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 global gaming and television phenomenon onto the big screen, riding the crest of Pokémania in the West. Built around the Mewtwo Strikes Back storyline, it introduced American audiences to franchise mythology on 35mm for the first time, pairing a big-budget theatrical push with the merchandising machine already dominating playgrounds. Its box office success proved anime properties could cross over into mainstream family cinema, cementing Pokémon's place in late-90s pop culture history.
This cell preserves a frame tied to Team Rocket, the recurring trio whose bumbling schemes provided comic relief throughout the series and its film outings. Jessie, James, and Meowth built a devoted following distinct from the main cast, prized by collectors for their catchphrases and slapstick presence. A Team Rocket cell from this release represents a physical artifact of that comic subplot within the larger Mewtwo narrative, a tangible strip of celluloid connecting fans to the character's specific screen time in Pokémon's theatrical debut.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The First Movie.
Gauge
35mm; the strip holds one frame, with four perforations visible on each edge.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched corners look clean.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation gaps on the same side; a DTS timecode line also appears present as a dotted row between the picture and the optical track area.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base appears neutral to very slightly cool; dye image shows strong, saturated colour with no visible fading.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; the single frame shows consecutive animated content consistent with a theatrical release print of the film on record.
Era check
The combination of a variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and a DTS timecode line is consistent with a late-1990s theatrical release print, matching the 1999/1999 release window 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
