Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo's bid to convert a television and trading card phenomenon into a theatrical event, backed by a promotional campaign of trailers, teasers, and tie-in cells that circulated well before release. The film became a cultural marker of its moment, introducing Mewtwo as a central figure in Pokémon's expanding mythology and cementing Pikachu's place as the franchise's enduring mascot. Early trailer material from this period is prized by collectors for capturing the anticipation that surrounded the movie before audiences had seen it in full.
This cell, drawn from that trailer material, centers on Mewtwo preparing to attack, with Pikachu present in the same frame. Mewtwo's design and backstory made it an instant favorite among collectors seeking the franchise's most formidable creation, while Pikachu's inclusion anchors the moment to the series' most recognizable face. As a trailer cell, it belongs to the promotional lineage meant to build excitement ahead of theatrical release, a piece of film history separate from the finished feature itself.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release-print trailer strip of Pokémon: The Movie (1999).
Gauge
Four perforations per frame along both edges, the 35mm layout; the strip holds three full frames, with a partial frame at the right edge.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced and cleanly punched with rounded-rectangle holes and no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs beside the picture, with Dolby Digital data blocks visible in the gaps between the lower-edge perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Clear base with a light blue tint along the edges; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no visible fading or colour shift.
Projection history
No lines, scratches, cue marks or splices seen at this size.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one near-identical shot, and the animated look fits a Pokémon trailer.
Era check
The optical track plus Dolby Digital blocks suits a late-1990s 35mm release print, consistent with a 1999 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 000070018
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
