Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999 through Warner Bros., following Nintendo's original Japanese release the year prior. It became a cultural touchstone of the Pokémon boom, introducing millions of young viewers to the franchise's first cinematic outing and cementing Mewtwo as one of its most enduring figures. The film's box office success and soundtrack tie-ins made it a defining artifact of late-90s pop culture, and 35mm cells from this release remain sought after by collectors tracing the franchise's earliest theatrical history.
This cell centers on Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokémon whose origin and inner conflict form the emotional core of the film. As the movie's central antagonist turned tragic figure, Mewtwo draws consistent collector interest for representing the story's philosophical weight amid a film aimed at children. A moment described as Mewtwo attacking speaks to the character's raw power and the confrontations that drive the film's tension, a scene collectors associate with the character's most kinetic and memorable screen presence. Cells like this preserve a piece of that defining sequence directly from the original release print.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of Pokémon: The First Movie (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 holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the lower edge beside the picture, appearing as two bilateral variable-area lines; a separate narrow digital timecode or data line is also visible immediately above the optical track.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a warm amber-orange cast across all frames; the dye image reads as a positive with saturated blues and purples, consistent with a colour release print.
Projection history
Light vertical scratching is visible running through multiple frames, consistent with evidence of a projected print.
Picture
Positive image; the four frames run consecutively as a single continuous shot and the animated character and visual style are consistent with the animated feature listed on record.
Era check
The bilateral variable-area optical track combined with a secondary digital timecode line and warm-base colour stock is 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
