Firstly, I’d like to thank Cathy Rong of Vayner Media for making it possible for me to watch this movie before its official theatrical release, which is May 10, 2019. My twelve year old self is ESPECIALLY grateful for this one. Because of her, I have been able to attend a number of early movie screenings, including the surprisingly well done “Escape Room” a few months ago. Thank you kindly, Cathy. I am always most grateful for your generosity.
In grade school I was an AVID fan of Pokémon. I collected the trading cards and organized them in my Pokémon binder. I assembled two separate decks to “battle” other “trainers” during my Saturday morning visits to the Pokémon trading card game league that met in my local Toys R’ Us (RIP). And when the feature length cartoon movie released in theaters, you better believe I was in line early to get my free promo card of Ancient Mew. “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” is the live-action Pokémon film fans have been waiting on for what seems like forever.
In the film, Pikachu is voiced by the hilarious Ryan Reynolds and helps Tim (played by the rising star Justice Smith of the Netflix show “The Get Down”) uncover what has happened to his missing father, with whom Tim is not particularly close. One thing that stands out immediately is that the movie does not bother establishing for its audience the world in which Pokémon exist. If you’re completely new to Pokémon, then this approach is potentially more of an issue for you than it is for others. It operates in a world where the existence of Pokémon is already a long standing reality; so, be prepared to jump right into things as if you’ve already known about them for some time.
As for the live action Pokémon we see on screen- they are AMAZING. They are exactly what twelve year old me initially wished to see on screen but had to wait on for the necessary technology to make possible. From Ryan Reynolds pulling off a Daredevil-like Pikachu with attitude, to Charizard looking as menacing as ever and all of the surprise guest Pokémon appearances throughout (including rare Pokémon and evolved Pokémon), it is no secret what this film’s bread and butter is.
The film is actually under 90 minutes long; so, it’s certainly an easy watch in that regard. But the plot itself is rather spotty and takes several leaps just to get from one confusing development to the next head scratcher. The way in which the movie progressed felt very reminiscent of the cartoon episodes I watched religiously growing up, with only a modicum of interest being engendered for the plot because what I really wanted to see was Pokémon in battle. The movie is FANTASTIC for kids; and, fans of all ages should certainly watch this in theaters to get the full effect of the spectacular work put into the Pokémon; but, don't expect to be floored by much else. For finally bringing Pokémon to life in spectacular fashion (particularly a hilarious Pikachu and mighty Mewtwo), with little else to offer, I give Pokémon Detective Pikachu 2.5 reps out of 5. I am still, nevertheless, extremely pumped for future Pokémon movies given how well a job was done with their live action portrayal in this one.
Will you be entering the Pokémon world alongside Detective Pikachu or might you actually skip out on seeing the live action adaptation of these magnificent creatures? Let me know what you’re hoping for from the Pokémon world moving forward. Don’t be shy, folks- it’s what the comments section below is for! :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment