Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999, distributed by Warner Bros. after Nintendo and the Pokémon Company's media empire had already conquered television, trading cards, and handheld gaming. The film adapted the franchise's story of Mewtwo into a feature-length release, and its theatrical trailer was a crucial marketing tool in building anticipation during the height of Pokémania. For a generation of young viewers, this promotional material was often their first glimpse of the film before release, making trailer reels a documented piece of that cultural moment.
This cell, drawn from that trailer, centers on Pikachu, the franchise's mascot and the character most responsible for its crossover success. Pikachu Attacks! signals a moment of action built around the character's signature electric abilities, the kind of beat trailers rely on to demonstrate energy and stakes to prospective audiences. Collectors prize Pikachu material above nearly all other Pokémon imagery, since the character's visibility anchors the franchise's identity. A trailer cell like this preserves a promotional fragment rather than a narrative one, a piece of the marketing campaign that introduced the film itself.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release trailer print of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
Four perforations per frame along both edges, which is the 35mm layout; the strip holds four full frames, with a partial frame at the right edge.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, rounded-rectangle holes that look evenly spaced and cleanly punched, with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track runs along the lower edge, seen as two or three white waveform bands, and Dolby Digital data blocks sit in the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Light blue, even base tint; the dye image looks neutral with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size; no scratches, cue marks or splices are visible on these frames.
Picture
Positive image; the four frames run consecutively as one shot, with a bright flash expanding across the frames, and the content is consistent with the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Consistent with a late-1990s release print: an analog optical track with Dolby Digital blocks between the perforations matches 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
