Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived as Warner Bros. and Nintendo's second theatrical push for the franchise at the height of Pokémania, following the surprise success of the original film. Built around the Legendary Birds and Lugia, it broadened the anime's mythology for a global audience already primed by trading cards, merchandise, and Saturday morning television. For collectors of early Pokémon cinema, this era represents the franchise's commercial peak, when a Pokémon film could open wide in American theaters and hold its own against major studio releases of the same season.
This cell belongs to Team Rocket, the trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth whose recurring schemes and comic relief became as central to the show's identity as any Pokémon battle. Their inclusion in a movie-specific strip signals one of the film's connective threads, the running subplot that ties the larger adventure back to familiar television rhythms. Collectors seek out Team Rocket material because the group represents continuity and personality across the series, a reliable presence whose appearance in feature-length format marks the crossover between weekly episodes and the bigger theatrical canvas.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds two frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced and cleanly punched with no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along the left edge beside the picture area.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight cool-blue tint consistent with polyester safety stock; dye image reads as neutral with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are present on either frame.
Picture
Positive colour image; both frames appear to be consecutive frames from the same shot, and the animated characters and uniforms are consistent with the Pokémon franchise film on record.
Era check
The variable-area optical track, polyester base tint, and colour dye stock are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the year 2000.
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
