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's bid to translate a television and trading-card phenomenon into a theatrical event. Built around Mewtwo's origin and his clash with Mew, the film became a cultural landmark of the era, pulling in record-breaking box office from a generation raised on the show and cementing Pokémon as a global media force well beyond Japan. For many young collectors it was their first theatrical experience tied to a franchise they already loved, making the film's 35mm elements a tangible link to that original release.
This cell carries the name Team Rocket, the trio whose comic relief and scheming gave the series its recurring rhythm across episodes and this feature alike. A frame under that name preserves a piece of their presence in the film, whether drawn from animation, a trailer assembly, or credits material bearing their identity. Collectors seek them out because Team Rocket remain among the most recognizable and beloved supporting figures in the franchise, and any surviving physical artifact tied to their name from this release holds value as a piece of that early theatrical chapter.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds one frame fully visible with partial frames above and below.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly formed with no torn or deformed edges visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as two wavy white lines consistent with a dual bilateral or stereo variable-area optical track; Dolby Digital pixel blocks are not clearly distinguishable in the inter-perforation gaps at this size; DTS timecode and SDDS outer-edge tracks are not visible in this capture.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base appears with a warm amber-orange cast in the image area; dye saturation looks intact with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; the visible frame shows animated characters consistent with the art style of the film on record.
Era check
A 35mm positive print with a variable-area optical soundtrack and warm dye base 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
