The very best, like no video game movie ever was!
A live action Pokémon film is something as a 10-year-old boy, I never thought I would get, even in my wildest dreams, but in 2019 it finally happened. A fun mystery with not just Pikachu but a whole array of classic and new Pokémon are on now a sight to behold the big screen but does it VeniSAUR to great heights or is just plain Ghastly? Prepare yourself for Poké-puns!
The story follows Tim (Justice Smith; the guy that yells lots in Jurassic World 2), a lonely accountant in a world of Pokémon synergy, training and battling. He has lost his dad under mysterious circumstances and his only hope in finding out the truth is his fathers amnesiac detective partner Pokémon; Detective Pikachu. This Pikachu is voiced by Ryan Reynolds (the guys that gets shot lots in Deadpool) and was a delight to see and hear, he manages to Exeggcute a cute and crazy Pikachu really well and doesn’t Muk it up.. I was against the idea at first but after seeing the film, I slowly came around, casting Ryan Reynolds just because he is Ryan Reynolds is a bit Chansey but now Pikachu is up there with his version of Deadpool.
The main aspect of this movie I was concerned about the most was the CGI Pokémon themselves. I feel like it would be a delicate line to walk as, the audience have known and loved the characters in a visual form already and any wrong design could turn people off right away. They could’ve copied other people’s ideas of CGI versions of Pokémon but that too could Jynx them, they had to create something that felt fresh but also respected the original art. Fortunately, it seemed that the people in charge decided to go all in on the designs and it worked for them in a big way. No designs ever feel too Oddish or Farfettch’d, everything looks great and fits in the world the movie is based on, nothing ever seemed too cliché, cartoony or shoehorned in.
The designs of the Pokémon are so key that it could’ve been a big distraction. You don’t just see the same Pokémon over and over again, that would be real Krabby. Instead, I found myself scanning the backgrounds for random Pokémon doing random jobs and there are plenty of easter eggs for people like me, trying to get the most out of something I’ve wanted for so long.
Which brings me to the reason I think this works so well; they knew their audience; they knew their product and there seems to be no confusion about any of it. Its made for me, the people who have been playing Pokémon for years, its made for kids who want to see cute things on screen and its made for the people who know what a Pikachu is. They’re not trying to say Abra Kadabra Alakazam and get everyone to love Pokémon, Pokémon has been around long enough for people to already know if they like it or not. Everyone can still enjoy it and I’m sure everyone will but it isn’t spending its time trying to change people’s minds That would be a waste of the film and be very Tentacruel to its fans.
I left the movie being happy it didn’t flop; happy I didn’t cringe and happy that there was a movie hidden under all the great effects and crazy Pokémon. I wasn’t just being Hypno-tized by my years of dreams happening on the screen in front of me.
Detective Pikachu has now created a fully realised Pokémon world, brought to life on the big screen. From the great music that harkens back to some of the old games, to the posters that bring this movie into canon with the older games, it had it all. I don’t think it’s going to change the world, I don’t think it’s going to do huge numbers but it’s the creation of a lot of people’s dreams and that’s what cinema is about. It’s a fun film, for all ages that everyone can enjoy. If you are a Pokémon Master or a Pokéfan, make your way to the cinema.
Detective Pikachu isn’t Ghastly, its story isn’t boring and Slowbro, it’s not something that is all doom and Gloom for Pokémon fans and it isn’t another Golem of a film to add to bad video game movies. Instead what we have now is a live-action Pokémon film which is the Machamp of video game movies, a film that you’ll Diglett, it has a real Electabuzz around it and it is quite the hoothoot. So Rapidash your way to the cinema and say to the clerk Detective Pikachu I choose you!