Crown Grading
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FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 from Warner Bros. and Nintendo, riding the crest of Pokémania as it swept American television and toy aisles. Adapted from the Japanese original, the film introduced US audiences to the franchise's cinematic ambitions, pairing the familiar television cast with a darker, more mythic narrative built around a genetically engineered creature grappling with its own origins. The trailer campaign that preceded the release played a significant role in building anticipation, reaching young audiences who had only known Pokémon through television and cards.
This cell preserves a moment from that trailer, centered on Mewtwo, the film's central figure and one of the franchise's most enduring characters. Mewtwo represents the philosophical heart of the movie, a being created rather than born, wrestling with questions of purpose and identity that set the film apart from typical franchise fare. Trailer cells like this one hold particular appeal for collectors, offering a glimpse of how the character was introduced to audiences before the film's release, a piece of the promotional history surrounding one of the most significant Pokémon characters ever put to screen.
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital composite release print of Pokémon: The First Movie Trailer (1999).
- Gauge
- 35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
- Perforations
- Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges look clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
- Soundtrack
- A variable-area optical track is visible running along the lower edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual variable-area (stereo) format; Dolby Digital data blocks are also visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge, indicating a composite Dolby Digital / analogue optical print.
- Edge print
- Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
- Base & colour
- The clear base shows a slight blue-green tint consistent with polyester safety stock; the dye image reads with cool purple and blue tones showing no obvious fading or red shift.
- Projection history
- No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are apparent on the frames shown.
- Picture
- Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as a single continuous shot, and the animated style is consistent with a Pokémon theatrical release print.
- Era check
- The composite Dolby Digital plus analogue optical soundtrack configuration is consistent with a 1999 theatrical release print, as Dolby Digital on 35mm was standard for major studio releases from 1992 onward.
