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 bet big on the franchise's American breakout, pairing the Mewtwo Strikes Back feature with the short Pikachu's Vacation. It became a genuine box office event, introducing millions of children to anime pacing and merchandising synergy in one theatrical package, and it remains a touchstone for the era when Pokémon crossed from handheld game into mainstream pop culture.
This cell belongs to Team Rocket, the recurring trio whose schemes and comic timing thread through nearly every episode and film of the franchise. Their presence on 35mm ties directly to the movie's theatrical run, a physical remnant of the print struck for release. Collectors seek Team Rocket material because the group functions as the franchise's comic backbone, distinct from the central Pikachu and trainer arcs, giving this piece a specific identity within the wider Pokémon film canon.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The First Movie.
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 track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with a mono or stereo optical release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at the resolution and angle shown.
Base & colour
Base appears neutral to very slightly warm; dye image shows strong, saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks, or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; the single fully visible frame shows animated characters wearing uniforms marked with the letter R, consistent with Team Rocket characters from the Pokémon franchise and the film on record.
Era check
A variable-area optical track alongside a saturated colour positive image on what appears to be a safety base is consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the late 1990s, matching the 1999/1999 release period of the film on record.
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
