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 Nintendo tested whether a Saturday morning phenomenon could fill theaters, adapting the anime's Mewtwo saga for American audiences with new framing material. It became a box office success that proved the franchise's commercial reach well beyond television and trading cards, cementing Pokémon as a cross-media force in the late nineties. The film's blend of imported animation and Western dubbing, including its English-language voice cast, gave the property a theatrical identity distinct from the episodic series.
This cell preserves Team Rocket, the recurring trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth, voiced respectively by Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart, and Maddie Blaustein. Their comic scheming and loyalty to each other made them fan favorites even as antagonists, and collectors prize material tied to them for that duality. A cell bearing their names points to their presence within the film's narrative rather than the series' episodic shorts, marking their place in the feature's expanded scale. For enthusiasts of the dub era, this grouping of performers is itself a notable piece of the franchise's history.
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, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a single-track analog stripe.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at the resolution shown; no legible key numbers or manufacturer text can be read.
Base & colour
Base appears neutral to very slightly warm; dye image shows strong, saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are visible on the frames shown.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as a single continuous shot and depict animated characters consistent with the Pokémon franchise as recorded.
Era check
A single variable-area analog optical track on a saturated colour positive print is consistent with a 1999 theatrical release print of this title, which predates widespread DTS or SDDS adoption as the sole format.
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
