Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
Released in the summer of 2000, Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived at the height of Pokémania, when Nintendo, Game Freak, and Warner Bros. pushed the franchise from handheld screens into American multiplexes. Following hot on the heels of the first film, it cemented the series as a genuine theatrical force rather than a passing fad, pulling in families and longtime fans alike. For a generation raised on the games and the Saturday morning cartoon, this release marked a cultural peak, a moment when Pokémon briefly dominated the box office and proved that its appeal extended well beyond trading cards and television.
This cell preserves a moment built entirely around Diglett, the small burrowing Pokémon prized by collectors for its simple, instantly recognizable design. A stampede suggests the creature appearing in numbers rather than alone, a departure from the usual single-character close-ups that dominate franchise ephemera. For collectors, Diglett material is comparatively scarce next to Pikachu-centric cells, making a scene built around a group of them a distinctive curiosity. Whether drawn from a background gag or a dedicated sequence, this piece represents the film's willingness to give its minor roster a spotlight, however brief.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital and optical release print of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Gauge
35mm layout, four perforations per frame along both edges, with three full frames visible on this strip.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, rounded-rectangle shape and cleanly punched, with no torn or missing holes seen.
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
Light blue-tinted base edges with a neutral clear picture area; the dye image looks saturated with no fading or colour shift seen.
Projection history
None seen at this size; the frames and track look clean, and the single dark circle on the middle frame is a camera reflection, not film damage.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames run consecutively as one shot of near-identical frames, and the animated style fits the Pokémon film on record.
Era check
Optical track combined with Dolby Digital blocks between the perforations is consistent with a 2000-era 35mm release print of the film on record.
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 000071330
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
