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 4Kids Entertainment as the second theatrical outing built on the Pokémon phenomenon of the late 1990s, following the franchise's explosive American debut a year earlier. Riding the height of Pokémania, the film brought Ash Ketchum's journey to the big screen with the Legendary Birds and Lugia at the center of its story, drawing enormous box office numbers and cementing the series as a merchandising and cultural juggernaut of the era. For collectors, any 35mm survival from this release captures a genuine touchstone of turn of the millennium American pop culture.
This cell centers on Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, the inseparable pairing at the heart of the entire Pokémon mythology. Ash, the series' central trainer, and Pikachu, its most recognizable creature, together represent the emotional core of the franchise, the bond collectors return to again and again. A cell built around just these two figures speaks to the partnership itself rather than any single set piece, making it a natural centerpiece for anyone assembling a collection anchored in the franchise's most enduring relationship.
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, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation zone on the same edge; a DTS timecode line also appears present as a thin dashed line running parallel to the optical track.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer text or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-teal tint consistent with a safety stock; dye image reads as cool-neutral with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light horizontal scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
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 variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and DTS timecode line is consistent with a 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
