Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo moved to capitalize on a cultural wave that had already swept through television, trading cards, and handheld gaming. The film brought the franchise to American theaters for the first time, pairing the animated feature with a Pikachu short and backing it with a marketing push that included trailers running in advance of release. For many younger viewers it was an introduction to Pokémon on the big screen, and for the franchise itself it marked a turning point from television phenomenon to box office draw, cementing a presence that would carry the brand for decades.
This cell comes from the trailer reel, the footage cut together to build anticipation ahead of the film's release, and it bears the name Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokémon at the center of the story's conflict. Mewtwo's origin and motivations formed the emotional core of the movie, making the character a natural focus for early promotional material. Collectors seek material tied to this figure because Mewtwo represents the franchise's first attempt at a darker, more complex antagonist, a distinction that gives trailer material like this a lasting place in Pokémon film history.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, with four frames visible across the strip, one cut off at the left edge.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced and cleanly punched with rounded-rectangle holes; the strip curves on the panel but the pitch looks regular.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs beside the picture, and a speckled Dolby Digital data block sits in each gap between the lower-edge perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a light blue-teal cast at the edges; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no obvious fading or colour shift.
Projection history
No scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size; the strip looks clean and flat on the panel.
Picture
Positive image; the four frames repeat the same shot with only slight differences between them, and the stylised blue creature artwork fits Pokémon: The First Movie.
Era check
Analogue optical track plus Dolby Digital data blocks fits a 1999 35mm release print, since that dual-format layout was standard for wide releases then.
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
