Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 courtesy of Warner Bros. and Nintendo, riding the height of Pokémania as the franchise crossed from television into theaters. The film introduced American audiences to Mewtwo's origin story, a darker, more philosophical entry than the series' typical fare, and its marketing push, including trailers like this one, helped cement the movie as a cultural touchstone of the era. Promotional 35mm material from this campaign circulates far less than frames from the feature itself, making trailer cells a distinct category for collectors.
This piece preserves a moment from that trailer's reel, centered on Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokémon whose creation and anguish drive the film's narrative. As the central antagonist-turned-tragic-figure, Mewtwo remains one of the most sought-after characters in Pokémon collecting, prized for its design and its break from the franchise's lighter tone. A close-up designation points to a moment built around the character alone, the kind of isolated, character-driven shot trailers often use to establish gravity and draw audiences into a figure meant to anchor the film's emotional weight.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital release trailer print of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
Four perforations per frame on both edges, consistent with 35mm; the strip holds three full frames plus a partial frame at each end.
Perforations
Four per frame on both the top and bottom edges, evenly spaced, with rounded-rectangle holes that look cleanly punched.
Soundtrack
A pair of white variable-area optical tracks runs between the picture and the lower perforations, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible in the gaps between those perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear, slightly cool blue-tinted base with the dye image looking neutral and not visibly faded or shifted.
Projection history
No scratches, splices or cue marks seen at this size; one dark oval on a single frame is the phone camera reflected in the base.
Picture
Positive image; the frames run consecutively as one close-up shot, and nothing in them conflicts with the film on record.
Era check
Dual optical tracks with Dolby Digital data blocks between the perforations suit a late-1990s 35mm release trailer print, matching a 1999 title.
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
