Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo's bid to carry the franchise's television momentum into theaters, riding a wave of merchandising and playground obsession that defined that era of childhood. The trailer campaign built anticipation for the film's central conflict, teasing Mewtwo as a lab-born antagonist whose power threatened to eclipse every Pokémon fans already knew. For a generation of collectors, this promotional material captures the moment Pokémon proved it could command a big screen release, not just a Saturday morning slot.
This cell preserves a trailer moment built around Mewtwo and its cloned creations, Charizard and Blastoise. Mewtwo remains one of the franchise's most sought-after figures, a genetically engineered Pokémon whose storyline of identity and rebellion gave the film unexpected weight. The clones extend that premise, suggesting duplication and control rather than the originals fans grew up with. As a trailer cell, this frame belonged to the advertising reel meant to stir curiosity before release, offering an early glimpse of the film's stakes through these three engineered and manipulated figures.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print trailer strip of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four-perforation frame pitch on both edges, with three full frames visible on the strip.
Perforations
Four perforations per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, with rounded-rectangle punches that look clean and uniform.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks run beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks in the gaps between the lower perforations; no DTS timecode line is visible.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a light blue tint along the edges; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size; the strip looks clean, with no scratches, splices or cue marks.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames look identical, so they read as one held shot, and the animated style fits the film on record.
Era check
Consistent with a late-1990s release print: optical tracks plus Dolby Digital blocks between the perforations fit the 1999 theatrical format.
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 in partnership with National Film Vault, 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.
CROWN SERIAL 000069763
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
