POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU: A Welcome Vision Of Hope

Welcome to the late 90’s, a time when tie dye and frosted tips were all the rage, N’SYNC knew their way around a solid jam, and a supercharged yellow pocket monster launched its global reign of popular culture. You go, Pikachu!

In the late 90’s/early 2000’s, Pokémon hit the world in a big way, initially in the form of game cartridges capable of transporting players to a world of competition and companionship, not long before finding its way into packets of trading cards and onto our television screens. The idea of searching for, catching, training, and battling these now iconic Pokémons swept the world, becoming a staple of childhood and a moment of pop culture destined for nostalgia.

Fast forward to 2016 and these pocket sized comrades are once again dominating the masses, littering the streets with opportunities for smart phones to interact with the real world, ushering in a wave of Pokémon readily accessible for any trainer willing to relive this highlight of their childhood, which turned out to be practically everyone. This breathe of life that the Pokémon Go app granted the franchise launched it into mainstream media, meaning that once again Pikachu, along with the brand name itself, had a whole host of avid fans, making way for what would soon be known as Pokémon Detective Pikachu.

Detective On The Case

The 2019 fun fest masquerading as Pokémon Detective Pikachu, directed by Rob Letterman, stars Justice Smith as the plucky yet appropriately complex hero Tim, and Ryan Reynolds as the suitably outrageous sidekick Detective Pikachu, a pocket monster hellbent on stealing the show with seemingly unlimited charisma.

We meet Tim at an age-old telling moment in his life, the famous crossroads of insurance worker vs Pokemon Trainer, and are soon forced down a path of companionship and personal discovery, two components that drive the plot whilst keeping audience interest at a steady boil. Whilst the world of Pokémon develops within quite necessary scope constraints, a fitting level of wild super villainy appears, forcing Tim on a search for his missing father, and his accompanying crew of oddball heroes towards the true nature of the legendary Pokémon known as Mewtwo.

An Unconventional World Of Pokémon

The first act of Pokémon Detective Pikachu is where the film earns its initial gym badge, showing Tim to be a character full of the charm that first drew fans to the likes of Ash Ketchum and co, wasting no time establishing the lead as well as setting the films most interesting arc in motion. Whilst initial sequences are quite rightly utilised as a vehicle for character establishment, an unconventional world of Pokémon is also setup for audiences to get to grips with, steering slightly left of the layout that hardcore Pokémon audiences are used to.

Drifting from the conventional plot points of Pokémon should come with some seriously weighty exposition, in this case arriving in the form of a swift train journey that establishes the how and why’s of the world our characters inhabit, lending to the accessibility of the film for new fans whilst refraining from alienating the more die hard viewer. This diversion from the usual Pokémon lore might be a slight struggle for fans expecting a classic journey, but the departure adds insight and mystery to a world that could very well lack the opportunity for interesting story had it stuck to the more obvious route

With some wonderful nostalgic nods for fans to sink their teeth into, along with a number sonic cues harking back to an era of joy, the opening act sees a real success story in Pokémon Detective Pikachu, ticking pretty much every box audiences could of been hoping for.

The Heart Of The Story

By the time Pokémon Detective Pikachu arrives at the heart of its story, Ryme city, it becomes clear that the pacing hasn’t hit a dud note as of yet, moving along at a speed that allows for just enough intrigue into the weird and wonderful world of Pokémon, whilst leaving suitable mystery and hinting momentarily at a developed way of life. Audiences are treated to brief glimpses of a city full of thriving Pokémon, a city teeming with life and one that seems set on showcasing what must be the worlds most enormous collection of neon lit walkways. Whilst absolutely a plus point, the pace of Pokémon Detective Pikachu’s opening act does however mean that further development of Ryme City is unfortunately put on hold, allowing what feels like only the top layer of an incredibly interesting world to be seen.

Although it might seem like audiences are only momentarily treated to the rich world of Ryme City, with moments of real personality bursting through interactions with the likes of Ludicolo and Snubbull, there remains limited time for world development due to a cracking story that’s itching to be told, now let’s talk Pikachu.

To put it bluntly, Reynolds is fantastic, the character of Pikachu feels well rounded, interesting, surprisingly funny and full of heart that hints at serious cinematic staying power, gifting the film it’s next well earned gym badge. As the story continues and the duo find themselves in some seriously entertaining buddy cop situations (looking at you Mr. Mime), the chemistry between the pair really drives the film, delivering the sort of dynamic that allows for outrageously earned amounts of screen time and some real reason for cinema revisits.

Whilst Smith and Reynolds do carry audiences through the more bogged down moments of plot development, a worthy nod has to be given to reporter pal Lucy and her partner Psyduck, a duo that don’t always feel integral to the overarching story, but do however deliver some great character moments that lift what could of fallen into lulls of necessary plot progression.

Gotta Catch ‘Em All

As the final act of Pokémon Detective Pikachu arrives, the realisation that the film is recycling a limited number of Pokémon does hit, something that will absolutely be seen as a disappointment for the bigger Pokémon fans, regardless of how necessary to the story the scaling back is. This lack of developed supporting Pokémon does hinder the climax of the evil mastermind arc, as a battle that feels overly scaled down ensues, something that can’t be helped as the earlier sequences of the film refuses to spend too much time setting up or revisiting characters that aren’t integral to the plot, possibly the films only major downfall.

With the final moments of adventure coming to a close, a brief look back on the story being told highlights exactly what makes Pokémon Detective Pikachu feel special, it’s the moments of personality that the Pokemon bring to the table, the hints at the larger world they inhabit, and most importantly, the journey our two protagonists have just concluded. It was never going to be the evil lingering around Mewtwo that gave the film its worth, but rather the brotherhood between Tim and Pikachu, the very heart and soul that left its mark on the minds of a generation twenty odd years ago, that’s what will leave Pokémon fans far and wide satisfied, and that’s a real win for Pokémon Detective Pikachu, and a good enough reason for it to be heading down victory road.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu: It’s Not All Fan Service

Quite honestly, its an incredible achievement in itself that a franchise born over 20 years ago has mustered enough staying power to still be the talk of pop culture iconography all these years later, a live action film of this scale is an absolute win for Pokémon, and the hope (cough cough) that Pokémon Detective Pikachu brings to the table shows exactly what makes this franchise special, and exactly why it deserved the live action treatment so long after its initial boom.

With a plot that ultimately echoes the friendship that captured audiences in the 90’s, Pokémon Detective Pikachu features a wonderful story of companionship, a suitably loud master plan, and enough vitality to keep a range of audiences involved, not to mention a Psyduck that fills the comic relief archetype in a way that will send fans of the original anime positively reeling.

As Justice Smith and Ryan Reynolds make sure the charismatic needs of the story are well and truly taken care of, mostly fantastic pacing and glaring moments of characterisation are there to fill in any gaps.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu tells a story that features Pokémon, rather than a story about Pokémon, meaning that moments of fan service are appreciated, whilst terrific moments of personality are what drives the film. Is it a classic telling of the Pokémon journey? No, but is it a welcome glare of personality and hope? Absolutely. Coffee anyone?

With a successful video game adaptation finally thriving on the big screen, which pixel sized protagonist deserves the next live action overhaul? Is it time we shine the cinematic spotlight on Digimon? Let us know your thoughts!

Pokemon Detective Pikachu was released in the UK and US on May 10th, 2019. For other release dates, click here