon with the anime series. Before these past few movies, the only one that could have been considered non-canon was the Victini movie due to having two version of it, but there were references to some of the movies within different series. We see Mewtwo in the original series, Ash refers to both Lugia and Suicune during the Johto journey, they mention Ash's aura during the Riolu two parter and Dawn has the Lunar Wing charm from the Darkrai movie. At the very least, I don't think that there was anything about most of the movies that it would be impossible to fit them within the anime's continuity until I Choose You.

Disney XD is most likely going to air this movie. I'm sure that this movie will get a limited release in theaters, but based on what they've done for the past couple of movies, Disney XD will air it about a week after its theater run is over.

 

[ii kanji]

Omg Musashi and Kojiro look to die for! My babies!!

 

[Eliza]

You're comparing a Hitchcock film to a remake that was directed by a less well known director (Gus Van Sant), to say nothing of the actors. In this case, even Shudo is still involved since they're reusing his script instead of changing it for the sake of it.

Then how about the Prisoner of Zendar, which had a shot for shot remake made in 1952 where the new film divided audiences despite having identical shooting scripts, cinematography, film score, and according to at least one book I read in my film studies class in college some of the crew returned to work on it, which was remade simply because MGM wanted to make a color version as "New audiences prefer color films to black & white" and yet the 1937 film is still the one that both critics and audience preferred. Its hard to tell which made more money of the two, but the 1937 version remained in the popular consciousness to the point that when the Starfleet uniforms were being designed for Star Trek 2, the designed them after the 1937 version of Prisoner of Zendar.

There are many other examples of the failure of the concept of a shot for shot remake.