Pokemon Detective Pikachu (2019)

[Mulder]

Not good at all imo. 4/10

[Webslinger]

As its mammoth merchandising franchise’s first foray into live-action, big-budget summer blockbuster territory, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is a surprisingly enjoyable film. For as insipid as the animated series and films were and as derided as this franchise was for the post-elementary school set at the height of its popularity in the late ‘90s, there has always been potential in a live-action Pokémon film done right, and Detective Pikachu successfully taps into that potential with a concept that essentially amounts to a twist on Who Framed Roger Rabbit with the titular monsters. The film is definitely pitched at a family audience and has a story simple enough for children to follow, but the proceedings are also sufficiently engaging to keep post-pubescent viewers amused as well. A lion’s share of the credit in that department goes to Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Pikachu. Despite my initial skepticism over casting the actor most famous for his decidedly family-unfriendly work as Deadpool, Reynolds succeeds in tailoring that same brand of quick wit, self-awareness, and rapid-fire timing to a PG-rated setting, and he does it while also imbuing the title character with enough heart to help make the film’s dramatic stakes work. The rapport the character shares with live-action actor Justice Smith – whose competent performance is a massive step up from his work as one of the most grating sidekicks in recent memory in last summer’s Jurassic World sequel – also feels far more believable than I ever would have imagined this pairing would be. Most of the human performances are uninspired, but I’ll give some credit to Kathryn Newton for overplaying the spunky sidekick/love interest enough to make her stand out more than the script would otherwise allow. The script takes some dumb turns in the third act, but the missteps are easy enough to excuse in the face of everything else the filmmakers do well. I outgrew Pokémon a few months before hitting double digits, but this Detective Pikachu won me over with its charm and vibrancy; it may be just another means of raking in money, but it also feels like it has a beating heart, a sense of humor, and a successful desire to entertain not only the children who would devour anything with the name-branding, but also the nostalgic teens and adults who had since moved on.

 

B

 

Stray Thoughts:
- I'm a wee bit embarrassed to admit that I still remember way more of the OG Pokémon than I really should. I've forgotten tons of more relevant details about my life from 1999-2000, but apparently my brain just had to keep some space open for an alarmingly high number of the first 151 of these critters. But that's still not *nearly* as mortifying as the fact that I still remember the lyrics to the TV show's theme song - and now that thing is stick in my head all over again. Damnit.

 

- Not gonna lie: all I could think about when Tim was trying to catch the Cubone at the very beginning was the *extremely* dark Poke-ball gag on Last Week Tonight a few weeks ago.

 

- Even though it simplifies the narrative to a sometimes annoying degree, I am pretty glad that the filmmakers truly made this a kid-friendly movie instead of a crass, cynical PG-13 flick that would still get kids to attend anyway - you know, like the awful Michael Bay-produced Ninja Turtles film from 2014. Coincidentally, I think committing to the PG also helps it hit nostalgic notes with older viewers more effectively because it feels like something whose tone isn't that far removed from what I enjoyed all those years ago, yet it's also competent and clear-eyed enough that I can enjoy it now.

 

- Yeah, nostalgia definitely accounts for some grade inflation here. That said, I do think it speaks to how much care the filmmakers took with this IP and its sentimental value - which has had a greater period of dormancy with some viewers than others (like, I remember loving this stuff as a kid, but I had zero interest in the Pokémon Go craze a few years back) - that this film is something that sparks nostalgia rather than just eye-rolls at the fact that its financiers ultimately see it as just another way to cash in on the brand.

 

- I never liked Mr. Mime as a kid, but he straight-up steals his scenes in this movie.

[cannastop]

33 minutes ago, Webslinger said:

But that's still not *nearly* as mortifying as the fact that I still remember the lyrics to the TV show's theme song - and now that thing is stick in my head all over again. Damnit.

How is that embarrassing, lol. How old are you, anyways?

[Webslinger]

39 minutes ago, cannastop said:

How is that embarrassing, lol. How old are you, anyways?

Too old to still know this much about Pokemon.  (28)

[cannastop]

12 hours ago, Webslinger said:

Too old to still know this much about Pokemon.  (28)

On the contrary, that's the perfect age to know about Pokemon. I'm 25.

Edited May 18, 2019 by cannastop

[SLAM!]

Excellent film. I gave it a B. I'm really happy that they dared to do something different.

[Avatree]

pokemon was a big part of my childhood but i really didn't care for this.

Its neat to see characters from your childhood drawn on the big screen but apart from that, there's not much to like. all the characters are terrible. i found it hilarious at the end where mewtwo says now there is one final thing to do and Tim goes "Oh!" My Dad!" like he had completely forgotten he is looking for his father.

Edited May 27, 2019 by Avatree

[EarlyDeadlinePredictions]

The Pokemon looked great and the battle sequences were pretty neat. Ryan Reynolds had some nice moments especially singing the OG Pokemon theme. However the rest of the movie was forgettable. The characters felt like the came out of a Disney channel movie. 

 

6.5/10 C+

[titanic2187]

One of the most meh and unmemorable film from a very memorable brand.

 

Some genuine surprise here but with too much of cliche the ensure that the film is engaging. The CG was not bad , I find myself impressed by the "live action" CG while not disgusted by their appearance that deviated from the norm in anime. 

 

the function of the Pokemon was pointless to the plot , they are more like a community of comic relief to this unconvincing father-son relationship.   

 

 

[MrFanaticGuy34]

My feelings after finally seeing Detective Pikachu: 🙋🏻‍♀️👍🏻

 

A