Surprisingly Shocking!!!! Live Action Pokemon Film Triumphs In Video Game Adaptation Done Right!!!!
Review by Brandon Porter
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| The Perfect Mon For the Job. |
Story Description
Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) is stuck in a rough place not where to go. Once an aspiring Pokemon Trainer, Tim now lives his life day to day as a call center employee living in the shadow of his legendary father Detective Harry Goodman. But after the mysterious disappearance of his dad, Tim stumbles across his father's Pokemon partner Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) who much to Tim's shock can actually talk. Even more stressful is that Tim is the only one who can hear him. Together, the two of them must work together to discover the whereabouts of Tim's missing father while also uncovering the mystery and surviving the wrath of a genetics experiment gone wrong.
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| Tim, Pikachu, and Lt. Yashida evaluate the situation at hand. |
Critical and Financial Analysis
Detective Pikachu has slowly become one of the more anticipated films of the year thanks to a solid marketing campaign and Ryan Reynolds status fueling the anticipation. Against all odds, Detective Pikachu seems poised to potentially be the sleeper hit of the summer. Critically, the movie is receiving solid reception. The movie currently holds a passably decent 63% fresh rating from critics on rotten tomatoes despite a much more positive score of 86% from audiences. Financially, the film did impressive against major competition. The movie earned a solid total of $58 million in its first weekend nabbing the #2 spot at the box office. Coupled with an international total of $103 million, Detective Pikachu is the highest grossing movie based on a video game beating out previous champion Tomb Raider. With positive reception and a promising box office future, the first-ever live action Pokemon movie could be a changing of the guard for the Pokemon brand and video game to film adaptations.
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| High Voltage Impact |
Film Review
When the first trailer for Detective Pikachu debut, I wasn't sure what to make of it. The practice of translating anime & video game properties into live action has not had a good track record so the risks were high. But thanks to a terrific marketing campaign, my faith grew and so did my anticipation. Going in, I was hoping my faith wasn't misplaced and the movie would be worth the price of admission. After watching the film, I have to say that I'm very impressed with how this turned out. The idea of a live action film about Pokemon raises a lot of red flags for anyone who has endured the likes of Dragonball Evolution, Doom, The Last Airbender, or Rampage. Thankfully, Detective Pikachu manages to succeed in areas where those movies don't. To start, the movie is visually impressive especially when it comes to the pokemon themselves. This was an element of the film that drew a lot of nervous attention but the final product proves how much love, attention, and care went into designing these lovable creatures for live action. All of them have distinct physical characteristics based on real-life animals but each of them are still easily identifiable to fans. Some of the most notable standouts are Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander, Charizard, Pshyduck and obviously Pikachu. As for the cast, it's solid all around. Justice Smith carries a good amount of the film and has a solid arc throughout. Ryan Reynolds, however, is the real star of the show. The movie picks up big time when he arrives as Pikachu. His humor and comedic timing makes things fun and loose while at the same time adding his own brand of heart as well. The chemistry between Pikachu and Tim is one that grows over the course of the movie and their bond is the essence of what makes these type of Pokemon stories stick with audiences. The supporting cast of Ken Watanabe, Kathryn Newton, Bill Nighty, & Rita Ora balance out things effectively each progressing the story in their own way. The action sequences are small scale in some respects but don't stop the movie from delivering some genuinely exciting set pieces full of tension and thrills. The thing that impressed me the most about this film is the story and plot structure. Yes, a live action Pokemon film with Deadpool as the voice of the most beloved character in the series is appealing enough. However, the movie proves that a lot of thought went into making this a coherent piece of storytelling with character development and a solid plot. As this is a mystery movie, the film keeps you guessing to the very end not sure what the real story is and who is telling the truth. The film also doesn't shy away from some fun fan service as there are plenty of easter eggs and deep cut references only the most hardcore fans of the series will catch. Overall, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu succeeded where a lot of video game and anime film adaptations fail. The amount of care that went into this movie shows that not only can a live-action Pokemon movie work but it can also be a great new avenue to tell stories in this world. Time will tell if this will be just a fun one-off or the beginning of a new era for the brand.
Rating and Final Thoughts
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| An entertaining mystery movie with great plot structure, a coherent story, and oodles of heart and humor. A welcome surprise for Pokemon fans and video game adaptations alike. |
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| Pika Pika Power!!!!! |
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