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 franchise's second theatrical outing, riding the peak of Pokémania in the West. Following the surprise box office success of the first film, this sequel expanded the mythology with legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, while introducing the Orange Islands setting to American audiences. It remains a touchstone for millennium-era animation collectors, marking the moment Pokémon cemented itself as a legitimate cinematic property rather than a passing fad.
This cell centers on Slowking, a Water/Psychic type notable for its regal, almost bureaucratic presence within the Pokémon world, a striking departure from the more common battle-ready creatures fans expect. Slowking's scarcity in mainline film appearances makes any isolated frame of the character a point of interest for collectors tracking secondary or supporting cast members. As a single 35mm cell, this piece represents one physical instant of celluloid history, a tangible fragment from the actual print struck for theatrical projection during the film's original release.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even and the punched corners are rounded and cleanly cut.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a narrow twin-track stripe; Dolby Digital pixel blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge.
Edge print
Not fully legible at this capture resolution; partial characters are visible along the lower edge but cannot be quoted with certainty.
Base & colour
The base shows a neutral-to-slightly-warm tint; the dye image reads with strong, saturated colour and no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or significant scratches are visible; the surface appears consistent with a theatrically projected print showing light base-side scuffing.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with an animated theatrical release print matching Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Era check
The combination of a dual variable-area optical track with Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks is consistent with a late-1990s to early-2000s theatrical release print, matching the 1999–2000 release window of the film 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
