Iconic '90s anime 'Pokémon: The First Movie' free to stream on YouTube for a limited time
(NEXSTAR) — Calling all '90s kids and/or fans of the iconic "Pokémon" series/games: You can watch the currently un-streamable first theatrical film in the franchise, "Pokémon: The First Movie" for free via the official "Pokémon" YouTube channel.
In celebration of what the Japanese company calls the "Pokémon Movie Summer Watch Party," you can stream "Pokémon: The First Movie" completely free. The company explained the follow-up films "Pokémon: The Movie 2000" and "Pokémon 3: The Movie" would also be uploaded to the same channel and available to watch free.
"Pokémon: The First Movie," is warmly regarded by early fans of the series, many of whom are likely Millennials and/or "90s kids." The film was released in November 1999 in the U.S., and became an instant theatrical hit, grossing over $172 million worldwide, in addition to raking in $58.8 million from home video purchases.
Directed by renowned anime director Kunihiko Yuyama, the movie follows the laboratory creation of the most powerful Pokémon in the world, Mewtwo, and the existential crisis its escape causes for not just protagonists Ash Ketchum, Misty and Brock, but the world.
While the film contains all of the staples of the animated series and video games (Pokémon battles, flashy sequences), what makes the film an anime classic is its themes of peace, ethical science, acceptance of differences and of finding ones' identity.
The film is so beloved within the Pokémon franchise that a full computer-animated remake was released in 2019. Titled "Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution," the film was released on Netflix, though it isn't quite as highly regarded.
For people of a certain age, who grew up in a very specific time, however, the original film will forever conjure warm feelings.
Just 10 months ago, a user in the Pokemon subreddit wrote poetically about the film, in a thread titled "Why Pokemon: The First Movie is a cultural masterpiece."
The user explained, in part: "'Pokémon: The First Movie' might not be the greatest anime film, the greatest story, or even the best 'Pokémon' movie, but to this day it feels like a piece of history that is the core of so many to this day. It shaped many kids of its time, including me, and has become a memorable tear jerker. It’s a movie that was a beacon of nostalgia much like the boy bands of NSYNC and Backstreet Boys of its era. It was a movie every 'Pokémon' fan at the time saw and it’s something everyone has carried with them over 20 years — even if they might not remember seeing it."