Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 courtesy of Warner Bros. and Nintendo, riding the crest of Pokémania as it swept American theaters and toy shelves alike. The film adapted Mewtwo Strikes Back for Western audiences, pairing it with a Pikachu short and a marketing blitz that made the release one of the defining pop culture moments of the late nineties. Its trailer campaign was essential to that push, teasing the mythology of Pokémon's rarest creatures to a generation of young fans eager for the franchise's leap to the big screen.
This cell preserves a strip from that trailer, centered on Mew, the elusive Mythical Pokémon whose genetic material forms the basis of the film's central conflict with Mewtwo. Mew's presence here reflects its status as the franchise's quiet legend, a creature spoken of in whispers long before players could claim to have seen one. A trailer cell like this exists to entice, offering an early glimpse meant to stir anticipation rather than tell the full story, making it a fitting artifact for collectors drawn to Pokémon's founding era.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print trailer strip of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds four complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rectangular with rounded corners and cleanly punched; none torn or missing in this capture.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track runs between the picture and the lower perforations, and a speckled Dolby Digital data block sits in each gap between those perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear, slightly cool blue-tinted base; the dye image shows deep blacks and saturated purples with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size; no scratches, cue marks or splices are visible across the four frames.
Picture
Positive image; the four frames run consecutively as one continuous shot, and the white cat-like animated character on purple energy matches the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Consistent with a late-1990s release print: an analogue optical track paired with Dolby Digital data blocks is typical of 35mm prints of that period.
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
