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 2005 as the eighth theatrical entry in the franchise, produced by OLM under Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's supervision and distributed for Japanese and international audiences during a period when the anime's film arm still commanded strong theatrical turnout. The movie centers on Aura, Sir Aaron, and the bond between Lucario and Ash's circle, with Mew woven throughout as the mythical figure whose presence ties the story's past and present together. It stands as a notable entry for introducing Lucario, a Pokémon that would go on to become one of the franchise's most enduring and merchandised designs.
This piece draws its interest from the pairing named directly: Mew, the ancient and elusive Mythical Pokémon whose scarcity in physical media makes any appearance a draw for collectors, alongside Kidd Summers, the treasure hunter and supporting human character original to this film. A frame holding these two together marks a specific narrative intersection between the wandering aviator and the wandering Pokémon, a pairing found nowhere else in the series. For 35mm collectors, a cell like this represents a physical fragment of that one-time convergence, valued simply for capturing two figures who share screen time in only this movie.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
Gauge
35mm; the strip holds three frames, each with four perforations visible on the top edge and four on the bottom edge.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A pale cyan-tinted band runs along the bottom edge of the strip; at this size it is consistent with an optical soundtrack area, though fine track detail is not resolvable.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base appears largely neutral-clear; the dye image shows warm orange and deep blue tones with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks or cue marks are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be from the same shot with no visible cut between them, and the animated character and visual style are consistent with the film on record.
Era check
A 35mm positive print with an optical soundtrack band and warm, unfaded dye image is consistent with a theatrical release print from the mid-2000s era 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
