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, riding the momentum of Pokémania's peak in North America. Built around the Legendary Birds and Lugia, it expanded the anime's mythology into a big-screen event, pairing Ash's ongoing journey with grander stakes and a soundtrack pushed hard on pop radio. For a generation raised on the trading cards and Saturday morning series, this was the moment Pokémon proved it could fill theaters, cementing the property's place in early 2000s youth culture.
This cell isolates a defining pairing from that film: Ash Ketchum and Pikachu carried by Lugia, the guardian of the sea and one of the most sought-after Legendary Pokémon in the series' history. Lugia's design and role as protector give it lasting appeal among collectors, while Ash and Pikachu remain the franchise's anchor characters. A 35mm cell like this preserves a physical fragment of that theatrical release, a tactile link to the moment Pokémon's world grew larger than the small screen, valued for the specific character combination it documents.
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 both edges; spacing appears even and punches appear clean throughout the visible strip
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible on the lower edge alongside what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block strip between the perforations on the lower edge, consistent with a dual-format optical release print
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight cool-blue tint; dye image reads as neutral with no visible red shift or fading
Projection history
No splices, cue marks, or prominent scratches are visible; the print shows no overt evidence of heavy projection use
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot and the animated content is consistent with the film on record
Era check
The combination of a variable-area optical track with Dolby Digital data blocks between perforations is consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the late 1990s to early 2000s, matching the 2000 release date 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
