Review: Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Detective Pikachu is slow to start, roughly paced, and predictable, but it has enough Ryan Reynolds and nostalgia driven gags to keep you in the seat through its 104 minute runtime. 5/10
Allow me to paint a picture
It’s Christmas ’96. You’re 8 years old. Movies on the TV have served as background noise throughout the holiday, while your family eats and laughs. You’ve spent the entire day transfixed by your Game Boy, after unwrapping your most prized possession: Pokémon Blue (yes, I was a Blue kid). Alas, you’ve burned through all the hours in the day (and all the AA’s in the house). Barely able to keep your eyes open, its time for bed, but not before stuffing your face full of the remaining dessert. You slip into a post-holiday coma, accompanied by a sugar-fueled dream that straddles the line between hallucination and nightmare. That child’s acid trip is Detective Pikachu.
Brass Tacks
I hoped for a few unpredictable twists and turns for a movie with “Detective” in the title, but I was left wanting. The story-writing was half-hearted; what it lacked in originality it tried to compensate for with nostalgia and humor. Between the mid 80’s to late 90’s references, and every line delivered by Ryan Reynolds, I found myself laughing out-loud quite a bit. However, aside from a handful of fun and clever gags, this film, as a whole, is mostly forgettable.
Cast and Execution
The cast was solid, and many brought a little something special to their characters, especially given what they had to work with. Kathryn Newton jumped right off a page from the old animations. She felt the most true to form for an anime come to life. Ryan Reynolds can make anything enjoyable, and Bill Nighy is always a delight. Justice Smith made the best of what he was given, but he wasn’t given much.
The pacing was choppy and the movie drags until Pikachu makes his first appearance. The sporadic advancement of the narrative felt much like a dream, arbitrarily adding in color and back story that was forgotten earlier. The basic premise of the film is fine, and it could have actually been surprising if the writers and director hadn’t spoon-feed you everything via egregious exposition. You can chalk some of these transgressions up to making the film accessible for the younger audience, however, I think we should give our younger audience a bit more credit.
Who Was This For?
Detective Pikachu seems to be made specifically for millennials and their kids, or hardcore Pokémon fans. I am not the biggest, nor even really a “big” fan. I do have (and always will have) a connection with the franchise forged in my early years with a link cable on the playground. For those of us who grew up on Pokémon, seeing all of those little monsters from our childhood, in a live action film, is a dream come true. From an adorable-ized Cubone crying in a field, to a Machamp police officer guiding traffic around a Snorlax, there were some really fun gags. About halfway through the film, there is an incredible bit with a Mr. Mime that, in and of itself, is worth the price of admission. If you fall into one of the demographics above, then you will find some enjoyment in this film. If not, you will likely still get a few chuckles, but it wouldn’t be a huge loss if you skipped.
Check out Flix and a Six later this week, when Al and I take a deeper dive.
Read more from Anthony here at The Spinchoon, or listen to Flix & a Six. Follow us on Twitter @TheSpinchoon & @AEJCostanzo.
