Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo's bid to prove that the television phenomenon could command the big screen. Built around Mewtwo's origin story, it was less a simple cash-in and more a statement piece, using cinema-grade animation and a symphonic score to signal that Pokémon belonged alongside major studio releases. Trailers for the film circulated widely, giving audiences their first glimpse of clone Pokémon rendered with a darker, more dramatic edge than the Saturday morning series allowed.
This trailer cell centers on Venusaur, one of the earliest and most beloved fully evolved starters, here presented in clone form. The clone concept is central to the film's plot, tying directly into Mewtwo's creation and the philosophical questions the movie raises about identity and origin. A trailer cell like this one served as an advance promise to audiences, a single frame chosen to hint at the film's stakes without giving away its story, making Venusaur's clone appearance a marker of the franchise's early cinematic ambition.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokemon: The First Movie Trailer (1999/1999).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area, with what appears to be a dual bilateral or variable-area stereo track, and a thin blue line consistent with a Dolby SR or analog optical stripe running alongside.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at readable resolution; no key numbers or manufacturer text can be confirmed.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight blue-cyan tint consistent with modern safety stock; the dye image reads as neutral with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light horizontal abrasion lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive color image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot, and the animated style is consistent with the Pokemon: The First Movie trailer on record.
Era check
The analog variable-area optical soundtrack, cyan-tinted safety base, and positive release-print format are all consistent with a 1999-1999 theatrical trailer print.
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
