Crown Grading
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FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in late 1999 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo capitalized on the franchise's explosive American debut, pairing Mewtwo's origin story with a Pikachu short to sell out multiplexes nationwide. The theatrical trailer that preceded it became its own cultural artifact, a rapid assembly of footage meant to convert television viewers into ticket buyers during the height of Pokémania. Promotional 35mm trailer material from this window is scarce since prints were cycled and discarded once the run ended, making surviving frames a direct physical link to that marketing push.
This cell preserves a moment from that trailer built around Ash Ketchum, the series' central trainer and the figure through whom audiences experience the Pokémon world. Ash Ketchum Fighting points to the film's early emphasis on conflict and stakes, signaling to 1999 audiences that this feature would carry more weight than the television episodes. For collectors, a trailer cell isolates the exact edit used to generate theatrical anticipation, distinct from the finished film's reels, and a frame centered on Ash speaks to his role as the franchise's enduring anchor.
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital release-print trailer strip of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
- Gauge
- 35mm, with four perforations per frame along both edges; the strip holds about three and a half frames, with partial frames at both ends.
- Perforations
- Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle and cleanly punched, with no torn or missing perforations seen.
- Soundtrack
- Two variable-area optical tracks run beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible in the gaps between the lower-edge perforations.
- Edge print
- Not visible in this capture
- Base & colour
- Clear base with a light blue-cyan tint along both edges; the dye image looks neutral and saturated, with no obvious fading or red shift.
- Projection history
- No lines, scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size.
- Picture
- Positive image, with consecutive frames repeating the same shot and only slight change between them; the animated look matches the Pokémon film on record.
- Era check
- Dual optical tracks plus Dolby Digital data blocks fit a late-1990s 35mm release print, so the capture is consistent with a 1999 trailer.
