Pokémon Detective Pikachu — Blue Fairy Film Blog

If we’re framing my opinion by precedent, then yes, this is one of the better video game adaptations ever made. Should that be the defining positive trait of a $150 million budgeted theatrically released film? I would hope not, because there aren’t many video game adaptations in general, and fewer that aren’t complete and utter dog shit. So yes, this isn’t as bad as Super Mario Brothers or Silent Hill. Congratulations to gamers who were relieved to realize when they journeyed to their local multiplex that this video game movie wouldn’t include a King Koopa descended from a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a rightful king descended from the ceiling in a goo cocoon.

I’m not even going to get into the mechanics of the animation which are varied in execution. For every positive thing I can say about the fur on Pikachu, I can say fifty horrible things about the eyes on that Psyduck and the lips on those Greninjas, who all looked ridiculously hacky. We have all been picking apart the Sonic trailer ad nauseam, which it definitely deserves, but few people have pointed out the absurd and over the top decisions made in the animation of these classic Pokémon characters. The aesthetics of the film were beyond beautiful and reflected an obvious influence from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, but it felt at odds with the constant tonal changes that came from the choice to have Ryan Reynolds voice Detective Pikachu. The film tries to flip from ribald humor to cute visuals, to dark and adult themes and it doesn’t always work that well.

The only times when the film works is when it stops taking itself seriously and showcases its host of Pokémon generations. The human actors in this (Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Rita Ora, Suki Waterhouse, and even the great Ken Watanabe) are wooden and incapable of addressing emotions except in the most extreme cases. Ryan Reynolds provides a comic presence throughout the film, but I just couldn’t get over a human voice coming out of him. Pikachu is a great, effeminate squishy pet and friend, and that’s all I wanted him to be. I know that that was always going to be an aspect of the production, and it’s generally the only high point of the entire film, but at the same time it created a lot of plot holes. I won’t spoil the ending, but it includes a twist that creates a lot of questions about memory, autonomy, and personality within this character.

As a player of Pokémon Go, and someone who saw Pokémon: The Movie 2000 in an empty theater, sitting front row, I have many feelings about what this film. There are many adaptations of the original source material, and there will be many more, so I would not say I have an emotional tie to whether or not this bastardizes the anime. While I didn’t enjoy this film enough to watch it again, I think it will connect with a lot of people. This is the Pokémon film for those who like the Disney remakes: seeing older established characters in a new context, doing comedic or badass things. If you want to see what an affected Aipom looks like, or a battered Charizard in battle, this will entertain.