Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 from Warner Bros. and 4Kids Entertainment, adapting the Japanese anime feature Mewtwo Strikes Back for American audiences at the height of Pokémon's global breakout. It became a box office phenomenon, introducing millions of Western viewers to the franchise's mythology beyond the television series and cementing Pikachu, Ash, and the wider Pokémon roster as fixtures of late-nineties pop culture. The film's climax, centered on conflict and eventual reconciliation, gave the brand its first taste of feature-length dramatic stakes.
This cell preserves a moment of direct confrontation between Ash Ketchum, the franchise's central trainer, and Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokémon whose ambitions drive the film's central conflict. Collectors prize Mewtwo for its rarity as an antagonist with genuine philosophical weight, distinct from the series' usual roster of wild creatures. A cell marked with this pairing captures the movie's pivotal turning point, where the protagonist stands opposed to its most formidable original character, making it a meaningful artifact from the story's dramatic core.
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 three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced; the punched holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along the bottom edge, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern; a thin blue pilot line is also visible immediately above it, consistent with a Dolby SR or analog optical format.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer codes.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight blue-green tint typical of safety polyester stock; the dye image reads as neutral with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light horizontal scratching is visible in the soundtrack area; no splices or cue marks are seen in the picture area.
Picture
Positive color image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the animated characters and style are consistent with the Pokémon franchise film on record.
Era check
The dual bilateral variable-area optical track, blue pilot line, and polyester safety base are all 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
