Produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter,
Hidenaga Katakami, Don McGowan,
Greg Baxter, Cliff Lanning, Ali Mendes
Screenplay by Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit,
Rob Letterman, Derek Connolly
Story by Dan Hernandez,
Benji Samit, Nicole Perlman
Based on Detective Pikachu
by The Pokémon Company
Directed by Rob Letterman
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith,
Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse,
Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere,
Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy
Based on the hit video game for the Nintendo 3DS, Pokémon Detective Pikachu is about as good as a video game movie has ever been. One time Pokémon wannabe trainer Tim Goodman is drawn into a mystery involving the disappearance of his father when a case he is on goes bad.
Estranged from his dad and resentful of his father’s seeming obsession with the little Pokémon creatures, Tim has reluctantly picked up the trail of his dad’s case with a new partner, an amnesiac Pikachu. This partnership is even more unique as Tim can actually understand Pikachu, whereas most humans only hear Pokémons saying their own name incessantly.
With the help of Lucy, an intern at the CNN-like news company, they dig deep and discover more than they bargained for; a megalomaniac, a conspiracy, genetic tampering and a whole lot more.
This movie was fun and pretty hilarious. Having Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Pikachu was sublime. He brought a level of ridiculousness that the film needed. Fans of the game, and Pokémon in general, are going to love seeing all their favorites living in harmony alongside the humans of Ryme City, a city where Pokémon battles are illegal.
Tim, played by Justice Smith, and Pikachu goes deeper and deeper into the dark underbelly of this seemingly peaceful city they discover all is not what it seems on the surface and this leads to some really great moments for fans and non-fans alike.
Like the original Muppet Show, there were some jokes and visual hilarity that were definitely for adults and I, for one, was really happy that they pushed the threshold of the humor so that both kids and adults can enjoy the film. With the plethora of Pokémon and Pokémon jokes stuffed in this film it is all you could want and more. Fans will most assuredly get more out of this than non-fans or the casual Poké Trainer.
The story itself is your standard boy searches for understanding and closure with his estranged father while uncovering the mystery of his supposed murder. However, with the addition of Ryan Reynolds’ Pikachu, some brilliant moments with Mr. Mime, Psyduck, and Mewtwo, the film pulls itself out of the cliché enough to be enjoyable. The ending is pretty obvious, but enjoyable anyway.
I donʼt want to give too much away because for fans of the Pokémon franchise, they will be super happy with what they watch. Pokémon Detective Pikachu will definitely NOT be for everyone. But it will make fans happy and I personally enjoyed the heck out of it.
