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 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo tested whether a television phenomenon could carry a theatrical run. Built on the Mewtwo Strikes Back storyline, it became a cultural marker for a generation raised on the franchise, pulling in audiences well beyond its core demographic and cementing Pokémon as a fixture of American pop culture rather than a passing fad.
This 35mm cell preserves a frame of Charizard, one of the franchise's most recognizable and sought-after Pokémon, prized by collectors for its stature within Ash's roster and its enduring popularity across the wider brand. As a solo appearance drawn from the film's original release print, the cell stands as a physical artifact of that theatrical moment, a single fragment of the movie experience itself rather than a promotional still, offering collectors a tangible piece of the picture as it played before audiences in 1999.
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 blue-tinted stripe is visible below the picture area between the perforations and the frame line, consistent with a DTS timecode track; a variable-area optical track also appears to run along the inner edge of the lower perforation strip.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
Base appears clear with a slight cool tint; dye image reads as warm amber and deep blue, consistent with a well-retained colour print.
Projection history
Light horizontal lines are visible in the inter-frame area, consistent with a projected print; no splices or cue marks seen.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot and the animated character style is consistent with the Pokémon franchise film on record.
Era check
The combination of a DTS timecode stripe and optical variable-area track alongside a positive colour print on clear base is consistent with a 1999 theatrical release print of this title, which carried both formats.
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
