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/Pikachu Project as the follow-up to the franchise's blockbuster debut, riding the height of Pokémania in American theaters. Built around the Legendary Birds and the guardian Lugia, it expanded the mythology beyond the games and television series, cementing the film line as a theatrical event rather than a mere spinoff. For collectors, it represents the peak commercial moment of the Pokémon animation boom, when cels from these releases were preserved as keepsakes of a genuine cultural phenomenon.
This cell gathers the ensemble at the center of that mythology: Charizard, one of the most sought-after and powerful creatures in the franchise, alongside Lugia, the film's central legendary. Pikachu remains the enduring mascot, while Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Togepi round out the beloved traveling companions from the series. Grouped together under the name Charizard & Friends, this piece reads as a cast assembly, the kind of image used in promotional material, title sequences, or end credits to honor the full roster of characters who carried the story and the franchise forward.
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, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight cool-neutral tint; dye image shows saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are visible in this capture
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot matching the animated feature on record
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack, saturated colour dye image, and clean polyester-type base are all 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
