Director: Rob Letterman
Distributor: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Duration: 104 minutes
Pokémon Detective Pikachu (Blu-ray) – Movie Review
For years we’ve either been hoping to see a full open-world Pokémon game or a live-action Pokémon movie to be released. This year seems to fulfill both wishes to a certain extent. The new Pokémon Shield and Sword games will be a lot more open than the previous games, and Detective Pikachu gave us the first glimpse of how Pokémon would look like in the real world. While we sadly didn’t see Ash in Detective Pikachu, we got treated to a talking Pikachu and a great story, that actually hints to the first animated movie with the presence of Mewtwo. While we already watched this movie when it hit the theatres, we were more than happy to revisit the experience when it was released in a physical format.
The story does not show us Ash Ketchum, but instead, we’ll have to make do with Tim Goodman (Justice Smith), who lived with his grandparents for the biggest part of his childhood. While the world is filled with Pokémon, Tim for some reason doesn’t have a partner Pokémon yet as he seemingly stepped away from becoming a trainer. Nonetheless, he is soon forced to go to the city where his father works, as an accident has occurred, causing his father to pass away. When checking out the property of his father in Ryme City, where Pokémon and humans live in harmony, he comes across a talking Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds), who seemingly knows more about what happened to his father, or at least is a key to more information. It doesn’t take long before Tim is being shadowed for coming too close to the truth and what is actually going on in Ryme City.
The flow is pretty much what you’d expect from a movie such as this. The leading character is properly introduced as a somewhat unfortunate young man in terms of having lost his mother at a young age, and his father not being there for him due to his work. This gets heightened by the fact that Tim then gets the news that his father passed away in a very unfortunate accident. From here on the adventure begins, especially when Tim encounters a Pikachu that can speak to him. The movie follows the simple format of having a big problem to fix, one that asks the help and expertise of new allies along the way, including the talking Pikachu and the lovely young reporter Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton). Working together, they’ll have to solve the mystery of how Tim’s dad has perished and if everything truly is what it seems.
For a move such as this, it’s quite normal to have a great cast backing everything up. While the leading role is played by Justice Smith, who is still relatively unknown, he does a great job in playing the young Tim Goodman, who goes Ryme City to inspect the items his father has left him. Not only does this young man play his role well, but he is also supported by great cast members such as Kathryn Newton, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Nighy, and Ken Watanabe. You can easily enjoy everything that is going on in the movie, and the talking Pikachu has been wonderfully adapted to the personality of Ryan Reynolds.
There are a reasonable amount of special features to be found on the Blu-ray edition of Detective Pikachu. You’ll find making-of sequences, an alternative opening scene, some more fun extras, and the detective mode. The latter is actually something like the typical commentary mode, but instead of commentaries, you’ll get some trivia and fun facts during your viewing session. Overall the extra content is quite amusing and interesting.
Conclusion
Detective Pikachu is a must-see for every Pokémon fan. While the overall story isn’t groundbreaking, or there aren’t that many Pokémon that received the live-action treatment, the movie is fun for all ages, and the humor is also appropriate for young and adult viewers alike. The Pokémon have been wonderfully created, the acting performances are top-notch and the movie provides a good time for those looking for a fun evening. We can only hope to see more live-action Pokémon movies such as this, be it in the form of a sequel, or another standalone story.
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