Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in theaters in November 1999, brought to American audiences by Warner Bros. and Nintendo's Pokémon Company partnership during the height of Pokémon's first wave of US popularity. Adapted from the Japanese original, it introduced Mewtwo's origin story to a generation raised on the television series, becoming one of the highest grossing anime films released domestically at the time and cementing Pokémon as a genuine box office force beyond its game and card roots.
This cell carries the name Team Rocket, the trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth whose comic relief schemes are inseparable from the franchise's identity. Their appearances across film reels remain popular with collectors precisely because they represent the show's enduring blend of slapstick and charm, distinct from the main heroic cast. A 35mm cell bearing this name preserves a fragment of their presence within the feature, a physical remnant of the running joke that followed Ash and Pikachu through every era of the series.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokemon: The First Movie.
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds one frame.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced; punching appears clean with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area, appearing as two parallel waveform lines consistent with a stereo variable-area format; Dolby Digital data blocks are not clearly distinguishable at this size.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight cool-neutral tint; dye image shows strong, saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; a single frame is present showing animated characters consistent with the Pokemon franchise and the film on record.
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack, saturated colour dye image, and perforation layout are all consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the late 1990s, 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
