Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: Pikachu's Rescue Adventure arrived in 2000 as part of the franchise's early theatrical push, when Pokémon mania was near its commercial peak in the West. Produced under the Pokémon Company and Warner Bros. distribution banner for its English-language run, these short theatrical featurettes accompanied larger releases and served as bonus material for young fans flooding theaters. The era marked a high point of merchandising synergy between anime, trading cards, and film, and surviving 35mm cells from these featurettes are relatively scarce compared to mainline movie prints, making them appealing to franchise-specific collectors.
This cell centers on Bellossom, a Grass-type Pokémon known for its flower-adorned appearance and its signature association with dance, a trait built into its species identity within the games and anime. The named moment points to a performance beat, a scene built around rhythm and display rather than battle, which fits Bellossom's established character niche. For collectors, this cell represents a quieter, character-driven frame, valuable for spotlighting a less common Pokémon in a dedicated visual moment rather than a crowd or action sequence.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: Pikachu's Rescue Adventure (2000).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds four frames.
Perforations
Four perforations per frame on each edge; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly cut with no visible torn or deformed edges.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern; a band of dense blue-tinted digital data blocks is also visible between the optical track and the picture area, consistent with a Dolby Digital track.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight cyan-blue tint typical of modern safety stock; the dye image reads with saturated, neutral colour balance showing no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are apparent in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all four frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single animated shot, consistent with the animated feature listed on record.
Era check
The combination of a dual bilateral variable-area optical track alongside a Dolby Digital data block strip is consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1990s to early 2000s, matching the 2000 release date on record.
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
