Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai arrived in 2008 as part of the franchise's tenth-anniversary run, released theatrically in Japan and brought to North America through Warner Home Video and later Viz Media distribution. It followed the established pattern of animated feature spinoffs tied to the core television series, expanding the mythology around Legendary Pokémon while introducing Darkrai to a wider audience. The film sits within a period when the franchise was solidifying its film series as a reliable annual event, pairing new legendary creatures with stories aimed at both younger viewers and the growing collector base following the property's expansion.
This piece centers on Dialga, one of the franchise's Legendary Pokémon tied to the concept of time, a figure central to the film's plot and a frequent draw for collectors seeking key creature appearances from the movie era. A battling designation points to a moment of direct conflict, placing this frame within the film's central action rather than its quieter character beats. Such cells appeal to collectors building out legendary-creature representation across the film series, valued for capturing a pivotal narrative beat rather than incidental footage.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai.
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds two frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the bottom edge beside the picture area, appearing as a light-colored band with a wavy boundary consistent with a single variable-area mono or stereo track; Dolby Digital pixel blocks are not clearly distinguishable at this size, and no DTS timecode line or SDDS outer tracks are visible in this capture.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears clear with a slight warm-neutral tint; dye image shows strong saturated color with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are seen on either frame.
Picture
Positive color image; both frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single animated shot, and the animated character style is consistent with the Pokémon franchise film on record.
Era check
A variable-area optical soundtrack, saturated color dye image, and clear safety base are all consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the late 2000s, matching the 2008 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
