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 follow up to the franchise's blockbuster theatrical debut, riding the peak of Pokémania in American theaters. Built around the Legendary Birds and the guardian Lugia, it expanded the mythology beyond Pikachu and friends into a wider world of elemental balance, giving fans a bigger cast and higher stakes than the original film. For collectors, it represents the moment the Pokémon movie franchise proved its opening was no fluke.
This cell brings together Charizard and Lugia alongside Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur, pairing two of the series' most sought after and powerful figures with the original starter trio. Charizard remains a perennial collector favorite for its stature within the fandom, while Lugia's inclusion ties directly to this film's central mythology. Grouping these five together suggests an ensemble moment, the kind of gathering strip used for reference, publicity, or archival purposes, marking a point where the film's biggest names share the same frame.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by 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 with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block strip between the perforations and the picture area.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a light cyan-blue tint consistent with estar or acetate safety base; the dye image appears neutral with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot, and the animated content is consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The dual bilateral variable-area optical track combined with Dolby Digital data blocks between perforations is consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1990s to early 2000s, matching the 2000 release date 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
