Released in 1999, Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in American theaters through Warner Bros. and Nintendo's partnership with 4Kids Entertainment, riding the crest of the franchise's explosive stateside debut. The trailer itself became a cultural artifact in its own right, teasing audiences with the brooding, villainous Mewtwo well ahead of the feature's release and helping ignite one of the biggest opening weekends for an animated film at that time. For a generation raised on the games and the television series, this promotional reel marked their first glimpse of Pokémon taking on genuine cinematic weight.
This cell preserves a moment titled Mewtwo Commands The Clones, placing the genetically engineered Pokémon in a position of authority over its duplicated forces, with Venusaur and Gyarados among those under its direction. Mewtwo remains one of the franchise's most sought-after characters, prized for its origin story and its central role in the film's conflict. A trailer cell like this one captures early promotional material rather than finished feature footage, making it a scarce link between marketing history and the movie's eventual legacy.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Kodak 2383 release-print trailer strip of Pokémon: The Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three complete frames in view.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle punches that look cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible in the gaps between the perforations on that edge.
Edge print
Reads as 2383 187 341 1 30 KODAK 28 1999 L, printed backwards, with a small purple square marker at the end of the line.
Base & colour
Clear base with a pale blue-cyan tint at the edges, and the dye image looks saturated and neutral with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splices or cue marks seen at this size; a faint ring on the right frames is a camera reflection and is ignored.
Picture
Positive colour image, three consecutive frames of one continuous shot, and the animated look is consistent with the film on record.
Era check
Kodak 2383 print stock with a 1999 date code, an optical track and Dolby Digital data fit a 1999 theatrical release print.
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 000069932
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
