Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokemon 3: The Movie arrived from Warner Bros. and 4Kids in 2001, the third theatrical entry built from the anime phenomenon that swept American youth culture at the turn of the millennium. Following on the commercial success of the first two films, it continued the franchise's push to translate television serialization into event cinema, pairing Pikachu's global popularity with a story pitched toward crossover family audiences. For collectors, these early films remain touchstones of Pokemon's peak saturation era, when merchandising and movie tie-ins were inseparable from the show's cultural footprint.
This cell centers on Team Rocket, the recurring trio of antagonists whose comic misadventures provided the series' running gag of grand schemes ending in failure. A swimming moment fits squarely within their established shtick of physical mishap and misfortune, a beat used often across the franchise to punctuate action sequences with levity. Team Rocket material draws steady collector interest thanks to the group's enduring popularity and frequent absence from official reissue lines, making single frame survivals like this one a tangible piece of the franchise's animated history.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokemon 3: The Movie (2001).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds one frame.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched corners are cleanly rounded with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the left edge beside the picture area, appearing as a single-track analog stripe.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-cream tint consistent with acetate or polyester safety stock; dye image reads as saturated and neutral with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive color image; the single frame shows animation consistent with the cel-style theatrical animation of the film on record.
Era check
A single variable-area optical track alongside a 35mm positive print is consistent with a 2001 theatrical release print, as Dolby Digital and DTS were common additions but analog optical remained standard on release prints of that period.
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
