For years, I unapologetically avoided the Pokémon brand. While it has been a staple of pop culture since I was a young boy, I never embraced it. Even during the infancy of the Pokémon GO craze, I never became enthralled in it, and when news about a live-action Pokémon film was revealed, I was far from excited.
Any form of reasonable anticipation lessened when I heard that the film is based on a Pokémon video game, Detective Pikachu. The game is an adventure based game and a spin-off of the Pokémon franchise, in which the player works with a talking Pikachu to solve various mysteries. The video game genre has been far from spectacular and combining these two felt like a failure from the start.
However, despite not knowing many of the characters within this vast universe, Detective Pikachu is tons of fun and filled with plenty of Easter eggs that will make Pokémon fans across the world smile but still welcoming to those, like myself that are unfamiliar with this world. Similarly to the game, the film revolves around solving a crime and a talking Pikachu. Rather than focusing on different crimes, Detective Pikachu’s sole mystery lies in the disappearance of Harry Goodman prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Pikachu. The result is a buddy cop film I never knew I wanted but glad it exists.
What works best is Justice Smith and Ryan Reynold’s chemistry as Tim and Pikachu respectively. A turn for Justice Smith, performance wise as he goes from being practically unbearable in 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom to an endearing person you can root for throughout the film. From his ability to accept the disappearance of his father to his drive to find out the reasoning behind it, Smith’s 180 from last year should be commended.
In regards to Reynolds, what more can be said? Reynolds is one of the most talented, charismatic, and hysterical actors working today. That is no different in Detective Pikachu, as he takes this loveable character and provides timing only Reynold’s can provide. While Deadpool adheres to a more mature audience, his take on Pikachu is likely to create a new fan base for Reynold’s from a younger demographic. Reynold’s is quickly ascending the ranks as one of Hollywood’s most marketable actors.
The issues with Detective Pikachu lie in its CGI, supporting performances, and its villain. While the Pokémon, mostly are top notch, there are some moments throughout the film there its CGI screams green screen and becomes distracting to its audience. While I will not go into detail on the scenes to avoid spoilers, it is one of those “you’ll know it when you see” moments.
When looking at the films supporting players, outside of Kathryn Newton’s Lucy, the performances are from sub-par to poor. Ken Watanabe is wasted in his role as Detective Yoshida. With barely any screen time, Watanabe’s talents fail to make an impact on the film.
The misuse of the films supporting players also coincides with what may go down as one of 2019’s worst on-screen villains. I was educated by a friend of mine and a massive fan of Pokémon, that there has never really been a villain in the franchise’s history. It is quite evident as not only the motives are downright laughable, but and Chris Geere and company are close to mustache twirling villain bad.
Detective Pikachu was not meant for someone like myself but I can admit that the film is highly entertaining despite its flaws. The film makes sure to provide tons of fan service that will be appreciated by the masses of Pokémon fans across the country.
