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, the franchise's second theatrical outing following the original Mewtwo film. Built around the Legendary Birds and the guardian Lugia, it pushed the anime's mythology further into feature scale, pairing television-familiar characters with a grander, more cinematic premise. For many young audiences it was a defining theater experience of the era, and it remains a touchstone for collectors tracing Pokémon's transition from card and console phenomenon into a global movie franchise.
This cell centers on Lugia, the Legendary Pokémon whose presence anchors the film's entire plot and marketing push. As a named subject rather than a background figure, it represents a focal point of the production, the kind of image studios and distributors used to signal scale and importance. Lugia's status as one of the series' most sought-after Legendaries makes any physical artifact tied directly to the character desirable among collectors of animation history and Pokémon memorabilia alike, independent of any single scene's content.
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.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even; perforation edges appear cleanly punched with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along the lower portion beside the picture area, appearing as a white-on-black waveform pattern consistent with a mono or stereo optical track.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers, manufacturer text, or SAFETY FILM designation.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight cool-blue tint; the dye image shows deep blue-violet and white tones with no obvious red shift or fading.
Projection history
Several white linear scratches run across the frame area, consistent with evidence of a projected print.
Picture
Positive colour image; the single frame visible is consistent with an animated theatrical release print matching the film on record.
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack, positive colour print on a safety base with cool tint, and perforation layout are all consistent with a year-2000 theatrical release 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
