Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon 4Ever arrived in 2002 as part of the franchise's fourth theatrical outing, released by Warner Bros. Pictures and 4Kids Entertainment during the height of Pokémon's early-2000s dominance. Built around the legendary Celebi and a young Samuel Oak, the film continued the series' theatrical run that brought television's core cast to a wider audience. It stands as a snapshot of the era when Pokémon merchandise, animation, and film tie-ins were inseparable from mainstream pop culture, making surviving 35mm material from these releases a niche but meaningful piece of animation history.
This cell preserves Jessie, Meowth, and James together, the enduring trio whose schemes and camaraderie became one of the franchise's most recognizable comic threads. Team Rocket's presence in any frame is a draw for collectors, since their scenes anchor much of the series' humor and continuity across films and episodes. Appearing as a group here suggests a moment built around their shared dynamic, a hallmark of their appeal. Whether drawn from footage, a trailer, or a supporting sequence, this cell represents a tangible fragment of their recurring role within the film's larger story.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of Pokémon 4Ever (2002).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds two frames visible side by side, suggesting a dual-frame print layout or two adjacent frames on the strip.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly cut with no visible torn or deformed edges.
Soundtrack
Not visible in this capture; the area beside the picture frames is obscured by the black inter-frame border and the strip's orientation does not expose a clear soundtrack lane.
Edge print
The number '246' is visible printed in the lower-right corner of the strip; no manufacturer name, SAFETY FILM text, or key code is legible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base appears to have a slight warm-neutral tint; the dye image reads as colour-positive with no obvious red shift or fading visible.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are apparent in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; the two visible frames appear to be from the same shot or consecutive frames of the same scene, and the animated characters wearing uniforms with an 'R' emblem are consistent with the Pokémon franchise as recorded.
Era check
A colour positive 35mm print with this perforation layout and dye-based image is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2002 release date of the film 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
