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 in the summer of 2000, riding the peak of Pokémania in North America. Building on the momentum of the first theatrical film, it pulled young audiences into theaters with a story centered on legendary Pokémon and elemental balance, cementing the franchise's cinematic presence beyond television. For a generation of fans, this was a defining trip to the movies, and the film remains a touchstone of that era's merchandising and pop culture crossover.
This cell preserves a frame of Lugia, the guardian legendary at the heart of the film's mythology. As one of the series' most iconic and sought-after Pokémon, Lugia draws collectors who want physical film history tied to a character central to the story's cosmic stakes. A single 35mm frame like this offers a tangible fragment of that theatrical run, a piece cut from the actual print rather than a reproduction. For enthusiasts, owning Lugia on film connects directly to the character's legendary status and the movie's place in Pokémon's early cinematic legacy.
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 two frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area, with what appears to be a separate digital timecode or data line running parallel above it, consistent with a dual-format optical/DTS arrangement.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base shows a light cyan-blue tint; the dye image reads with strong blue-purple and white tones, consistent with a colour print stock.
Projection history
Light vertical lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with a projected print.
Picture
Positive colour image; both frames appear to be from the same continuous shot and the animated style is consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The cyan-tinted polyester base, variable-area optical track paired with a digital timecode line, and colour dye structure are all consistent with a late-1990s to early-2000s 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
