By James H. Carter II

You are about to read a review of Pokémon Detective Pikachu written by someone who knows almost nothing about Pokémon. About all I knew before watching the film was that there was a yellow rabbit/squirrel hybrid that talks like a baby and is named Pikachu. Going into this film I was pretty confused as to why Pikachu sounded like Deadpool, ya know, the polar opposite of baby noises. Furthermore, since this is the first live-action adaption of one of the world’s most popular franchises, why is Pikachu a detective? Needless to say, I was pretty confused.

In the world that this film takes places in people collect these random cute creatures (Pokémon) as pets (or sidekicks or partners as they are referred to in the film). Someone has created this poisonous purple gas that when then Pokémon breathe it in they become enraged psychotic killing machines. This aspect alone really made the movie for me. I can not get enough of cute little creatures going on murderous rampages. Every scene that involved this poisonous gas were my favorite scenes in the movie. In fact, I wish there were more of these scenes and that the chaos and terror were amped up just a little bit more. I know this movie is aimed at young children but I watched a gremlin get shredded in a blender when I was eight and I turned out OK (Possibly).

Surprisingly I did not find the film that funny, which was something I was expecting with Ryan Reynold’s voice delivering lines very similar to Deadpool and the fact that the film’s title is so wacky. Sure I chuckled a few times but I was really expecting this film to be more of a comedy. Maybe it just wasn’t my sense of humor. One thing that felt a little out of place were the abundance of sappy scenes. The film’s main human character (portrayed by Justice Smith) seemed like he was constantly living in an after-school special. I understand that the film needed a little bit of emotion so we care about the characters but most of those scenes came off as a little melodramatic.

I’d imagine that Pokémon fans will probably forgive everything that I just mentioned because they are finally seeing their favorite characters on the big screen in a live action film. I would have to imagine that the film is delivering loads of fan service just by the sheer amount of Pokémon that appear in the film. My favorite Pokémon is named Ditto who is able to transform themselves into any human they touch, but his natural state is a pink transparent blob with eyes and a mouth. I really dig Ditto’s whole vibe and wish it got more screen time.

For not knowing anything about this franchise I was still able to find the film enjoyable. If you want to enter a futuristic world where random cute creatures occasionally become infuriated psychotic maniacs then Pokémon Detective Pikachu is for you!

(All images courtesy of Warner Bros.)

“Pokémon Detective Pikachu” Review

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