Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters in November 1999, distributed by Warner Bros. after Nintendo and the Pokémon Company's media empire had already conquered television, trading cards, and handheld gaming. The film capitalized on the franchise's explosive stateside debut earlier that year, and its promotional trailer run was a cultural event in its own right, playing ahead of family films to audiences already primed by the craze. For many young collectors, this trailer was their first glimpse of Mewtwo's story and the larger-scale battles the movie promised, making the promotional material nearly as memorable as the feature itself.
This cell draws together Ash Ketchum alongside Pikachu, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Scyther, and Nidoqueen, assembling a roster that spans the player character and a cross-section of his allies and adversaries. As a trailer cell, its purpose is to announce scope and stakes, showing the breadth of Pokémon involved rather than a single narrative beat. For collectors, this grouping is notable precisely because it is promotional rather than a scene lifted from the finished film, capturing how Warner Bros. chose to sell the movie's world before audiences ever saw the story play out in full.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm positive release print of the Pokémon: The First Movie trailer (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations span each frame along both edges, and the strip holds three full frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle and cleanly punched, with no torn or missing holes seen.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks run between the picture and the lower perforations, and the gaps between the lower perforations hold Dolby Digital data blocks.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Pale cyan-blue tint to the clear base along both edges, with neutral and cleanly saturated dye in the picture area and no visible fading.
Projection history
None seen at this size; the picture area and edges show no scratches, cue marks or splices.
Picture
Positive image, three consecutive frames of one shot, and the animated look matches the film on record's trailer.
Era check
Consistent with a 1999 release print, since analogue optical tracks paired with Dolby Digital data blocks on a positive print were standard theatrical practice then.
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 000069774
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
