Pokémon: The First Movie arrived in 1999 as Warner Bros. and Nintendo's bid to extend the franchise's television and card-game dominance onto the big screen, following the Pokémon boom that swept American pop culture that year. Ahead of release, theatrical trailers circulated to build anticipation, teasing the film's central conflict between Mewtwo and Mew without revealing the full story. These promotional reels are now scarce as standalone 35mm artifacts, since most were returned or destroyed after their theatrical run.
This cell comes from that early promotional reel, preserving a moment built around Mew, the rare and elusive Psychic-type at the heart of the film's mythology. Mew's scarcity in the Pokémon universe made it a natural draw for trailer footage, hinting at power and mystery without giving away plot details. An action beat like dodging an attack fits the trailer's purpose: short, kinetic glimpses meant to stir curiosity rather than explain. For collectors, a piece from this promotional stage holds appeal as a fragment of the marketing campaign that introduced Mew to wide theatrical audiences before the film itself.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital release print of the Pokémon: The Movie trailer (1999).
Gauge
35mm, with four perforations per frame along both edges; the strip holds three full frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle shape, cleanly punched with no tears or distortion visible.
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 edge tint and a neutral dye image showing deep blues and purples, with no obvious fading or colour shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size; no scratches, cue marks or splices are visible across these three frames.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one near-identical shot, and the animated look is plausible for the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Consistent with a late-1990s release print: optical track plus Dolby Digital data blocks on a 35mm positive fits a 1999 theatrical 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 000070120
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
