Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 courtesy of Warner Bros. and Nintendo's licensing muscle, riding the crest of a cultural wave that had already swept American television and toy aisles. The film brought the franchise's central rivalry, between a manufactured psychic Pokémon and the original Mewtwo himself, to American theaters, paired with a Pikachu short that softened the ticket for younger audiences. Its trailer run was a major promotional event, seeding anticipation months ahead of release and marking one of the first times a Japanese animated property received this scale of American theatrical push.
This cell preserves a trailer frame built around Mewtwo, the film's genetically engineered antagonist and one of the franchise's most enduring characters, prized by collectors for his central role in the saga's emotional core. A close-up moment places him as the focal subject rather than a background figure, suited to a trailer's purpose of establishing a character's presence and weight before audiences ever reach the feature itself. For collectors, this is a direct artifact of that early marketing campaign, a physical trace of how Mewtwo was introduced to American moviegoers ahead of the film proper.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of the Pokémon: The First Movie trailer (1999).
Gauge
35mm layout with four perforations per frame along both edges; the strip holds four frames, the first one cropped at the left edge.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle holes that look cleanly punched with no visible tears or missing holes.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks run in a band beside the picture; the Dolby Digital area between the lower perforations shows a grainy block pattern.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a cool blue tint at the edges; the dye image looks neutral with strong blues and yellows and no obvious fading.
Projection history
No lines, scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size.
Picture
Positive image; the four frames run consecutively as one continuous shot, and the animated look is plausible for the film on record, though no title or credit card is visible.
Era check
Consistent with a late-1990s release print, since analog optical tracks paired with Dolby Digital blocks between the perforations were standard on 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
