Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in the United States in November 1999, distributed by Warner Bros. after Nintendo and the Pokémon Company's media arm brought the franchise's theatrical debut overseas. Riding the height of Pokémania, the release was a cultural event, pairing the Mewtwo origin story with a new Pikachu short and drawing massive box office returns from a young audience already steeped in the games, cards, and television series. Trailers for the film circulated widely in theaters and on home video, building anticipation months ahead of release.
This cell comes from that promotional reel, a trailer strip rather than a scene from the finished feature, meant to tease audiences with glimpses of the film to come. Pikachu remains the franchise's defining figure, the character most responsible for Pokémon's crossover into mainstream American culture, and material bearing its likeness is always sought after. The jumping moment speaks to the character's familiar energy and movement, a small promotional beat built to carry the excitement of the era into a single strip of 35mm film.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital release print of the Pokémon: The First Movie trailer (1999).
Gauge
35mm layout: four perforations per frame on both edges, with four frames held on the strip, three complete and one cut off at the left edge.
Perforations
Four per frame on both the top and bottom edges, evenly spaced, with rounded-rectangle holes that look cleanly punched.
Soundtrack
A twin variable-area optical track runs between the picture and the lower perforations, and grey speckled Dolby Digital data blocks sit in the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear pale blue-tinted base with a saturated, even dye image; no fading or colour shift is visible.
Projection history
No lines, scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size.
Picture
Positive colour image; the four frames run consecutively as one shot of a yellow cartoon creature, matching the animated Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Optical tracks plus Dolby Digital data blocks fit a 1999 release print, and a yellow animated creature suits a Pokémon trailer.
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
