Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 courtesy of Warner Bros. and Nintendo, riding the crest of Pokémania as it swept American theaters, toy aisles, and television schedules alike. The film adapted the franchise's origin myth into a feature-length event, pairing the theatrical release with the now-famous "Mewtwo Strikes Back" story. For a generation raised on the trading cards and the Game Boy cartridges, this was the moment Pokémon proved itself a true cinematic property, and the accompanying trailer became a cultural touchstone in its own right, teasing audiences with their first glimpse of the film's darker, more ambitious tone.
This trailer cell gathers Mewtwo alongside cloned Gyarados, Scyther, and Nidoqueen, the genetically engineered adversaries central to the film's plot. Mewtwo remains one of the franchise's most sought-after characters, prized for its origin as a man-made Pokémon and its role as the story's tragic antagonist. Pairing it here with its cloned creations marks the assembly of Mewtwo's artificial army, a key narrative beat promoted heavily in early marketing. As a trailer fragment, this cell preserves a promotional artifact meant to build anticipation, offering collectors a tangible piece of the campaign that introduced Mewtwo's conflict to a waiting audience.
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, which fits 35mm; the strip holds three frames, the third cropped at the right edge.
Perforations
Four per frame along both the top and bottom edges, evenly spaced, with clean rounded-rectangle punches and no torn or missing holes seen.
Soundtrack
Two white variable-area optical tracks run between the picture and the lower perforations; Dolby Digital data blocks are visible in the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Pale blue-tinted base at the edges, with a neutral dye image in saturated blues, greens and purples; no fading or red shift seen.
Projection history
None seen at this size; no scratches, splices or cue marks are visible, apart from a reflection ring on one frame that is a camera artifact.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as one near-static shot, and the animated style is plausible for the film on record.
Era check
Consistent with a late-1990s release print: analogue optical tracks plus Dolby Digital blocks between the perforations match the standard format for a 1999 theatrical 35mm trailer.
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 000069874
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
