Detective Pikachu Review
Detective Pikachu is the first live-action Pokémon movie, and naturally there were lofty expectations, and for the most part these expectations were met. Directed by Rob Letterman (Monsters vs. Aliens, Goosebumps), Detective Pikachu instantly captures the spirit of the Pokémon universe with a thrilling action sequence involving Mewtwo, followed up by an adorable attempt by Justice Smith’s (Paper Towns, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) character, Tim Goodman, to catch a Cubone. With inside jokes about Cubone’s motherly issues, I instantly recalled the episode in the popular cartoon series when Ash finds out why Cubone cries and I was drawn into the film.
Although the story hitches at times, overall it is well done. Tim is notified of his father’s death and must meet with Ken Watanabe’s (The Last Samurai, Godzilla Reboot Franchise) Lieutenant Hide Yoshida in which Tim finds out his father had a pet/partner Pikachu. Upon looking through his father’s apartment Tim meets the aforementioned Pikachu, voiced hilariously by Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool Series, Waiting), and realizes he can understand him! Once the two team up to figure out Harry’s (Tim’s father) death, they begin to unravel an insidious mystery, which follows the classic tropes of film noir. With the help of a perky news intern named Lucy Stevens, played by Kathryn Newton (Supernatural, Big Little Lies), they are determined to get to the bottom of it for various reasons. Add in Bill Nighy (Hot Fuzz, Rango) as the aging head of the news organization Lucy works for and his greedy, ruthless son, played by Chris Geere (Modern Family, You’re the Worst), and the classic Team Rocket-esque conspiracy unfolds delightfully under the scribes Dan Hernandez/Ben Samit (The Tick, One Day at a Time), Rob Letterman, and Derek Connolly (Safety Not Guaranteed, Jurassic World).
While I, and I am sure plenty of other fans, was disappointed that the traditional Pokémon theme song wasn’t utilized, I must say that Henry Jackman (Kingsman films, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End) did a bang-up job with composing the score. It isn’t easy to follow up arguably one of the most well-known scores in videogame/cartoon history and Jackman’s bold decisions make it clear why he is one of the most sought-after composers today. With slight hints to the cartoon/videogame’s music, Jackman’s score is purely original with notes of film noir-ism as well as excitement during some of the film’s more intense action scenes. Jackman’s score is worth a listen or two, as are most of his scores, which are reminiscent of the great composer, Alan Silvestri’s amazing body of work.
One of the biggest concerns for fans was that live-action Pokémon would, plainly said, look weird as hell. Luckily, for the most part, the Pokémon are extremely well done. Instead of landing somewhere within the uncanny valley, the Pokémon are legitimately cute and adorable. Many times, during our screening, I looked over in glee at my girlfriend due to the instant callbacks to my childhood. Whether it was a marching troupe of Bulbasaur (s?) or the firemen Squirtle’s (you read that correctly), it was truly tear-jerking to see so many Pokémon brought to life in Ryme City, where the film is based. I have to say, I think Psyduck may have stolen the show from Ryan Reynold’s adorable Pikachu, which brings me to my next point: how the Pokémon sounded. The sound team did a spectacular job with the unique voices of the respective Pokémon, which proves the hard work/research that went into it. While there wasn’t nearly as much fan service as in Avengers: Endgame, which you can read about in my spoiler-free Endgame review, the team behind Detective Pikachu clearly made this movie for the fans.
All in all, Detective Pikachu was a pretty alright first live-action outing for the Pokémon universe. The story was decent, the performances, especially the Pokémon’, were great, and the instant callbacks to a childhood in the 90’s were superb. Of course, I wish we could have heard the OG Pokémon Theme Song, but maybe we will hear it in another live-action Pokémon movie one day. As a Pokémon fan, I felt that the film was pretty good, but could have been better. Hopefully Pokémon series creator, Satoshi Tajiri, is proud, but perhaps nothing will top the original creativity of the Blue/Red and the cartoon series. Only time will tell.