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You are here: Home / Live Life / Entertainment / Detective Pikachu Movie

Entertainment

Detective Pikachu Movie

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I have some history with Pikachu, meaning the pre-Detective years. When Pokémon Go was released in 2016, I was excited to download the app and immerse myself in a world that had become very familiar to me through my two children.

Detective Pikachu (RYAN REYNOLDS) in Legendary Pictures', Warner Bros. Pictures' and The Pokémon Company's comedy adventure "POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
© 2019 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND LEGENDARY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Detective Pikachu: A Treat for Pokémon Fans and A Lot of Heart

Both my son and daughter were fans of the Pokémon card game and television shows, and my own fandom started with an admiration for the cute animation and learning about their individual abilities.

As time has passed and my children moved into their teen years, Pokémon has given way to YouTube videos and Fortnite, but we still share moments of bonding every time I open Pokémon GO, hoping to find the final two Pokémon I need from the Kanto region or spin a PokéStop for more berries and PokéBalls.

Charizard and Detective Pikachu (RYAN REYNOLDS) in Legendary Pictures' and Warner Bros. Pictures' comedy adventure "POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
© 2019 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND LEGENDARY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

It’s with the excitement of a true fan that I first saw the trailer for Pokémon: Detective Pikachu—my reaction made me glad I wasn’t in a public place.

The opportunity to see some of my favorite Pokémon on the big screen became a bit of an obsession leading up to our exclusive screening of the film, but I was also filled with a bit of fear that the story and (gulp!) animation might not live up to my expectations.

Before I get into the spoiler-free particulars, I can assure you the movie does not disappoint.

Detective Pikachu Movie Review

From the opening scenes of Detective Pikachu, you get the sense a lot of care went into not only creating an authentic connection with fans of Pokémon, but also developing characters with layers of emotional complexity.

KATRHYN NEWTON as Lucy Stevens, Psyduck, Detective Pikachu (RYAN REYNOLDS) and JUSTICE SMITH as Tim Goodman in Legendary Pictures' and Warner Bros. Pictures' comedy adventure "POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
© 2019 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND LEGENDARY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

This isn’t lazy filmmaking, which is too often the case with movies adapted from video games. The trick of humanizing animated characters is made even more difficult when the characters aren’t based on actual humans, so kudos are absolutely due to director Rob Letterman and his co-writers, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, and Derek Connolly for attempting (and delivering) a truly human experience.

Detective Pikachu (RYAN REYNOLDS) in Legendary Pictures', Warner Bros. Pictures' and The Pokémon Company's comedy adventure "POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
© 2019 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND LEGENDARY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

In fact, the slew of humorous Pokémon cameos and sci-fi storytelling is finely balanced with the very human characteristics of another Pokémon—Pikachu. As this is a spoiler-free review, I’ll steer clear of why this integral component of the movie makes it so charming.

KEN WATANABE as Lieutenant Hide Yoshida and Snubbull in Legendary Pictures' and Warner Bros. Pictures' comedy adventure "POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
© 2019 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND LEGENDARY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

The voice behind our electric-type friend is Ryan Reynolds, which caused some raised eyebrows in our home when first announced. However, Reynolds produces a wonderfully humorous and heartwarming Pikachu performance, outdone only by the film’s young hero, Tim Goodman (played by Justice Smith).

Psyduck in Legendary Pictures' and Warner Bros. Pictures' comedy adventure "POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
© 2019 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND LEGENDARY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

As the title of the film suggests, the main plot revolves around some detective work, accomplished by the team of an initially apprehensive Tim and Pikachu. This adventure takes them through a dark world inhabited by both humans and Pokémon, which is equal parts film noir and actual video game.

Those Pokémon cameos mentioned earlier could have easily been overdone and annoying, but their appearances never produced an eye roll from my, sometimes, cynical teenagers.

Detective Pikachu Movie Review - (RYAN REYNOLDS) in Legendary Pictures', Warner Bros. Pictures' and The Pokémon Company's comedy adventure "POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
© 2019 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND LEGENDARY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

The pace and presentation of the film’s story never lagged, and my strongest fears of weak CGI were, thankfully, not realized. Instead, I found myself surprisingly moved by the story and characters.

If a sequel can be produced with the same thoughtful filmmaking found here, I look forward to experiencing more of the Pokémon universe.  

See Detective Pikachu In Theaters May 10th!

Get your tickets here.


5 Comments

About Shelley

Mother of two living in Montana. Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Benedictine University with a BS in nutrition science. I love food, fitness, reading, and all things science. I'm the sister that travels.

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Comments

  1. Christina Gould says

    May 17, 2019 at 10:20 pm

    He is too cute. I’ve got to see this. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
  2. Kathy Eyre says

    May 18, 2019 at 10:19 am

    The grand kids are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for me to take them this coming Friday!!

    Reply
  3. Betty Curran says

    May 27, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    I’ve never been a huge fan but the grandkids are thrilled.

    Reply
  4. Cassandra D says

    May 27, 2019 at 11:51 pm

    This movie looks very interesting. I want to see Detective Pikachu.

    Reply
  5. kathy pease says

    May 28, 2019 at 2:35 pm

    This looks adorable and I will have to see this with my granddaughter

    Reply

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