Review Summary: This is the right way to adapt a cartoon or video game!
Among video games, one of the most notorious and popular titles around is Pokemon. And its' been that way for at least 20 years. I remember growing up in the franchise's craze, from TV shows, movies and games to merchandise, kids and teenagers weren't getting enough of it. It wasn't until about 5 years later that I found myself hooked onto this appealing fantasy world of unique creatures.
Of course, a good 15 years later, and it seemed like only a matter of time before the franchise spun-off into a live-action feature. However, after a meh first trailer, I was concerned about if Pokemon could work as a live-action film. Yes, there's been several entertaining animated films, but could it translate well? And, of course, the idea of a talking Pikachu (though, to be fair, Meowth did talk in the cartoon) didn't seem to be an appealing idea.
Yet, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the final result. Detective Pikachu is not only an entertaining movie, its a rare adaptation that stays faithful to its source material. It's not perfect (and has a few things it could have left on the cutting room floor), but its' still a whole mess of fun. Perhaps I should have seen this coming, as director Rob Letterman has proven to pull off nice surprises before (the first Goosebumps movie, and the DreamWorks Animation films Monsters vs. Aliens and Shark Tale remain fairly underrated films today).
While watching this movie, you can tell that Letterman and his crew really did their homework and tried as best they could to bring the world of Pokemon to life. And they succeeded wildly. From Ryme City to an underground battle arena to other touches, it is like you're stepping into the world of the popular games. The production design is terrific, and the visual effects are fantastic (and mostly aren't over-the-top). The action scenes are great too.
Equally impressive are the designs of the Pokemon themselves. They keep their signature looks without becoming unrecognizable or too edgy. Pikachu is really cute, with a light and furry texture. The only possible misstep for me in the designs was Gengar, but that's just me being nitpicky. Even Poke-balls are given a respectful and solid upgrade from the previous animated versions.
As the lead Tim, Justice Smith gives a much better performance here than he did in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. He's appropriately emotional in the right moments, and is given a solid character arc. Ryan Reynolds was the one cast to give voice to Pikachu, and I wasn't exactly a fan of that decision. However, I stand corrected. Reynolds does bring in the sassy and sometimes anti-climactic sense of humor that he's known for (cough Deadpool cough cough), but he's also gives an appreciable amount of heart to the film as well. In the end, I'm now doubting anyone else who could have pulled this off better than he did. On the other hand, Bill Nighy's character should have been given more screentime. The veteran actor is given way too little to do in a role that honestly could have been so much more.
However, considering this is a movie aimed at kids, the story is also a bit too complex and sophisticated at times. There were times where it was a little hard to follow, and it might be challenging for some younger tykes to really get what's going on. And in a handful of scenes, the characters do resort to a little too much exposition to try and keep us apprised. A few brief and fleeting moments also resort to humor and language that are otherwise out-of-place in this universe.
Besides that, fans of the 90's TV show will find plenty to love here. There are several solid references peppered throughout the film. There's also plenty of nods to the 1999 first Pokemon movie (audiences may spot this pretty easily). The humor otherwise is fairly hit or miss, but there are a handful of genuinely funny gags in the mix.
In some ways, Detective Pikachu looks and feels like a movie that could have been released in the late-90's and early-2000's era. Maybe that's just the nostalgia talking. Or maybe that's just a testament to the mostly outstanding job by the team here. Save for a few relatively minor missteps, it's one of the most fun movies of the year so far, and a must-see for fans!
My Score: 8.0/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: Detective Pikachu is rated PG for "action/peril, some rude and suggestive humor, and thematic elements." I would say this is a decent choice for ages 8 and up, with a few cautions for parents to keep in mind. The action scenes are a little intense in places. One scene involves repeated earthquakes with giant Pokemon, while another features an explosion and a car falling off a bridge (including some flames in result). A purple substance is used to make Pokemon go into a rage, and we see a group nearly rat Tim out in one scene. Another action scene includes windows shattering, some parade balloons exploding, and characters falling from perilous heights.
There's a few mild suggestive jokes (Pikachu says he's "not that kind of Pokemon" to inviting someone back to his apartment, Tim says he's "good at being alone at night" in response to a girl wondering otherwise, and Pikachu jokes about feeling something in his "jellies"), a couple of mild profanities (two "h***", one "d***", and a handful of uses of "oh g**!" in one tense scene), and a couple of bathroom jokes (someone's mother's birth canal, "peeing himself" and "silent but deadly"). Tim's pants are yanked off at one point by a group of Ape Pokemon (Pikachu jokes about his "increasing nudeness"). Pikachu drinks a lot of coffee, and Tim jokes he's "addicted to caffeine". As those that are familiar with the games and cartoons are aware, Pokemon are capable of "evolving" and other abilities (including merging with humans and healing).
