Crown Grading
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FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
Warner Bros. handled distribution for Pokémon: The First Movie in North America, bringing Nintendo's television phenomenon to theaters in November 1999 as 4Kids Entertainment and the franchise's Japanese creators sought to translate a merchandising juggernaut into a feature film event. The picture arrived at the height of Pokémania, when the games, cards, and cartoon had already saturated American childhood, and its box office success proved the brand could command theatrical audiences beyond the small screen. The film's marketing push, including trailers like this one, played a critical role in building anticipation for a franchise still new to Western moviegoing.
This cell centers on Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokémon whose origin and inner conflict form the emotional core of the film. As the movie's central antagonist turned tragic figure, Mewtwo carries a weight and complexity unusual for the franchise's early output, making the character a lasting draw for collectors of Pokémon film material. A trailer cell captures a promotional moment, footage assembled to sell the film before release rather than a frame from the finished feature itself, giving it a distinct place in the reel's production history.
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 three frames.
- Perforations
- Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear 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-bilateral (two-track) pattern; Dolby Digital data blocks are also visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge.
- Edge print
- Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
- Base & colour
- Base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint consistent with color print stock; dye image shows stable blue, purple and white tones with no visible fading or red shift.
- Projection history
- No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks seen in this capture.
- Picture
- Positive color image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, consistent with animated content from the film on record.
- Era check
- The combination of dual variable-area optical track and Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks is consistent with a mid-to-late 1990s theatrical release print, matching the 1999 record date.
