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's theatrical gamble on a television phenomenon, bringing Mewtwo's origin story to American screens after enormous success in Japan. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and produced by OLM, it introduced a generation of collectors to cel animation from the franchise at a moment when Pokémon merchandise and cards were at their commercial peak. The film's box office success proved that the property could sustain feature length storytelling, cementing its place as a cultural touchstone of late nineties children's entertainment.
This piece gathers the core trio of the animated series alongside their companions Pikachu, Squirtle, and Staryu, representing the beating heart of the franchise's found family dynamic. Ash, Misty, and Brock traveling together with their Pokémon is the defining image collectors seek, the visual shorthand for the show's appeal. Cels featuring the full ensemble carry particular value since single character pulls are far more common. This kind of grouping likely comes from a scene emphasizing camaraderie, the trio and their partners united in the film's larger narrative.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999/1999).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds four frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual-band waveform pattern consistent with a stereo optical print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at the resolution provided; no legible key numbers or manufacturer text can be read.
Base & colour
The base shows a cool blue-tinted cast consistent with a colour dye-coupler print; the image dyes appear saturated and not visibly faded or red-shifted.
Projection history
Light longitudinal lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; all four frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the animated characters and underwater setting are consistent with Pokémon: The First Movie.
Era check
The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, colour positive print stock, and base tint are all consistent with a 1999 theatrical release print of this title.
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
