Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 courtesy of Warner Bros. and Nintendo's Pokémon Company, riding the crest of a cultural wave that had swept American children's media that year. The trailer preceding the feature served as audiences' first theatrical glimpse of the franchise's leap to the big screen, promising a darker, more dramatic tone than the television series had offered. This marketing material holds its own historical weight, marking a moment when a trading card and video game phenomenon proved it could command feature-length storytelling and studio distribution.
This cell preserves a moment from that trailer centered on Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokémon whose creation and anguish anchor the film's narrative. Mewtwo's attack sequences in promotional material signaled to early audiences the character's power and menace, setting expectations for a villain more complex than typical Saturday morning fare. Collectors prize Mewtwo cells for the character's enduring popularity and central role in the franchise's cinematic debut. As trailer material rather than finished film footage, this piece belongs to the promotional apparatus that introduced a generation to Pokémon on film, a distinct and sought-after category for collectors of the era.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of the Pokémon: The First Movie trailer (1999).
Gauge
Four perforations per frame on both edges, 35mm layout; the strip holds three full frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both the top and bottom edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle and cleanly punched, with no torn or missing holes seen.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs between the picture and the lower perforations, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible in the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Pale blue-tinted base along both edges; the dye image looks neutral to cool with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size; no scratches, cue marks or splices appear within the three frames or along the edges.
Picture
Positive image, three consecutive frames from one continuous shot; nothing seen contradicts the Pokémon: The First Movie trailer, as the animated cel-style artwork fits.
Era check
Consistent with a late-1990s release print: a dual optical track with Dolby Digital blocks between the perforations is typical of 1999 theatrical prints.
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 000069840
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
