Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999 through Warner Bros., released by Nintendo and Toho's original production, riding the crest of Pokémania as it swept through toy aisles, trading cards, and Saturday morning television. Adapted from the Japanese feature Mewtwo Strikes Back, it introduced American audiences to a big-screen version of the franchise's mythology, pairing spectacle with the merchandising engine that made Pokémon a global phenomenon. For many collectors, this release marks the moment the franchise crossed fully into mainstream Western culture.
This cell centers on Pikachu, the franchise's most recognizable figure and the character most responsible for its crossover appeal beyond dedicated fans of the games and cards. A 35mm frame bearing this figure's name draws interest simply for that association, regardless of where it falls in the film's runtime. Such a cell functions as a direct physical link to the movie's theatrical run, a single surviving fragment of the print that once passed through a projector. For collectors, owning a Pikachu cell from this release is a way of holding a tangible piece of the character's earliest big-screen presence.
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 two frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge below the picture area, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern consistent with an analog stereo optical track; Dolby Digital data blocks are also visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight blue-cyan tint; the dye image reads as a saturated positive with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are apparent in this capture.
Picture
Positive image; the two frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the animated character depicted is consistent with the Pokémon franchise as recorded.
Era check
The combination of a dual bilateral variable-area optical track with Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks is consistent with a 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
