Crown Grading

FILM NOTES

Pokemon: The First Movie arrived in North American theaters in November 1999, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures as the theatrical centerpiece of the Pokemon phenomenon then sweeping global popular culture. Adapted from the Japanese original produced by OLM, Inc. for Nintendo and Game Freak, the film marked a significant crossover moment between animation, gaming, and mainstream cinema, drawing enormous audiences of children and families at the height of the franchise's first wave.

This cell, titled Gyarados by the operator, captures the iconic sea serpent mid-roar, surrounded by crackling blue lightning and bursting icy energy against a deep dark background — imagery drawn directly from the film's theatrical trailer. The duplicate or adjacent framing offers a rare paired glimpse of this dramatic moment, preserving one of the trailer's most visually charged sequences on original 35mm film stock.