Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived from Warner Bros. and Nintendo/4Kids at the height of Pokémania, a theatrical follow-up rushed out to meet demand from a franchise that had exploded across handheld games, trading cards, and Saturday morning television. Known in Japan as Mewtwo Strikes Back: The Revenge, its American cut leaned into spectacle and adventure to keep young audiences returning to theaters. For collectors, this release marks a snapshot of peak franchise momentum, a moment when a pocket monster property crossed fully into mainstream American cinema culture.
This cell features Pikachu alone, the mascot whose image alone defined the brand for a generation. A single-character strip centered on Pikachu speaks to the character's role as emissary of the entire franchise, often appearing in isolated shots meant for merchandising stills, promotional trims, or introductory beats separate from the main plot machinery. Such cells are prized precisely because they isolate the icon from the surrounding cast, offering a clean, franchise-defining artifact rather than a narrative fragment tied to specific plot events.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds one frame fully visible with partial frames above and below.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly cut with no torn or deformed edges visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern; Dolby Digital data blocks are also visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge, indicating a hybrid optical/Dolby Digital soundtrack configuration.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to quote any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a blue-cyan tint consistent with a colour print stock; the dye image appears saturated with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; the visible frame appears to be part of a consecutive shot sequence, and the animated character visible is consistent with the Pokémon franchise as recorded.
Era check
The hybrid variable-area optical plus Dolby Digital soundtrack configuration, cyan-tinted base stock, and colour dye saturation are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1990s to early 2000s, matching the 2000 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
