Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived in theaters courtesy of Warner Bros., distributing the second feature-length entry produced by Pokémon USA and 4Kids Entertainment following the franchise's explosive stateside debut. Riding the peak of Pokémania, the film expanded the mythology beyond the games and television series, introducing the legendary bird trio of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres alongside Lugia. For a generation of young audiences, this was event cinema, a theatrical extension of a cultural phenomenon that dominated playgrounds and Saturday mornings alike, cementing Pokémon's place in American pop culture at the turn of the millennium.
This cell draws its interest from the pairing of Maren and Pikachu, with Tracey Sketchit present in the frame. Maren is a supporting character tied to the film's island setting, and her scenes with Pikachu offered a quieter, character-driven counterpoint to the movie's larger legendary-bird spectacle. Tracey, Ash's traveling companion during this era of the anime, grounds the moment within the ongoing television continuity. Collectors value 35mm cells like this one as physical artifacts from the actual theatrical print, tangible connections to a specific screened moment rather than reproductions, making them sought-after relics of the franchise's early theatrical run.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced and cleanly punched, with rounded-rectangle holes and no tearing visible.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks run beside the picture; Dolby Digital data blocks are not visible between the lower-edge perforations, which show a speckled grey pattern.
Edge print
Reads "KODAK 2383" followed by a number code and a small square symbol, printed mirrored along the upper edge.
Base & colour
Clear base with a light blue edge tint; the dye image looks saturated and neutral, with no fading or colour shift.
Projection history
None seen at this size; no scratches, splices or cue marks are visible on these three frames.
Picture
Positive image, three consecutive near-identical frames of one shot, with Pokémon-style animation consistent with the film on record.
Era check
Kodak 2383 is a polyester print stock introduced in the mid-1990s, and optical tracks plus Dolby Digital area suit a 2000 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 000071308
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
