Pokemon Detective Pikachu would have been my 8-year-old self’s favorite movie. And that’s both a positive and negative for the movie. There’s no denying the powerful nostalgia factor at play. I mean just take a minute and watch the Indigo League TV show intro and try telling me you don’t feel like a kid again.
Also, Pokemon has given us two fantastic videos. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve watched both of the below videos. The second one is especially great. My close friend group still quotes from that one with regularity. And I will need to pop a quick NSFW warning for both videos.
Okay, now onto the actual movie. But like that lead-in, Detective Pikachu is endless fun. And that’s the biggest factor it has going for it. The Pokemon characters are the true stars of the movie, led by Ryan Reynolds as the titular detective. Just like his role as Deadpool, Reynolds felt like a perfect fit for Pikachu here. Pikachu has always been a fun, cute character, and Reynolds fit the mold like a glove. That being said, I wish more Pokemon more heavily involved in the plot. For the most part, they are background characters who slide in and out of scenes throughout the movie. If there could have been larger roles for even just a couple additional Pokemon characters, it could have hit the next level.
But while the Pokemon are all great, the human characters admittedly leave a lot to be desired. They’re underwritten and underdeveloped, and that prevents you from becoming fully emotionally invested in them and the larger story. But even still, Kathryn Newton is a bit of a breath of fresh air in her supporting role as a fledgling news reporter. She doesn’t have a lot of great material to work with, but she makes the most out of what she has.
However, as much fun as the movie and characters are, the story isn’t anything special. It’s as predictable as any movie can be, with twists you see coming a mile away. And that certainly lowers the overall quality, to be sure. But the journey to the end is still so enjoyable, that some of that is negated. Ultimately though, if you’re looking for an in-depth, intricate story, this unfortunately isn’t the movie for you.
But there is one aspect I appreciated more than anything else. And that is the fact that there was no over-kill with exposition explaining the world. While those new to the Pokemon world might prefer a little more “in your face” explanation, it’s not super complicated to catch up. And for those that are established fans, they will surely appreciate that there is no lost time with unnecessary set-up.
Also, there is one absolutely fantastic (and wholly unexpected) Home Alone reference. Yes, that’s right. The 1990 Christmas classic. I won’t say what it is, to keep it as much of a surprise as possible. But it’s legitimately one of the best parts of the movie.
With the movie’s success, it sets up the potential for an expanded universe. A sequel seems likely, and I would love to see a future movie explore some of the already-established places and characters. The movie actually does reference back to the first Pokemon movie, when there’s a line along the lines of “Mewtwo disappeared 20 years ago.” That’s a clear reference back to Pokemon: The First Movie, which was released in the U.S. in 1999.
And while that might have just been a fun nod to Pokemon’s history, it could also have established that movie’s events as canon. And if that movie is now canon, that means Detective Pikachu takes place in a world with Ash Ketchum, Misty, Brock, and all the other anime characters. I’m not saying future movies should necessarily feature those characters, but it would be awesome to see them make an appearance some time down the line.
But in the mean time, just get out to see Detective Pikachu and enjoy one of the most feel-good movies of the year so far.
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