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. released the Japanese anime phenomenon to American theaters, riding a wave of Pokémon mania that had swept toys, trading cards, and television into a single cultural moment. Produced with 4Kids Entertainment's English adaptation, the film introduced Mewtwo to Western audiences and proved that a franchise built on handheld games could command box office numbers. For many collectors, this movie marks the peak of Pokémon's original hold on the era, a bridge between the show's early success and its lasting theatrical presence.
This cell holds a single frame of 35mm film built around Charizard, one of the franchise's most recognized and traded Pokémon since its debut. Charizard's popularity among collectors rivals the trading cards themselves, making any film relic bearing this character a natural companion piece to that wider collecting culture. A film cell like this preserves a literal fragment of the theatrical print, a physical artifact from the reel that once projected the movie in cinemas, offering a tactile connection to Charizard's appearance in the feature.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby SR/DTS release print of Pokémon: The First Movie.
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three 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 visible along the bottom edge, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern; a narrow blue stripe (Dolby SR noise-reduction indicator) runs immediately above it, and a fine DTS timecode line appears to run along the innermost edge of the soundtrack area.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint consistent with colour print stock; the dye image shows saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks, or significant scratches are visible; the image area appears consistent with a projected release print.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the animated style and colour palette are consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The combination of dual bilateral variable-area optical track, visible Dolby SR blue stripe, and DTS timecode line is consistent with a 1999-1999 theatrical release print, when that multi-format soundtrack configuration was 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
