Pokémon: The First Movie is a 1998 Japanese anime fantasy adventure film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. It is the first theatrical release in the Pokémon franchise. The film was first released in Japan on July 18, 1998. On July 8, 1999, an of the film aired on Japanese television. In addition to an added prologue, the updated version included new animation and CGI graphics. The film primarily consists of three segments: Pikachu's Vacation, a 21-minute feature focusing on the series mascot Pikachu; Origin of Mewtwo, the 10-minute prologue added to the extended version of the film; and Mewtwo Strikes Back, the main 75-minute film feature. Overseas, the prologue can only be seen as a bonus short in DVD versions of Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns. The events of the film take place during the first season of Pokémon: Indigo League. The English-language adaptation was released in North America on November 12, 1999, by Warner Bros. In Japan, the film received positive reviews, with praise directed at the film's emotional impact and exploration of ethical topics such as cloning, genetic modification and existentialism. However, the English-language version received generally negative reviews from film critics, with much of the criticism pointed at the poor voice acting and its inclusion of an anti-violence message despite it being a Pokémon film. Further retrospective criticism of the English-language version has been targeted against the removal of most of the ethical topics, such as part of Mewtwo's origin story. Despite the reviews, it was a box office success worldwide, topping the box office charts in its opening weekend, and eventually grossing over at the worldwide box office. It also sold 10million home video units in the United States, including 4.2million VHS sales that earned in 2000. During the end credits of Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us (2018), it was announced that a full CGI remake was set to release on the following year. It was released as Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back — Evolution in July 2019. Plot Pikachu's Vacation The Pokémon of Ash Ketchum, Misty, and Brock are sent to spend a day at a theme park built for Pokémon. Pikachu, Togepi, Psyduck, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle cross paths with a group of bullies consisting of a Raichu, Cubone, Marill, and Snubbull. The two groups compete against each other, but it leads to Ash's Charizard getting its head stuck in a pipe. Pikachu, his friends, and the