Crown Grading
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FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999, riding the first great wave of Pokémania as Warner Bros. and Nintendo brought the franchise's inaugural feature-length story to a wide audience. Adapted and expanded from the Japanese original, it introduced Mewtwo's origin to Western fans and became a cultural touchstone for a generation raised on the trading cards and television series. Its theatrical trailer campaign, run heavily ahead of release, built anticipation by teasing the clash at the story's center, giving audiences their first extended look at the film's stakes before opening day.
This cell preserves a strip from that trailer, centered on Ash Ketchum facing Mewtwo, the confrontation that anchored the movie's early marketing. Ash, the series' constant protagonist, represents the franchise's human heart, while Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokémon at the story's core, remains one of the property's most sought-after characters among collectors for its rarity and narrative weight. A trailer cell like this one captures a promotional moment rather than a scene from the finished feature cut, making it a piece of the film's advertising history as much as its storytelling.
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital release print trailer of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
- Gauge
- Four perforations per frame along both edges, so 35mm layout; the strip holds about three full frames plus partial frames at each end.
- Perforations
- Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle shape and cleanly punched, with no torn or missing perforations seen.
- Soundtrack
- A variable-area optical track runs along the lower edge beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible in the gaps between the lower perforations.
- Edge print
- Not visible in this capture
- Base & colour
- Clear base with a light blue tint across the strip; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no fading or colour shift seen.
- Projection history
- None seen at this size; no scratches, cue marks or splices are visible on the frames or track.
- Picture
- Positive colour image; the frames sit consecutively as one shot and the animated artwork is consistent with the Pokémon film on record.
- Era check
- Optical track combined with Dolby Digital data blocks on a colour positive is consistent with a 1999 35mm release print of this trailer.
