Pokemon: Detective Pikachu Review

If you’re a hardcore Pokemon fan like myself, then you’ve probably waited for a movie like Detective Pikachu to come out for almost a lifetime. Throughout the years, a live-action Pokemon movie has been talked about, but there has always been a fear that Pokemon wouldn’t transfer onto the big screen well ( see the live-action Sonic movie ). If you look into the vast collection of Pokemon content over the years, there has been a formula that has made all of the games, shows, and movies great. Pokemon has never really been known for its plotlines, but it’s about exploring the vast and beautiful regions littered with the pocket-monsters and making new friends or companions along the way, whether it’s humans or Pokemon themselves. If you’re a fan of Pokemon, you’ll be excited to hear that that’s exactly what Detective Pikachu embodies.

The strongest aspect of this film for me was watching some of my favorite pokemon come to life, such as Gengar, Gyarados, Snorlax, and of course, Charizard. There were a lot of scenes where there is just an utter abundance of Pokemon where you couldn’t possibly catch everything in one sitting, then there were other scenes that focused on one specific group of Pokemon. Every single Pokemon shown in this movie had an acceptable character model which is very impressive, considering how difficult it had to be to animate some of the more bizarre looking pokemon such as Lickitung, Octillery, Mr. Mime, and Ludicolo. If Nintendo decides to go forward with more Pokemon live-action films, everyone on the visual effects team for Detective Pikachu should be included.

If you’re looking for an above average story then I can’t guarantee you will like that aspect of Detective Pikachu. As I mentioned before, Pokemon has never really been about the storyline, and it’s the only franchise that can get away with having an average story considering the fact that everything else is great. It’s very easy to care about the main character’s goal of finding his missing father, and the movie successfully makes you feel sad, happy, or laugh when it wants you to. However, the actual story itself lacks a good antagonist and comes off as a little predictable sometimes. However, I think your kids will enjoy every single aspect of this movie and will care a lot less about the plotline than we adults do. If Nintendo decides to go the Ash Ketchum route, and we get to see a more well-known antagonist such as Giovani and Team Rocket, then all of the minor issues that Detective Pikachu has will be fixed immediately.

Before I wrap things up I want to talk about Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu. The movie does a fantastic job at developing the two main characters, Pikachu and Tim. I think their chemistry is great, and even in the more sad moments of the film Ryan Reynolds charm works very well behind an adorably animated Pikachu. When it was announced that Ryan Reynolds would be the voice for Pikachu, I remember a lot of people being skeptical about that, but it paid off 100% in the movie, he does a fantastic job and carries a few aspects of the film with him, such as the comedic relief.

Well, there you have it guys, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is out in theaters now and is a great viewing option for the family, of course. The movie successfully dives into the beautiful and awe-inspiring world of Pokemon and brings some of your favorite monsters to life. Go grab your tickets and let us know what you think on our social media, we try to read as many comments as we can.

Gotta Catch Em All!

JJ King