Detective Pikachu Review: A Spectacular Sleuth
By Evelyn Grim Marshall
To say I was ecstatic going into the theatre would be an understatement. I had my customary popcorn, drink (alas, coke not pepsi, regular), and big bag of M&Ms going in, but in my nervous energy I ate almost all of my movie snacks before the ads had even started.
In a rare moment of sociability, I thought about announcing that I hoped my favourite Pokémon, Luxray, would be in the movie, and asking what my fellow movie-goers’ favourites were. Alas, my half-baked dreams of communal geeking out were cruelly quashed.
“I don’t even like Pokémon, I wanted to see Infinity War.”
Such blasphemous words, loudly spoken in the smallest theatre of the cinema. My head whipped around 180o to stare at the culprit. She was sitting in the second row back from me, and she laughed. I resolved never to speak to a stranger about anything as important as Pokémon. Ever.
The movie started before I snapped and started pelting my M&Ms at the interloper.
From the moment he first padded onscreen, I knew I was doomed. He, in the immortal words of Stitch, was cute and fluffy. Pikachu grasped my heart in his smol hands, pika-pika’d all sing-song, face expressive on a level rarely seen on a human. He is designed to make the audience fall in love. From his little detective’s hat to his large brown eyes, Pikachu is someone you want to cuddle and protect. He is the star of the show.
Just look at him enjoying his smol cup of coffee.
Detective Pikachu uses a lot of visual worldbuilding to create a believable city where Pokémon live with humans, from the aforementioned small cups to Pokémon back carriers and booster seats. Background events show Pokémon engaging in mundane tasks, like a Charmander heating up a wok or traffic being guided around a sleeping Snorlax.
The plot of the movie revolves around Tim, who works in insurance and doesn’t have any Pokémon. After his estranged father dies mysteriously, Tim goes to Ryme City. There he meets Detective Pikachu, his father’s amnesiac Pokémon partner. Both wacky hijinks and tearjerker moments ensue.
Tim is an interesting character, simultaneously eschewing a Pokémon partner and being a massive Pokémon nerd. The movie explores his reasons for solitude through his budding camaraderie with Pikachu and some flashbacks. His character arc fits well with the main themes of friendship and loss. Pikachu and Tim bounce off one another, effortlessly trading the roles of smart guy and comic relief as the situation demands while also standing as separate characters with clear motivations. In an early chase scene, Tim is initially terrified while Pikachu’s attempts to “help” are standard comedy, but by the end of the scene the roles have flipped; Tim has managed to lose his pants, and Pikachu is all but facepalming.
They’re aided by aspiring reporter Lucy and her Psyduck. While there is a romantic undertone between Tim and Lucy, I am glad to say her characterisation revolves around her journalism ambitions and not around dating Tim. She’s shown recording evidence and her job as a news intern has plot relevance throughout the movie. Psyduck meanwhile is extremely relatable despite his own sparse characterisation, having psychic headaches brought on by anxiety, and an unshakeable bond with his trainer.
I won’t spoil any details, but the plot is extremely enjoyable despite being relatively simplistic. Several scenes had me at risk of falling out of my seat, in laughter and horror by turns. The dialogue is solid, twists are properly foreshadowed, and the humour is funny and not cringey. The movie knows what mark it wants to hit and aims properly. Whether or not it hits the spot is mostly down to the tastes of the viewer. The standard plot formula may put some viewers off.
While many Pokémon are featured in the movie, and the filmmakers seem to have tried to get a good mix in, I didn’t see my beloved Luxray anywhere, and your favourite may not be on screen either. In terms of starters from the games, the first generation is focused on, with a couple of others showing up now and then. Sometimes it did seem like the movie was playing it safe by showing Pokémon guaranteed to draw an audience more often than less recognisable ones. Hopefully any sequels will showcase more Pokémon, especially more “niche” mons.
Detective Pikachu is an emotional movie, focusing on friendship, loss, and what actions they can drive us to in a surprisingly mature way for a family film. I loved this movie, and I’d probably have turned around and bought a ticket for the next showing if I had the money. The DVD cannot come soon enough.
If you like soft cuddly creatures or the mon genre of video games and cartoons, this movie is for you. Even if you don’t, who can resist Pikachu dancing?
