Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 through Warner Bros., riding the height of Pokémania as the franchise crossed from television and trading cards into American theaters. Its trailer campaign was a cultural event in its own right, teasing the origin of Mewtwo and the battle between clones and originals that would define the feature. For a generation of collectors, these promotional materials mark the moment Pokémon became a bona fide cinematic property.
This cell preserves a trailer moment built around Mewtwo asserting command over its cloned forces, with Gyarados, Scyther, and Nidoqueen standing among the ranks under its direction. Mewtwo remains one of the franchise's most sought figures, prized for its central role in the film's conflict and its enduring status as Pokémon's original engineered antihero. A trailer cell like this one captures the promotional machinery of the release, the brief assembled to draw audiences into the larger story before the film's full narrative unfolded on screen.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release trailer print of Pokémon: The Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm layout, four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both the top and bottom edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle shaped and cleanly punched with no visible tears.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs beside the picture, and Dolby Digital data blocks sit in the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a slight cool tint and a neutral, saturated dye image; no red shift or fading visible.
Projection history
None seen at this size; one round reflection on the third frame is the phone camera, not film damage.
Picture
Positive image, three consecutive frames of one near-identical shot, and the animated artwork is consistent with the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Optical track plus Dolby Digital blocks on a 35mm print is consistent with a 1999 theatrical release print of a 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 000069898
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
