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 theatrical bet that a television phenomenon could fill American multiplexes, pairing the Mewtwo Strikes Back feature with the Pikachu's Vacation short. It was the franchise's first major cinematic push outside Japan, introducing a generation of collectors to 35mm artifacts from a show most had only seen on tape or broadcast. Its box office success cemented Pokémon as a lasting cross-media property rather than a passing craze.
This cell carries Charizard, one of the franchise's most recognized and sought-after creatures, a Fire and Flying type whose popularity has driven demand across cards, merchandise, and film ephemera alike. A single reel frame naming Charizard preserves a fragment of that creature's screen presence within this specific print, a physical trace of the character's appearance in the movie's animation. For collectors, owning a cell tied directly to Charizard connects a beloved character to the tangible history of the film's original theatrical run.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital hybrid release print of Pokémon: The First Movie.
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds two frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is present along one edge; a blue Dolby Digital data-block strip is visible between the picture area and the optical track, indicating a Dolby Digital hybrid analogue print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base appears clear with a slight cool-neutral tint; dye image shows warm amber and white tones with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible splices, cue marks, or heavy scratching are apparent; the image appears consistent with a projected release print.
Picture
Positive colour image; the two frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the animated character style is consistent with the Pokémon franchise film on record.
Era check
The combination of Dolby Digital data blocks alongside a variable-area optical track on 35mm is consistent with a 1999–1999 theatrical release print, when Dolby Digital SR·D hybrid prints were standard.
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
