Pokémon Detective Pikachu depicts a fictional world in which humans and Pokémon live together in harmony. That is until a ruthless, man-made Mewtwo (Rina Hoshino/Kotaro Watanabe) attacks and apparently kills detective Harry Goodman (Paul Kitson) and his partner, Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds). However, when Harry’s son, Tim (Justice Smith) comes to town, the revelation that Pikachu is still alive, just without his memory, leads him to believe that his father is still out there somewhere. Tim has struggled his entire life to find a Pokémon partner, but Pokémon Detective Pikachu tells the story of Tim finding his first Pokémon companion and working together to save the day.
Pokémon, first introduced in 1996 as games for Nintendo’s Game Boy, is a nostalgic piece of animated history that children of the 1990’s, and their successors, have embraced with open arms. In many ways Pokémon has worked to bridge the gap between generations and bring people closer together. Interestingly, but I’m sure not by accident, Pokémon Detective Pikachu uses a story almost entirely devoted to people and Pokémon developing bonds with and finding others to spend their lives with (regardless of the capacity in which they are connected).
Nostalgia alone is enough to entertain viewers and bring generations of fans together to enjoy Pokémon Detective Pikachu, but there are two aspects in particular that allow the film to shine; those aspects are Reynolds’ ability to insert his typical crude humor into the film and the brilliant animation. Reynolds is known for having a raunchy sense of humor, and while Pokémon Detective Pikachu is primarily geared toward younger audiences, it seems unlikely that what fans might typically find in his quiver of comedy would be present throughout this film. This, surprisingly, and to the delight of his fans, is not the case. He manages to find ways to thinly veil his potty humor and present it in ways that land well for mature audiences and that will fly nicely over the heads of the younger viewers. His ability to present audiences with semi-dirty comedy allows the film to feel more natural, as Reynolds without raunch seems almost not worth watching.
In addition to Reynolds staying true to himself, the aspect of Pokémon Detective Pikachu that is most impressive is the animation. Films like Space Jam and Mary Poppins have combined live action and animation to create stories that have stood the test of time. However, those films use simplistic animation to bring to life their very unique stories, whereas Pokémon Detective Pikachu completely flips the script on animation thanks to a combination of talented animation studios. Down to the individual hairs on Pikachu’s body, the subtle differences between each of Mewtwo’s teeth, and the immediate and precise changes in the Pokémon’s pupils, every single aspect of the film’s animation is created wonderfully.
The combination of nostalgia, Reynold’s ability to appeal to his audiences in typical fashion, and the nearly perfect animation allows Pokémon Detective Pikachu to thrive and find success. While the story leaves a bit to be desired, the aforementioned aspects of the film do enough to keep its head above water and appeal to its audience. Seeing Pikachu come to life in this fashion is heartwarming, energizing, and, regardless of who you are, truly entertaining. While it took some time to finally get around to watching this highly anticipated film, it was worth the wait.
Directed by Rob Letterman.
Written by Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Rob Letterman, Derek Connolly, Nicole Perlman, etc.
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Bill Nighy, Ken Watanabe, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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