Pokémon Detective Pikachu is a 2019 video game adaptation about a man trying to figure out the disappearance of his father with the help of a talking Pikachu.
You know those movies that try too hard to please fans with fan service? Pokémon Detective Pikachu is that type of film. It stars the charismatic Ryan Reynolds as the titular role of the adorable Pikachu, and it’s quite an ambitious project adapting one of the most iconic franchises of all time into live-action. Directed by Rob Letterman, known for Gulliver’s Travels and Goosebumps, he actually cares about the source material and tries his best to bring something fun to the series. You don’t have to be a fan in order to understand the concept of Pokémon, and that’s a good thing. While it is commendable that the filmmakers appreciate this unique world filled with amazing creatures, that’s not enough for the movie to be great.
A former Pokémon trainer named Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) travels to Ryme City in order to find his father, who has apparently been missing. As he’s trying to uncover this mystery, he eventually meets a Pikachu in his dad’s office. However, he then finds out that this Pokémon can talk and that he can even understand everything that he’s saying. With the help of a young reporter named Lucy (Kathryn Newton) and her partner Psyduck, they will uncover this case and save the city from an upcoming threat that might endanger the lives of both humans and Pokémon.
While the film is a mixed bag, it’s important to talk about the things that deserve high praise. Visually, it’s impressive seeing this imaginative world come to life on the big screen. All the creature designs are great, and the animators have worked really hard bringing some cool new looks to your favorite Pokémon! The CGI could have been compromising the experience, but instead it adds a lot of creativity and passion to a world filled with these unique creatures. The people who are involved in the making of this movie actually care about showcasing this franchise to its full potential in terms of visuals.
Reynolds carries the film from start to finish, and his voice performance as Pikachu is one of the highlights of the entire movie. Whenever he’s throwing out some quips, you’re just thoroughly entertained. At times, you can’t help but think that it’s Deadpool’s voice in Pikachu’s body. But as the film goes on, you’re able to let that nitpick go. Smith is functional in the role of Tim, but he’s a little forgettable at times. His character arc is conceptually interesting for what the writers are going for, but it’s sadly very underdeveloped. Also, Newton’s performance as Lucy is unfortunately really boring, and she doesn’t add anything to the premise. She’s just there to be a love interest, which makes her very uninteresting.
The main problem with Detective Pikachu is that it’s convenient throughout. There’s no suspense whatsoever, which takes away the mystery aspect of the film. The writers also heavily rely on exposition to advance the plot, and it’s really irritating. The dialogue is undeniably quippy and humorous mostly because of Reynolds, but sometimes it can be annoyingly cheesy and clichéd. The premise is admittedly pretty simple, it doesn’t mean that the movie should be so predictable for the audience to easily figure out everything that is going to happen. Even when you see the main antagonist appear on screen for the first time, you just immediately check out.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu stays true to the source material, but it’s unfortunately not that memorable. Seeing these creatures in live-action is undeniably pretty cool, however that’s not enough for the movie to be as good as you want it to be. While the visuals and Reynolds’s voice as Pikachu are easily the best parts, the uninteresting human characters, the predictable screenplay and annoying dialogue really take away the enjoyment out of the film. It’s obviously better than most video game movie adaptations, but Detective Pikachu doesn’t quite “catch them all.”