Many video games decide to start off in live action when they’re getting a film or television adaptation, which is often a mistake. In spite of what many seem to think, animation is not an inferior medium, nor is it a mere stepping stone on the road to live action. Animated shows and movies are real art, and in some cases, lend themselves towards certain video game franchises more readily.
In the case of Pokémon, however, a live action movie made a good deal of sense. While the Pokémon themselves obviously need to be created through outside means, the majority of the Pokémon world is relatively in line with the real world. Its cities, buildings, and customs are not wholly fantasy, but are close to real world versions with some fantasy elements.
On top of this, Pokémon has an advantage that most video game series do not: it has already has a number of movies based on it. Pokémon has had an anime series since 1997, and a movie based in this anime premiered a few years later. These movies kept on being made and continue to be released to this day, so there were plenty of blueprints to make a live action Pokémon movie. That movie was Detective Pikachu.
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Detective Pikachu: The First Live Action Pokemon Movie
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Detective Pikachu |
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Director |
Rob Letterman |
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Writers |
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Cast |
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Runtime |
104 Minutes |
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Release Date |
May 10, 2019 |
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Rotten Tomatoes Score |
68% |
Live action films tend to have more mass appeal than animated ones on average. Obviously, the best focus for a live-action Pokémon movie would be one that general audiences would enjoy, not just hardcore Pokémon fans. Because of this, people were not expecting something like the Pokémon Adventures manga to be adapted. The expectation seemed to be that the movie would either be based on Ash Ketchum, who most people were at least aware of, or a simple retelling of the Kanto video games.
People were stunned, therefore, when the first live-action Pokémonmovie was revealed to be based off Detective Pikachu. Detective Pikachu is an adventure game that can be best described as Ace Attorney for little kids. It’s a good bit of charming fun, but it wasn’t an incredibly popular game, selling only decently and not making much of an impact among the core Pokémon fanbase. It also has little in common with the Pokémon most people know and love.
Detective Pikachu is about solving mysteries in a world where Pokémon hang around with people like pets would. It has nothing to do with training or battling, the most iconic aspects of Pokémon. People were understandably cautious, but like it or not, the first live action Pokémon movie was about a talking Pikachu voiced by Ryan Reynolds, who solved mysteries.
Was Pokemon: Detective Pikachu Actually Good?
Detective Pikachu, to the surprise of many, received a rather positive initial reception. Fans were excited by the solid portrayal of the Pokémon series, including a larger number of Pokémon from newer generations than most had expected. Critics surprisingly also rated the movie highly, saying that it was a fun time for a movie based on a children’s property. The video game adaptation curse has been largely dropped as a talking point today, as there have been a lot of solid shows and movies based on video games. As recently as 2019, however, many still believed in the video game curse and were citing Detective Pikachu as a notable break in the trend.
In recent years, however, Detective Pikachu’s reputation among Pokémon fans hasn’t stood up as well as some might have hoped. It’s become a relatively forgotten piece of the Pokémon puzzle, not making nearly as big a cultural impact as Sonic or Mario’s movies. General consensus seems to be that it wasn’t actually that good, and the initial hype wave was simply because the movie wasn’t as bad as many expected it would be. So, what’s the truth?
Detective Pikachu has a few areas in which it undeniably shines. The most notable of these is in the Pokémon themselves. Many people assumed that Pokémon’s first live action movie, a real chance to make it big with general audiences, would almost entirely feature generation one Pokémon, the ones that those unfamiliar with the franchise would be the most likely to be aware of. There certainly are a good number of these. The titular Pikachu and iconic Charizard, Mewtwo, and Bulbasaur all get a lot of screen time, as well as less recognizable first generation Pokémon like Ditto and Mr. Mime.
In a pleasant surprise move, however, more recent Pokémon were given a spotlight as well. Some more recent starters get a big story focus, such as a massive Torterra and a squad of villainous Greninja. Less prominent Pokémon make an appearance as well, including Snubbull and Ludicolo. Even the fifth generation, which has the worst selling games in the Pokémon series, gets some much-needed representation through the presence of Golurk and Emolga.
These Pokémon all look outstanding, with phenomenal textures and charming behavior. Whether they’re adorable or menacing, all the Pokémon in the film feel real and make the world feel alive. In general, the movie does a great job establishing its setting as a realistic Pokémon world. Through the constant imagery of Pokémon in the background to the presence of Pokémon trainers, Detective Pikachu gives viewers a great first look at a live action Pokémon world even with such a low emphasis on battling.
Detective Pikachu portrays the visuals of a Pokémon world extremely well. The problem is that this is more or less the only thing is does exceptionally. The movie isn’t terrible, but it’s extremely simple. Detective Pikachu felt like it was aimed more at children than a lot of fans were hoping for. Most of the dialogue is generic and corny, and the emotional beats are predictable. The plot just goes through the motions of a standard kid’s movie, obvious twist villain and all. Ryan Reynolds is clearly trying, but his performance comes across as little more than a watered down, PG-rated Deadpool. Nothing really stands out about the movie. Nothing in it is great except for the Pokémon, and the Pokémon representation is really only visual.
None of this is to say that Detective Pikachu is bad, because it’s still a fun time. The charm of the Pokémon goes a long way, as does the sheer novelty of Ryan Reynolds voicing a snarky Pikachu. The movie is also not entirely predictable. The Ditto reveal is creepy enough to be fun, and the final twist is just clever enough to be memorable. Detective Pikachu’s issue isn’t that it’s terrible. Rather, the movie is too simple to be very memorable. That doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable for what it is. If nothing else, it gives audiences hope that Pokémon really does work in live action, and another shot at the formula could turn out incredible.
Detective Pikachu
Oddly enough and yet so fitting, Ryan Reynolds is the voice of Pikachu here in 2019’s Detective Pikachu, with Justice Smith as Tim Goodman. Set in a world where humans and Pokémon coexist, the film follows the pair as they team up to solve the mysterious disappearance of Tim’s father, unraveling a captivating blend of mystery, humor, and heartfelt moments. Available here in Blu-ray, you can also grab the 4K UHD + version.
- Release Date
- May 8, 2019
- Director
- Rob Letterman
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The first Pokemon movie is beloved and iconic, but were critics right about it?
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