Crown Grading
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FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1998 in Japan and 1999 in the United States, released by Warner Bros. domestically and built on the Nintendo and Game Freak property that had already become a global phenomenon through the television series and trading card game. It marked the franchise's leap to the big screen, introducing Mewtwo as a central figure in Pokémon's expanding mythology and proving that the brand could sustain a feature length narrative. The film's box office success cemented Pokémon's place in late nineties pop culture and made this early promotional material a touchstone for collectors tracing the franchise's theatrical origins.
This cell comes from the trailer, the promotional reel used to introduce audiences to the film before its release, and it centers on Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokémon who serves as the movie's central figure. Mewtwo's presence here reflects the character's role as the emotional and narrative core of the story, a being defined by questions of identity and purpose. Trailer cells like this one hold appeal for collectors because they capture the film's earliest public face, the moment audiences first encountered Mewtwo on screen.
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The First Movie Trailer (1999)
- Gauge
- 35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges, three frames visible on the strip
- Perforations
- Four per frame on both edges, spacing appears even, punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing
- Soundtrack
- A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge below the picture area, appearing as a dual variable-area (stereo) format
- Edge print
- Not visible in this capture
- Base & colour
- Base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; dye image shows saturated blues and yellows consistent with an intact colour dye set
- Projection history
- Light vertical 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 shot, and the animated character and style are consistent with the Pokémon franchise film on record
- Era check
- The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, colour positive print format, and stock appearance are all consistent with a 1999 theatrical release print
