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 4Kids brought Nintendo's franchise to American theaters at the height of Pokémania, pairing the Mewtwo Strikes Back feature with the short Pikachu's Vacation. It was a cultural event as much as a release, cementing Pokémon's place in mainstream pop culture and introducing millions of young audiences to their first theatrical anime experience. The film's box office success proved the durability of the franchise beyond television and trading cards.
This cell preserves a piece of 35mm film dedicated solely to Mew, the rare and elusive Psychic-type at the center of the film's origin mythology. Mew's presence anchors the story's mystery, serving as the genetic source for Mewtwo and representing the franchise's ideal of purity and legend. Collectors prize Mew material for its scarcity within the film's visual world, since the character appears sparingly compared to the more heavily featured Pokémon. A cell bearing this name alone speaks to that rarity and mystique.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999/1999).
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 soundtrack track is visible running along the bottom edge beside the picture area, appearing as two bilateral variable-area lines consistent with an analog stereo optical track; Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks are also visible in the gap between the perforations and the picture on the lower edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base transmits with a violet-purple cast across all three frames; the dye image reads as a positive with strong purple-magenta saturation, consistent with the base tint of the stock rather than fading.
Projection history
No visible splice, cue marks, or heavy scratching are apparent; the frames appear clean with no prominent longitudinal scratch lines seen.
Picture
Positive image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot and depict animated content consistent with the Pokémon: The First Movie animated feature on record.
Era check
The combination of a bilateral variable-area optical track and Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks is consistent with a 1999-1999 theatrical release print, as that dual-format soundtrack configuration was standard for major studio releases of that period.
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
