Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew arrived in 2006 as the eighth theatrical entry in the franchise, produced by OLM under Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's supervision, then distributed abroad through Warner Bros. It marked a technical leap for the series, introducing extensive CGI work alongside traditional cel animation for the first time, particularly in its action sequences. Coming a decade into Pokémon's global reach, the film reaffirmed the brand's box office pull in Japan while continuing its steady presence in North American theaters, cementing its place in the mid-2000s stretch of Pokémon cinema.
This cell centers on Pikachu, the franchise's defining mascot and the figure most responsible for Pokémon's crossover into mainstream culture. A moment described as battling situates Pikachu in the kind of active, physical sequence that anchors these films, the electric-type mouse called into combat rather than shown at rest. For collectors, such cels hold particular value precisely because they capture the character in motion within the narrative rather than in a static or promotional pose, offering a tangible link to the animated action that defined this era of the series.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
Gauge
35mm; the strip holds one frame, with four perforations visible on each edge per frame.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched corners look clean and rounded.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area, appearing as two thin parallel wavy lines consistent with a stereo variable-area format; Dolby Digital data blocks are not clearly distinguishable at this size.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The clear base shows a neutral to very slightly warm tint; the dye image appears fully saturated with no visible fading.
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive image; a single frame is present showing imagery consistent with an animated theatrical release print matching the film on record.
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack, fully saturated positive dye image, and four-perforation 35mm layout are all consistent with a mid-2000s theatrical release print 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
