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 Pioneer as the second theatrical entry in the franchise, riding the peak of Pokémania in the West. Released in the summer of 2000, it followed the Pikachu-driven success of the first film and pushed the mythology further into the Legendary tier, introducing audiences to Lugia, Ho-Oh, and the Legendary birds in a story built around ecological balance. It remains a touchstone for collectors of early Pokémon cinema, marking a moment when the property still commanded blockbuster status in American theaters.
This cell preserves Lugia, the Guardian of the Sea and one of the most sought-after Legendary Pokémon in the franchise's visual history. As the film's central mythic figure, Lugia anchors the movie's plot and its marketing, making any surviving frame of the character a significant piece for collectors tracing the character's theatrical debut. A cell like this, drawn directly from the 35mm print, offers physical continuity with the movie's original theatrical run rather than a later reproduction or promotional still.
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 the punched edges appear clean throughout the strip.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along the bottom edge, appearing as two bilateral variable-area tracks; Dolby Digital data blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the bottom edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight cool-blue tint consistent with modern safety stock; dye image appears neutral with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are seen in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with an animated feature matching the film on record.
Era check
The combination of bilateral variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and cool-tinted polyester base is 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
