Pokémon: Detective Pikachu has a few mysteries with the family friendly beasties and a threat to all of the Pokemon! In world building, it has the charm of the Pokémon, but also a Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) story nod and interaction with the actors. I also have to preface everything by saying I know just about nothing about Pokémon besides Pikachu. I tried to see some of the anime and bought a few packs of the cards, my nephew and niece tried to explain the game to me, I didn’t understand a thing. The first Pokémon trading card game appeared in 1996 by Media Factory in Japan. The Pokémon Company produced the game in 2003. The first video game was on Game Boy released in 1996. Pokémon Go was the mobile game released for phones by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company in 2016. The anime series has been running in films and animated series since 1996. So Pokémon is a strong multi-media franchise that has fans of all ages. What struck me about the trailer is that the movie seemed like fun and you can enter the Pokémon world without pre-knowledge.
The film is directed by Rob Letterman who directed the animated Monsters vs. Aliens (2009), the live action Gulliver’s Travels (2010), and injected fun into the Goosebumps (2015) movie. It is has a story by Nicole Perlman, Benji Samit, and Dan Hernandez. The screenplay is by Hernandez, Samit, Letterman, and Derek Connolly. The movie opens in the forested hills where there is a secluded research facility. In a lab, is a scientist, Dr. Ann Laurent, played by Rita Ora. She is known as a singer, she has the song “Carry On” in the film’s soundtrack, but she also has acting credits including Fifty Shades Freed (2018). There is a capsule, almost like a Poké Ball, containing a Pokémon, in this case, Mewtwo. This is a pale, cat-like Pokémon with pale fur and looks vaguely humanoid and lizard-like with a long tail. There is a malfunction, a man races away, and the capsule starts to crack until Mewtwo breaks free. His power raises like a fountain, a car speeds down a road, and Mewtwo starts to pursue the car. He sends out a blast that sends the car off a bridge. Mewtwo floats above the car as the unknown driver tries to crawl away.
This shifts to the woods, there are some Poké birds flying, and we find two friends, Jack (Karan Soni) and Tim (Justice Smith). Soni is very funny and of course played Dopinder in Deadpool 2 (2018) with co-star Ryan Reynolds. Smith is the lead, he was also Franklin Webb in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), there he was screaming and running away, here he is doing the same, but he is likeable and fun in both films. Jack is convincing Tim to capture a Pokémon, this is a Cubone. The crying Pokémon is a lil’ dinosaur with a skull helmet. The capturing of a Pokémon is explained here; Tim throws a Poké Ball that takes in the Cubone Ghostbuster-style, but it does not go well. Cubone chases them with a bone! Tim recieves a letter about his father and takes the train to Rhyme City. For some reason, this reminds me of the animated Zootopia (2016) with an innocent going to the big city and encountering strange animals in a sinister plot. It also reminds of that film’s wonder with interesting Pokémon and I would like to live there.
Tim watches a news report noting that Pokémon in Rhyme City live in harmony with humans. Important for the city is Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy), head of Clifford Industries who is afflicted with a disease that has made him weak so he values Pokemon. Nighy is of course a genre vet with the Underworld films including Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009), Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), and of course Philip in Shaun of the Dead (2004). His son, Roger Clifford (Chris Geere) also works at the company as the CEO. Geere plays Jimmy Shive-Overly in the comedy series You’re the Worst. The characters and setting are featured in the Detective Pikachu game released by Nintendo in 2018. Tim heads over to his father’s office at the Rhyme City Police Department and meets with an associate, Lieutenant Hide Yoshida, played by Ken Watanabe. He of course was Katsumoto in The Last Samurai (2003), then starred in Inception (2010), and reprises his role of Dr. Ishiro Serizama in Godzilla: King of the Monsters set for release on May 31st. His Pokémon partner is Snubbull, a gruff, bulldog with pink fur.
Tim returns to his father’s apartment and using his key checks his mailbox. There he meets Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) who is trying to investigate the disappearance of his father. Newton is in the drama series Big Little Lies and starred in the comedy Blockers (2018). Her character’s enthusiasm reminds of the awkward anime characters that try to work their way to taking the lead. Her Pokémon partner is Psyduck, a small duck with a long bill, who of course likes saying “Psyduck!” which is like Groot having meaning known to other Pokémon. Tim enters the apartment and begins checking his father’s items. He finds a tube filled with an unusual purple gas called The R. It expands and begins to infect Pokémon that were clinging to the stairs outside of the apartment. These are Aipom, purple fuzzies, that become vicious with The R. This is the threat that we soon learn will be dangerous to Pokémon and people. Tim encounters Pikachu one of the most well known Pokémon. He has the roundish, yellow body with beady eyes, ears and tail with black tips.
The design of Pikachu is of course adorable and Reynolds is of course known for Deapool 2 (2018) and The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017). It seems like Reynolds is going the Tooth Fairy route, but he really has fun with the part and there is an important reason why Reynolds voices Pikachu. It reminds me of the Laika animated film, Kubo and the Two Strings (2016). Pikachu has followed clues mainly his detective hat had the apartment address and has found that he lost his powers and memory. They have to find out what happened to Tim’s father, Pikachu’s memory, and the mystery behind The R. There are some twists which really add to the film’s story. It is fun for families and I know some in the audience were excited at the appearances of some of the Pokémon. I nodded off twice, I think it may be due to the 3D glasses, but it could be the movie. Still, I think this is perfect for Pokémon lovers, and I’m interested in learning more about the Pokémon world. Gotta catch this film in theaters!
Three Poké Balls out of Five!
#PokemonDetectivePikachu, #RobLetterman, #JusticeSmith, #RyanReynolds, #KathrynNewton
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