Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo's bid to translate a television and gaming phenomenon into a theatrical event. Built around the anime's expanding roster, it introduced Mewtwo to a generation already fluent in the franchise, pairing an original genetic-experiment narrative with the familiar cast from the series. Its box office success proved that Pokémon could carry an audience beyond the small screen, cementing the franchise's place in late-90s pop culture and setting a template for animated tie-in films that followed.
This cell brings together Beedrill, Arbok, and Sandshrew, three creatures drawn from different corners of the original 151 and each recognizable to fans of the early series. Beedrill and Arbok carry associations with rivalry and mischief within the show's world, while Sandshrew represents the quieter, ground-dwelling side of the roster. A frame pairing this trio together would come from a scene of shared screen time among supporting Pokémon, the kind of moment collectors seek out for its blend of familiar faces rather than any single star turn.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
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