FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo's bid to translate a television and gaming phenomenon into a theatrical event, riding the crest of Pokémania at its American peak. Built around the origin and rampage of a genetically engineered Pokémon, the film paired a merchandising juggernaut with genuine ambition, tackling questions of identity and cloning inside a children's blockbuster. Its trailer campaign preceded the film into theaters, priming a generation for what became one of the highest grossing anime releases in American history.
This cell preserves a strip of that promotional reel devoted to Mewtwo, the film's central creation and its most enduring antagonist. As the engineered counterpart to Mew, Mewtwo carries the movie's emotional weight, its story of purpose and rebellion against its creators. A trailer cell built around him functions as a teaser fragment, isolating the character meant to draw audiences before the feature's release. For collectors, Mewtwo remains the franchise's most requested figure from this era, making any surviving 35mm trailer material tied to him a natural point of focus.
Authentication Findings
8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The First Movie Trailer (1999).
- Gauge
- 35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds two frames.
- Perforations
- Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean.
- Soundtrack
- A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a narrow light-modulated stripe.
- Edge print
- Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
- Base & colour
- The base shows a slight blue-teal tint consistent with a colour print stock; dye image appears saturated with no visible fading or red shift.
- Projection history
- Light horizontal abrasion lines are visible across the base, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
- Picture
- Positive colour image; the two frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the animated character style is consistent with the Pokémon franchise film on record.
- Era check
- The variable-area optical track, colour print stock with teal base tint, and perforation style are all consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the late 1990s.
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.