Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
Pokemon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999, a Warner Bros. release built from the Japanese anime phenomenon that had already conquered television and toy aisles worldwide. Produced with 4Kids Entertainment's dubbing and marketing muscle behind it, the film served as many young viewers' introduction to feature length anime, pairing the short "Pikachu's Vacation" with the main event. Its box office success proved that a franchise born from a handheld video game could command theatrical audiences, cementing Pokemon as a cultural mainstay rather than a passing fad, and setting the template for a long-running series of animated films that followed in its wake.
This 35mm cell preserves a strip centered on Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokemon whose creation and inner conflict drive the film's plot. As a character born of scientific ambition and existential doubt, Mewtwo stands apart from the roster of wild and trained creatures around him, giving collectors a figure whose weight in the story is unmatched. A cell bearing his name marks a piece of the narrative's philosophical core rather than a background beat, appealing to those who value the character over incidental scenery.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokemon: The First Movie.
Gauge
35mm; the strip shows four perforations per frame on both edges and holds one complete frame with partial frames above and below.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even; perforation edges appear cleanly punched on the top set, while the bottom set shows some roughness consistent with use.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks are visible below the picture area, consistent with a stereo optical print; no Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, DTS timecode line, or SDDS outer-edge tracks are discernible in this capture.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base carries a strong blue-violet dye shift across the image area; the clear rebate appears teal-tinted, suggesting a colour print stock with noticeable dye imbalance toward the blue channel.
Projection history
Light horizontal abrasion lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; the single main frame shows animated cel-style artwork consistent with the Pokemon franchise title on record.
Era check
The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, colour print stock, and perforation format 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
