Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon Heroes arrived in 2002 as the fifth theatrical entry in the franchise, produced by OLM under Nintendo and Pikachu Project, and distributed to Western audiences by Warner Bros. It came at a point when Pokémon's film series was shifting focus toward the Legendary creatures that anchored each generation's mythology, here centering on Latios and Latias and their bond with the city of Alto Mare. For longtime fans this entry stands out for placing its Legendary duo at the emotional core of the story rather than treating them as background spectacle, a structural choice that shaped how later films would build around single iconic Pokémon.
This cell carries the name Latios alone, marking it as a piece belonging specifically to that character's presence on film. Latios is one of the more sought-after Legendary Pokémon among collectors, prized for its rarity in animation appearances and its central role in this particular story. A 35mm cell bearing this name preserves a physical fragment of that role, a single frame drawn from the reel rather than a reproduction, offering film collectors a tangible link to the character's screen history within this specific release.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour-positive theatrical release print of Pokémon Heroes (2002).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds two frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A cyan-tinted horizontal band runs below the picture area; no variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation blocks, DTS timecode line, or SDDS outer-edge data are distinguishable in this capture.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; the dye image reads as a saturated, colour-positive image 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; both frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the animated character depicted is consistent with the Pokémon Heroes (2002) feature.
Era check
The colour-positive 35mm format with a cyan leader band at the lower edge is consistent with a theatrical release print of the early 2000s era, matching the 2002 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
