Crown Grading

FILM NOTES

Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in North American theaters in November 1999, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures following its 1998 Japanese release by Toho. Produced by OLM, Inc. and based on the global phenomenon from Game Freak and Nintendo, the film marked the franchise's theatrical debut and became one of the highest-grossing animated films of its year, cementing Pokémon's cultural reach beyond television and games.

This cell, titled Team Rocket, captures Jessie, James, and Meowth in a low-angle composition, the trio appearing to fall or recline against a dark interior with blue architectural forms overhead — consistent with Mewtwo's castle setting. Three consecutive frames preserve subtle animation movement across what reads as a single sustained moment, offering a rare sequential glimpse into the scene's hand-drawn progression.