Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in the United States in November 1999 through Warner Bros., brought over by Nintendo and 4Kids Entertainment at the height of Pokémon's initial American breakthrough. Built around the franchise's first theatrical feature, the promotional campaign surrounding it, including trailers like this one, played a major role in building anticipation for a phenomenon that had already taken hold of television and toy aisles alike. The film's success helped cement Pokémon as a lasting force in American pop culture rather than a passing fad.
This cell preserves a moment from the trailer reel itself, spotlighting Mewtwo, the genetically engineered Pokémon at the center of the film's plot and one of the franchise's most sought-after characters among collectors. "Mewtwo Attacks!" points to the character's defining role as an antagonist of considerable power, a figure whose presence alone promised spectacle to audiences who had not yet seen the full feature. As a trailer cell, it represents the film's advance marketing, a piece meant to stir expectation before the story itself unfolded on screen.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print trailer strip of Pokémon: The Movie (1999).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle holes that look cleanly punched with no tears.
Soundtrack
A two-track variable-area optical track runs between the picture and the lower perforations, and Dolby Digital data blocks sit in the gaps between the lower perforations.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Light blue-tinted base along the edges, with a neutral, saturated dye image and no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size; the oval spot on the first frame is a camera reflection and is ignored.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as one shot, and the animated style is consistent with the film on record.
Era check
Dual optical plus Dolby Digital soundtrack on a colour positive is consistent with a 1999 35mm release print or 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 000070116
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
