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 4Kids Entertainment at the height of Pokémania, when the franchise's leap from Game Boy screens to Saturday morning television had already conquered American youth culture. Following on the heels of the first film's blockbuster success, this sequel pushed the animation and mythology further, introducing the Legendary birds and the deep sea guardian Lugia to a generation of collectors who were just as eager to own a piece of the film as they were to complete their card sets. It remains a touchstone of that transitional era, when Pokémon proved it could sustain a theatrical run beyond its television roots.
This cell centers on Lugia itself, the psychic and flying type Legendary who anchors the film's plot as the balancing force between the three elemental birds. Lugia's design and rarity within the Pokémon world make it one of the most sought after characters for collectors of animation cels, since its appearances are comparatively scarce compared to the franchise's more common cast. A cell bearing this name places the guardian directly at the center of the frame, a fitting record of the character whose presence gives the film its mythic weight and its reason for existing as a theatrical event rather than another television episode.
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 formed with rounded corners.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, with what appears to be a separate digital data track adjacent to it, consistent with a Dolby SR/Dolby Digital combined print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to quote any text or key numbers.
Base & colour
The base appears neutral to very slightly cool; the dye image shows strong, saturated purple and warm tones with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
Light vertical scratching is visible in the picture area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive image; the single fully visible frame shows a consecutive shot from what appears to be an animated feature, consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The combined variable-area optical and digital soundtrack configuration, saturated dye image, and perforation style 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
