The wildly successful franchise gets the live-action treatment
In a world…full of surly millennials, besuited bad guys, and fluffy pseudo-animals, only one yellow furball can save the day. That is, if someone will just carry him.
Meet the eponymous hero of Pokémon Detective Pikachu, the first live-action entry into the Poké-verse. This not only means real humans cavorting with the beloved creatures, but also CGI-rendered versions of many favorite characters.
The connection to the games and television shows is strong. It wouldn’t be going too far to say this movie is for the fans, the true fans. Infused throughout the film are references to all of the mythos that has made Pokémon an international hit. The mere appearance of some characters is enough to elicit squeals from any true-blue audience. This is fan service done right.
But what about all the normies out there? Can they appreciate this fantastical tale? The unequivocal answer is probably. There’s a lot to enjoy for people familiar with the existing stories, but the plot is easy enough for everyone to follow, and the cuteness-heavy action is definitely enjoyable on its own merit.
In what might be a bit of a shocker, Pokémon Detective Pikachu trends dark. Like noir dark. This is a big city caper that pits overmatched everyday people (and Pokémon) against seen and unseen forces of immense power and wealth.
It all starts when Tim (Justice Smith) travels to his father’s city and ends up investigating a mystery. When he meets Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds), everything takes off. Intrepid reporter Lucy (Kathryn Newton) brings a lot to the table as well, helping the outsider navigate the mean streets. Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy really work as the adults in the room.
Having Reynolds involved hints at the adult nature of the film, but this isn’t Deadpool, and the humor stays just on the right side of kid friendly. There is certainly violence and its aftereffects, but not more than most Disney films. Even younger fans of Pokémon will enjoy this one.
Taking a known quantity and doing a new thing with it is definitely risky, but Pokémon Detective Pikachu pulls it off. The graphics are amazing, giving vibrant three dimensionality to the critters, and the story has good pacing and a couple of nice little twists. Fans couldn’t have asked for more.