Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived at the height of Pokémania, when Warner Bros. and Nintendo pushed the franchise's second theatrical feature into wide American release. Built to capitalize on the momentum of the original film and the ongoing television juggernaut, the trailer campaign was itself a cultural event, plastered across theaters and television spots to prime a generation of fans for another round with Ash, his friends, and the legendary birds at the story's center. For collectors, trailer material from this window captures Pokémon at its commercial and cultural peak.
This cell comes from that promotional reel, and its name tells us plainly what it holds: Pikachu in a happy mood, the franchise's mascot presented at his most endearing. Pikachu remains the character collectors chase above all others, the face of the brand since its inception, and a trailer cell isolates him in his role as ambassador, the figure meant to draw audiences into theaters with pure, uncomplicated charm.
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, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no visible tearing or distortion
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the lower edge beside the picture area, appearing as a single-track waveform; Dolby Digital pixel blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge
Base appears with a slight blue-green tint consistent with a colour print stock; dye image appears neutral with no visible fading or red shift
Projection history
Light horizontal lines visible across the frame area consistent with a projected print; no splices or cue marks visible
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with an animated theatrical release matching the film on record
Era check
The combination of Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks alongside a variable-area optical track, and the '2000' stock code in the edge print, is consistent with a year-2000 theatrical release print
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
