I went to see Pokémon Detective Pikachu, the first proper live-action feature film based on the Pokémon franchise, on opening weekend.
The story: Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) is a young insurance adjuster and the son of Harry Goodman, the "best detective in Ryme City". In the past, Tim tried his hand at the whole Pokémon training thing, but it didn't quite work out the way he'd hoped. Something heart-breaking happened, and those days left him so broken that he wants nothing to do with Pokémon, ever, not even catching one for himself (as a friend tries to make him catch a Cubone in the very first scenes). Following this, even though Harry tried to invite Tim to come live with him in Ryme City, Tim refused.
Tim receives a letter informing him of his father's untimely passing. He thus makes the trip to the metropolis. Ryme City prides itself on the relationship between humans and Pokémon; it outlawed Pokémon battles and Pokéballs, and each person has their pet Pokémon that follows them around. Like a city-wide version of the buddy following you around in Pokémon HeartGold. Some Pokémon are used for various jobs around the city (as an example, Charmander assist street food vendors by cooking meals with their tails). There's also many Pokémon roaming the city without trainers, free from the fear of being caught by a human.
The young man doesn't really have any of the detective skills his father has, so he accepts that he can't make light of this mystery. He'll merely go grab some stuff in his dad's apartment and leave. On the way, he meets Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newtwon), an intern at local TV station CNM with desires of becoming a reporter - she's looking for clues to solve the mysterious situation regarding Harry Goodman's death (his car crashed at the bottom of a bridge and the body was nowhere to be found). Lucy's partner Pokémon is a Psyduck who gets migraines if it gets too stressed out.
While picking stuff around his father's apartment, Tim encounters a Pikachu that seems to have broken in. The cap-wearing rodent speaks English (with Ryan Reynolds' voice, no less), to Tim's shock - and Tim understands, to the Pikachu's shock! Turns out, Tim is the only one who can understand what this Pikachu says. And since this was Harry's partner Pokémon, he happens to have accumulated some experience as a detective - and therefore, the young man and the electric critter team up to discover the truth.
They find the first piece of evidence in Harry's apartment...
There is one constant impression one gets from the usual film adaptation of a video game: An unease, almost a shame, of being based on a game. It actually explains a lot when you look at movies that discard what made a video game popular, to add their own elements, many of which feel like common Hollywood plots reheated. This... is not actually the case for Pokémon Detective Pikachu! Instead of hiding the basis for the movie behind all kinds of lame elements, this feature fully embraces the source material. There are Pokémon everywhere. Attacks are mentioned by name. The spoken lines reference various details from the game, such as berries. Even better, while some of the Pokémon look really, really odd in this new semi-photorealistic style, none of them are transformed to the point of being unrecognizable or uncanny. Some movies could learn a thing or two from that (nudge nudge, wink wink, Sonic The Hedgehog). It's felt to the very core of the movie, a lot of effort was put into integrating the Pokémon to the universe, and it shows.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu is in line with many past movies that feature legions of special effect characters (something that was done through puppeteering or 2D animation before CGI animation existed, with more and more movies trying to make these character fit within the live-action universe). There's a bit of a Gremlins feel to a scene or two in this film. You can also tell that the director, Rob Letterman, has learned some lessons from his previous directed movie, Goosebumps.
I have two big points of criticism regarding the film: First, Ryan Reynolds seems to have been given a lot of leeway in voicing Detective Pikachu. According to online interviews, he could improvise whenever he wanted, though it means that the actors had to remember what he'd say, and then use that as basis for their reactions. Did I say actors? Well, mostly Justice Smith, considering his character is the only one that can understand the yellow mouse. While I'm cool with improv, it feels as though Reynolds basically did what he'd do as Deadpool, except in a kid-friendly way. It's usually pretty funny, but it's not a hit and run every time. And sometimes it clashes with the mood.
Oh, and while the film is very good and I recommend it, I would say it's actually sort of predictable. There is one element that almost made me go "I knew it!" in the theater, following a certain reveal. Thankfully, the movies doesn't lack mysteries, so you'll keep guessing. As a mystery story, it' a bit on the easy side, is what I'm saying. But hey, it is a film with children as target demographic, so I guess it's understandable.
All in all, good movie, you should go see it.
Quick notes: I read in an interview that the filmmakers could afford to animate 60 Pokémon in the semi-photorealistic style for the film. I think there were more than 60 Pokémon in the final product, all things considered.
One of the best scenes in the movie is when, as shown in the trailers, Tim and Pikachu go to interrogate Mr. Mime. Without spoiling how it goes, they end up having to mime along with the Mr. Mime in order to get his confessions. It's a hilarious moment.
I have two big points of criticism regarding the film: First, Ryan Reynolds seems to have been given a lot of leeway in voicing Detective Pikachu. According to online interviews, he could improvise whenever he wanted, though it means that the actors had to remember what he'd say, and then use that as basis for their reactions. Did I say actors? Well, mostly Justice Smith, considering his character is the only one that can understand the yellow mouse. While I'm cool with improv, it feels as though Reynolds basically did what he'd do as Deadpool, except in a kid-friendly way. It's usually pretty funny, but it's not a hit and run every time. And sometimes it clashes with the mood.
Oh, and while the film is very good and I recommend it, I would say it's actually sort of predictable. There is one element that almost made me go "I knew it!" in the theater, following a certain reveal. Thankfully, the movies doesn't lack mysteries, so you'll keep guessing. As a mystery story, it' a bit on the easy side, is what I'm saying. But hey, it is a film with children as target demographic, so I guess it's understandable.
All in all, good movie, you should go see it.
Quick notes: I read in an interview that the filmmakers could afford to animate 60 Pokémon in the semi-photorealistic style for the film. I think there were more than 60 Pokémon in the final product, all things considered.
One of the best scenes in the movie is when, as shown in the trailers, Tim and Pikachu go to interrogate Mr. Mime. Without spoiling how it goes, they end up having to mime along with the Mr. Mime in order to get his confessions. It's a hilarious moment.
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