MOVIEPokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel
SCENEGengar
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2016
CERTIFICATE ID000064857
Film RecordPublic record
Directed by
Kunihiko Yuyama
Studio
OLM, Inc. · 82 min
Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel arrived in 2016 as the nineteenth entry in the long-running theatrical franchise, produced by OLM and distributed through Toho in Japan before its wider international release. Built around the debut of the Mythical Pokémon Volcanion and a story pairing Ash with an artificial boy named Ash-tied companion Steven, the film continued the series tradition of pairing new legendary creatures with themes of friendship and coexistence, keeping the franchise's momentum alive for a generation of collectors who grew up with both the games and the films.
This cell preserves a strip of 35mm film featuring Gengar, one of the franchise's most enduringly popular Pokémon, prized by fans for its mischievous, shadow-dwelling reputation stretching back to the original Game Boy titles. A frame from a theatrical print is a physical remnant of the film's actual projection history, distinct from promotional stills or digital reproductions. For collectors, a Gengar cell from this particular film ties the character's long-standing popularity to a specific era of Pokémon cinema, offering a tangible artifact from the movie's run rather than a later commercial reissue.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel.
Gauge
35mm; the strip shows four perforations per frame on both edges and holds one frame fully visible with partial frames above and below.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even; edges of the perforation holes appear cleanly punched with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
Not visible in this capture; the edges are obscured by the black rebate and the strip's narrow framing cuts off the soundtrack area.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears clear with a slight cool-neutral tint; dye image shows strong saturated violet and blue tones consistent with an intact colour dye set.
Projection history
Several fine vertical scratches are visible running through the picture area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; the single fully visible frame shows imagery consistent with an animated theatrical release print matching the film on record.
Era check
A 35mm colour positive print with intact saturated dyes and a clear base is consistent with a 2016 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