Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in late 1999 courtesy of Warner Bros., riding the crest of the franchise's first great wave of American popularity. Adapted from the Japanese feature Mewtwo Strikes Back, it introduced mainstream audiences to a mythology built around cloning, origin, and identity, wrapped inside the merchandising juggernaut that Pokémon had become. The theatrical trailer that preceded it was a cultural event in its own right, screened before other films and replayed endlessly on television, helping build anticipation for what would be one of the highest grossing animated releases of its year.
This cell preserves a frame from that trailer built around Mew, the rare and elusive Pokémon whose existence sets the film's entire plot into motion as the genetic template for Mewtwo. Mew carries an air of legend within the series, a creature spoken of more than seen, and its presence in promotional material signals the mystery at the heart of the story. For collectors, a trailer cell tied to Mew represents that early promise, the character's role as origin point rendered in a single piece of film history.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print trailer strip of Pokémon: The First Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm layout: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three complete frames side by side.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle punches that look clean and uniform, with no torn or broken holes seen.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical soundtrack runs between the picture and the lower perforations; the gaps between the lower perforations hold speckled blocks consistent with Dolby Digital data.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a faint cool blue edge tint; the dye image looks neutral with no obvious fading or colour shift.
Projection history
No lines, scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as one shot, and the purple creature artwork is consistent with the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Optical tracks plus Dolby Digital data blocks fit a late-1990s 35mm release print, which matches a 1999 theatrical trailer for this film.
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 000069793
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
