The original Pokémon intro has copped an equally cursed and creative new remake using exclusively stock footage, made by a comedian in only a day.
There are some TV series intros that are unforgettable – each and every shot feels burned into your brain, creating a lasting memory that you might not even be aware that you have until you hear the soundtrack and it all comes flooding back. Pokémon is one of those franchises, with the original television series being a source of great nostalgia for ’90s kids especially.
It’s not an over-exaggeration to call Pokémon iconic, with images from the show being recognisable to just about everyone. It seems that they might even be recognisable when presented through an unexpected medium – stock footage.
Self-proclaimed “comedian, filmmaker and weirdo” Matthew Highton has put that theory to the test with his truly inventive recreation of the Pokémon intro using only royalty-free videos and graphics. It’s a truly cursed video, and yet I simply cannot look away.
It’s not the first time that Highton has posted stock-footage interpretations of popular intros (nor is it the only recent Pokémon remix made by a dedicated fan), with a whole YouTube playlist dedicated to both classic hits and more recent scenes. He’s even taken on each of WandaVision’s unique decade intros, as well as as the legendary Agatha All Along clip.
https://twitter.com/MattHighton/status/1367780820379918339
That being said, tackling the Pokémon intro is an entirely different ballgame – I have a sneaking suspicion that there may not be a whole lot of stock footage of our favourite friendly monsters. The result is a mildly horrific mash-up of all sorts of animals and objects, with Highton’s imagination shining through as he endeavours to emulate images from the intro.
A brief list of highlights includes; various spherical objects such as basketballs, tennis balls, and apples standing in for Poké Balls, a horse edited to be a unicorn edited to have flames on its back (representing Rapidash, of course), and best of all, Onyx presented simply as a rock.
This had me in tears!
Way to go! This is unreal dedication! pic.twitter.com/PETsIYj7Qc
— Genesect (@GeneticInsect) April 7, 2021
The Pokémon intro is so recognisable that I reckon many fans could identify the source material from viewing its stock-footage counterpart alone. However, for those with a less sharp memory, Highton’s video offers a side-by-side comparison that reveals just how closely he was able to capture each scene.
Whether you think this remake is a total masterpiece or a bit of nightmare fuel (my verdict: both), it’s worth commending the dedication and creativity. If you hit up Matthew Highton on Twitter with requests, maybe he’ll even piece together a wacky collage of your favourite TV intro – if Pokémon’s possible, anything is.
