Detective Pikachu Review

Keep in mind while you read this that it’s still the best video game movie.

Confession time. I have never played more than 5 minutes of a Pokémon game in my entire life. I don’t think I’ve watched the show since I was about 5.  Pokémon is a global phenomenon that passed me right by. I was too busy playing Yu-Gi-Oh! like an idiot. I went into Detective Pikachu as cold as …. An arctic Pokémon? Is that an acceptable reference? I thought that being unfamiliar with the property would be of an advantage to me. I’d be blown away by a world that I had no real history with. Maybe I’d walk out of the cinema with a mission to buy the game! Sadly, this was not the case. I left the cinema trying to understand what the commotion was about. What ingredient was I missing from understanding this masterpiece? Am I turning into the cynical version of me that I always feared I would become? Or maybe I’m the one who is right. The one person not being blinded by nostalgia. The one person who can watch this movie and shrug his shoulders. Nevertheless, I anticipate the hate that is going to be thrown my way in a Pokéball.  Again, I don’t have a clue what I’m talking about.

Detective Pikachu tells the story of Tim Goodman (Justice Smith). A young man who is trying to figure out what happened to his missing father. As with any investigation you need a detective. Enter our yellow saviour Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds). They discover that only Tim can understand Pikachu.  Together, it’s up to Tim and Pikachu to find out what happened to Harry before it’s too late. Let’s start with the positives. The movie looks spectacular. Rhyme City, the central location of the film, is akin to the world in Blade Runner, but filled with Pokémon. The aesthetic of the film is surprisingly immersive. It could have easily been New York with Pokémon. Instead, the film decides to bring together a world unlike the real one. This is the first video game movie that feels distinct. Far too regularly we’ve been given adaptions that are just generic action movies with a fancy label attached. Getting John Mathieson on board was the films best decision. The cinematographer brings the same passion here that he brought to Gladiator and Logan. Detective Pikachu is determined not to be another example of the video game movie curse.

Director Rob Letterman was an odd choice as director for Detective Pikachu. The director’s resume is a mixed bag. Shark Tale, Monster’s Vs Aliens, Gulliver’s Travels and Goosebumps are all similar. These films are all a bit mediocre. The one thing they all do right is world-building. Each film takes on earth with inhabitants unlike our own. Whether it’s fish, monsters, aliens, or the British. Letterman crafts the world carefully into an immersive world. The problem with his films is that this tends to be the only thing the film successfully accomplishes. The Pokémon in Detective Pikachu are wonderful. Each one brings something to the film. Pikachu is the wise cracking Detective. Psyduck steals the film as the Pokémon that I related to on every level. Mr. Mime gifts the film with one of the funniest scenes of the year. The problem is that the narrative is not an interesting one. The plot is explanatory in a way that no detective movie should ever be. It’s the same movie we’ve seen a million times before. I swear this has the same plot as the 4^th Fast and Furious. As I’ve said a million times before; too many writers ruin your script. Detective Pikachu has 4 writers. Letterman is on writing duties as well as directorial. Derek Connolly brings the subtlety of his last two films Kong: Skull Island and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez never wrote on a film before, their heavily involved in the TV reboot of The Tick. Any one of these men could have wrote a more structured film on their own. The script in cliched, cringy and reads like a kid’s menu. It honestly feels that 4 random names were generated to write Detective Pikachu. Resulting in a film that has no idea what it wants to be.

 Justice Smith is leaps and bounds better than he was in Fallen Kingdom, in fairness there was only so much he could do with that character. Tim Goodman as a lead character is basic. The character goes through the typical not wanting to get involved before getting involved story. Smith justifies his leading role in one scene where he’s allowed to get emotional with Pikachu. Unfortunately, he spends the rest of the film questioning what’s going around him. Every time he asks a question the movie answers him. Making the stakes feel minimal. Pikachu is a cute version of Deadpool. Reynolds feels like he recorded his lines while he was still on the set of Deadpool. The character would work more as a secondary character. Instead of feeling like Detective Pikachu it comes off as Detective Reynolds. I’m a big fan of Reynolds, but this performance is the same one we seen time and time again.  I’m begging for a Reynolds performance which isn’t straight out of his catalogue. He can do so much more than quipping. If you don’t believe me, please watch Buried immediately. The film doesn’t know if it wants Smith or Reynolds to be the lead. Resulting in a film which is lead by 2 side characters instead of 1 lead character.

The supporting cast is where things get even murkier. It’s hard to determine which character is underdeveloped more. There’s Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) who is relegated to the love interest. The film tries to make it out that it’s focused on her journalism career. When there’s such little time dedicated to that subplot, it’s hard not to see Lucy as anything more than a plot device. Following Stevens progressive role in Blockers, a film that is all about female empowerment and Equality. It’s a shame to see her given nothing to do. Chris Geer plays a character who will make you laugh at how ridiculous he becomes with each passing scene. Bill Nighy is woefully miscast as Howard Clifford.  Clifford is the man who brought Rhyme city to life. Nighy struggles with the bizarre monologues which only Ben Mendelsohn could pull off. Nighy seems visibly frustrated that his agent landed him this gig. None of the human characters are developed well enough to make the movie part of this Pokémon movie feel justified. It’s a forgettable film that’s only saved by how it looks.

Detective Pikachu works as an introduction to Pokémon. It throws you into a world that has potential for entertaining films. However, as a non-fan of Pokémon I felt that it was all fan service and no movie. I don’t think it’s fair to praise a movie for Easter eggs and references. It’s all well and good having them in your movie. You still need to craft a layered plot around it. Hardcore fans will cheer when they see certain characters. Movie fans won’t remember this film an hour after they’ve seen it. This has been the toughest review I’ve ever written. It was difficult to remember what I watched an hour after I watched it. Hopefully, the next Pokémon movie tries being a compelling movie. The world is there for great films to be made. Judging by Detective Pikachu, for now you don’t need to catch these films in cinema.

Liam’s summary of Detective Pikachu.

Best Moment: The Mr. Mime interrogation scene is a thing of beauty.

Worst Moment: The last act is a spectacle to behold in the worst way.

Best Character: Psyduck has more personality than any other character.

Worst character: Can someone make sure Nighy is okay?

Watch These Instead.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard: Reynolds successful attempt at the buddy cop genre.

Blockers: Kathryn Newton shines in the decades most progressive comedy.

Warcraft: Okay so if this is the best video game movie that I could come up with then maybe Detective Pikachu is a masterpiece.

Overall Rating: 2/5