Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in the fall of 1999 courtesy of Warner Bros. and Nintendo's Pokémon Company, riding the crest of a cultural phenomenon still building steam in the West. Adapted from the Japanese original with new footage bolted on for American audiences, it became one of the highest-grossing anime releases of its era, introducing millions of kids to Mewtwo, cloning ethics, and the emotional weight the franchise could carry beneath its merchandising machine. For a generation, it was their first theatrical Pokémon experience, making 35mm survivors from the release a tangible link to that opening weekend.
Pikachu is the franchise's mascot, the face on every box and the emotional center of the film's climax, so a cell built around this moment carries weight beyond a single frame. The mood named here points to one of the property's rare instances of open vulnerability, a beat that broke from the usual adventure-comedy rhythm and became one of the most referenced scenes in Pokémon history. Collectors prize Pikachu material generally, but a cell tied to this specific emotional turn holds particular resonance, marking the instant the movie asked children to sit with something heavier than a battle.
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; punched edges appear clean with no visible torn or deformed holes.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern; Dolby Digital pixel blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, indicating a hybrid optical/Dolby Digital soundtrack area.
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; the dye image reads as warm yellow-dominant, consistent with an intact colour dye set showing no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
Faint vertical lines are visible running through the picture area, consistent with light projection wear or minor base scratching.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three 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 hybrid 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 period 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
