Ryan Reynolds and Detective Pikachu: A Match Made in Heaven

Movie adaptations of video games have a terrible track record, so it’s not surprising that I went into Detective Pikachu with a very cautious attitude. I ended up walking away very satisfied.

I spy with my little eye...

When it boils down to it, Detective Pikachu had every right to be an absolute disaster. It’s a movie based on a game that is a spinoff of another game while having some bases on an anime based on a game. With so many layers of adaptations in there, it’s difficult to imagine how they could have nailed it so beautifully.

They make a good pair.

The story, for the most part, follows the themes and pacing of the game of the same name. It follows Tim Goodman, the son of a famous detective who had not been in his life much. Things kick off when Tim, who refuses to take on a Pokémon partner, finds out that his father has died in a car crash. Confused at his emotions of grief, despite not caring much for his father, he decides to investigate, as things don’t seem right. Along the way, he runs into an odd Pikachu who is addicted to caffeine, wears a hat and somehow can talk to Tim, and only Tim. In this unlikely partnership, many shenanigans are had. The adventures they go on are mysterious, grand, danger filled and full of curiosities. There’s nothing particularly unique about the story as a whole and can be quite predictable even if you haven’t played the game. Still, good characters make a good film, and this film is full of them. The Pokémon and human characters are all full of personality which helps breathe a ton of life into the movie from beginning to end. If the characters weren’t as interesting as they were, this would likely have been a very bland film.

Lucy and her Psyduck are an equally perfect pair.

Presentation is easily one of this movie’s shining points. Many were very cautious about this ‘realistic’ representation of Pokémon, but they are integrated into the world of Ryme City so effectively that it’s now difficult to imagine the designs being any other way. A lot of love and care was put into making the designs authentic but unique, and it shows. This carries into the environment as well. Ryme City is a perfect representation of the world that has always been presented in the Pokémon series of games. The Pokémon world has always been shown as slightly more technologically advanced than the real world, with a deep integration of the Pokémon themselves in everything around the world. Ryme City’s gimmick is that no Pokémon remains in Poké Balls, with humans and Pokémon living in harmony together. This gimmick is integrated into every single detail within the film. There are tons of Pokémon everywhere, and it will take multiple watches to be able to spot them all. Ryme City is easily one of the most fantastical and well-designed places you will visit in a movie. As an active Pokémon fan from the start to now, I was particularly pleased with the representation of Pokémon from all Generations. The movie is designed as a nostalgia trip for older fans at times, so they could have easily had a heavy focus on the original 151 Pokémon but decided to dig into the entire roster instead. I greatly appreciated this.

Why is he so indescribably cute?

All the little details are so charming. You’ll hear a Jigglypuff singing in the background of one scene, with a few people snoring who have obviously fallen asleep. There’s a scene where Loudred are used as loudspeakers in a club, which perfectly represents their attributes. You’ll see Bulbasaur in a magical forest. There’s a scene where a Cubone is seen by itself, sobbing. You’ll see Greninja make full use of their agility as well as their tongues. The list goes on. The Pokémon are all integrated masterfully, in a way that befits their in-game lore.

A Pikachu after my own heart.

As mentioned earlier, the characters are what make the film fun, and that’s thanks to a great cast. Ryan Reynolds as Detective Pikachu is perfect. I doubt many of us could have imagined he’d nail the role but now that he’s done the part, I can’t imagine anybody else doing it. Justice Smith has some awkward acting moments, but overall does a good job as Tim Goodman and is a fun main character who is far more exciting than the Tim Goodman in the game. Kathryn Newton as Lucy Stevens is a far more interesting and fun Lucy than the Lucy from the game as well. Bill Nighy sometimes falls flat but is extravagant enough to feel right in his part. Chris Greere is appropriately over the top and helps remind us that this is a kid’s movie (in a good way). Suki Waterhouse nails Ms. Norman’s cold personality perfectly. Diplo is super silly as DJ, which is honestly perfect for his part in the movie. Everybody else gets the job done but is nothing special. The cast overall does a great job of capturing the kind of unique and zany feel that is needed for a movie like this, and they all completely embrace the lingo and mannerisms of the Pokémon world.

Some of the realistic designs help us realize that some of these monsters would be horrifying in real life.

My one complaint, which was also a prevalent complaint of mine in the game, is that the movie follows the anime theme of having all Pokémon say their names when they talk, instead of having animal sounds. It’s always been a very odd choice in the anime and it’s a very odd and out of place choice here as well. There are deep hints in the game and movie both that this takes place in the continuity of the anime, so I guess there’s a fair explanation for that, but it’s still very silly. Beyond that, the sound design is fantastic. The music isn’t necessarily special, but it evokes all the necessary moods, so it gets the job done.

One of the prettiest sequences in the film thanks to the Morelull.

In the end, Detective Pikachu is easily the best video game to film adaptation that I’ve seen. No contest. They were very careful in casting people who would fit into their roles. They were careful in designing a world that was extremely faithful to the source materials. They were very careful in pulling enough from the source material to make the narrative feel familiar, while adding some new stuff to better flow in a film. Everything comes together to be a great film for Pokémon fans to see. If you’re not a Pokémon fan, but are a fan of kid’s movies, or would like a fun movie to show your kids, then this is still easy to recommend. If you don’t fit any of those categories, I’d approach with caution. The film is clearly made as a love letter to Pokémon fans, so it’s not designed to be a masterpiece. Go into it with that mentality, and you are almost guaranteed to have a blast.

- Teepu

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OVERALL: A

Pluses:
+ Pokémon designs and integration are handled masterfully
+ Ryan Reynolds as Detective Pikachu is the perfect match, I never knew we needed
+ The colorful cast make the movie very fun

Minuses:
- The Pokémon say their names, which is just as dumb and out of place as the anime
- Plot is predictable
- Justice Smith is sometimes awkward, in a bad way

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