Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo's bid to translate a merchandising phenomenon into theatrical event viewing, backed by one of the most aggressive promotional campaigns of its decade. Trailers for the film circulated heavily ahead of release, building anticipation for the clash between Mewtwo, the lab-born clone, and Mew, the ancestral original. This advance marketing push remains a touchstone for collectors who lived through the Pokémon craze firsthand, as it marked the franchise's first real attempt to claim space on the big screen.
This cell, drawn from that trailer reel, centers on Mew Attacks as its named moment, placing the series' two most mythologized creatures together in a single strip of film. Mewtwo and Mew anchor the entire first movie's premise, their rivalry framed as a meditation on origin and identity, and trailer material carries its own collecting lineage distinct from finished-film cels, since it was built specifically to sell audiences on a story before it existed in theaters. For Pokémon collectors, a piece tied to this promotional moment captures the franchise at its original tipping point.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of the Pokémon: The Movie (1999) trailer.
Gauge
Four perforations per frame along both edges, the 35mm layout, and the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, rounded-rectangle holes, evenly spaced and cleanly punched, with no torn or stretched holes seen.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs beside the picture, with a dashed line above it and Dolby Digital-style data blocks sitting between the lower-edge perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
The clear base has a pale blue tint along both edges, and the dye image looks neutral with strong saturated purples and no obvious fading.
Projection history
No scratches, splices or cue marks seen at this size; the strip looks clean on the backlit panel.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as one shot, and the animated look is plausible for the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Optical track plus Dolby Digital blocks on a blue-tinted base fits a late-1990s 35mm release print, which suits 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 000070045
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
