National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Released in 1999, Pokemon: The First Movie arrived at the height of a global phenomenon, translating a wildly popular video game and television series into a theatrical event. For a generation of young fans, it was often a first trip to the cinema built around characters they already loved. The film blended action, sentiment, and a surprisingly reflective story about what it means to be alive, and it remains a touchstone of late-'90s animation and the franchise's cultural peak.

Charizard stands among the most recognizable Pokemon ever drawn, a fire-breathing dragon that embodied power and loyalty. To hold an actual 35mm cell featuring this subject is to own a tangible frame of that era, a small piece of film that once ran through a projector.