Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 from Warner Bros. and Nintendo's Pokémon Company partnership, riding the crest of a global craze that had already conquered Game Boys, trading cards, and Saturday morning television. Its theatrical release marked the franchise's leap to the big screen, pairing an American dub with Japanese animation roots and a box office run that stunned analysts who underestimated the pull of pocket monsters. For many collectors it represents the peak of Pokémania, the moment the brand proved it could fill theaters as easily as toy aisles.
This cell isolates Mew, the elusive Mythical Pokémon whose rarity and mystery made it a cornerstone of both the games and this film's mythology. Mew's presence anchors the movie's central conflict, tied to legend, origin, and the question of what a Pokémon truly is. A single-subject cell like this one strips away surrounding chaos to spotlight the character alone, prized by collectors precisely because Mew appears sparingly onscreen, making any isolated frame of this figure a scarce piece of the film's visual record.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999/1999).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds one frame fully visible with partial frames above and below.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even; perforation edges appear cleanly punched with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with a standard mono or stereo optical print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a warm pinkish-magenta cast across the image area; dye layers appear intact with no obvious fading.
Projection history
Light horizontal scratching is visible in the lower portion of the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive image; frames appear to run consecutively as a single continuous shot; the animated character visible is consistent with the Pokémon franchise film on record.
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack, warm dye-based positive print, and 35mm four-perforation format are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1990s.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading, 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.
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
