National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Released in 1999, Pokemon: The First Movie arrived at the height of a global phenomenon, bringing a franchise that had swept through games, trading cards, and television into theaters worldwide. For a generation of young fans, it was a landmark event, one of the first anime features many of them experienced on the big screen. It endures today as a nostalgic touchstone, remembered for its emotional themes and its role in introducing Japanese animation to a broad Western audience.

Mew, the elusive and gentle Pokemon central to this film, has long captivated fans with its rarity and mystique. Holding an actual 35mm cell featuring Mew connects you directly to that original theatrical print, a small physical fragment of a story that shaped childhoods.