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 as the second theatrical entry in the franchise's early boom, riding the wave of Pokémania that swept North America at the turn of the millennium. Known internationally as Revenge of the Mount, it expanded the mythology beyond Mewtwo, introducing the Legendary birds and the guardian of the seas, and cementing the film series as a fixture of late-90s and early-2000s pop culture, drawing children and collectors alike into theaters for a story built on balance, catastrophe, and legend.
This cell bears the name Lugia, the psychic and flying-type Legendary who anchors the film's central myth as protector of the ocean and mediator among the elemental birds. Lugia's design and rarity in the games made it an instant fan favorite, and its presence on film only deepened that appeal, giving physical media collectors a direct link to the creature's cinematic debut. A 35mm cell carrying this name preserves a piece of that legend in tangible form, tying the character's mystique to the era of hand-processed animation reels rather than digital reproduction.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The Movie 2000
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds approximately one full frame with partial frames above and below
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced; punched holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing or distortion
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the lower portion beside the picture area, appearing as a dual bilateral wavy-line pattern consistent with a stereo optical track; a row of discrete data blocks is visible between the perforations on one edge, consistent with Dolby Digital encoding
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text
Base & colour
Base shows a blue-violet tint in the image area; the dye image appears shifted toward blue-purple, consistent with a colour print stock of the era
Projection history
No visible splices; faint vertical lines are present across the frame area suggesting light projection wear
Picture
Positive colour image; frames appear to run consecutively as a single shot; the stylised cosmic imagery is consistent with the animated feature on record
Era check
The combination of Dolby Digital data blocks between perforations, dual bilateral variable-area optical track, and blue-base colour print stock is consistent with a 1999-2000 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
