Sunday, May 12, 2019

‘Detective Pikachu’: A Film Full of Fan Service and Fun for Poké-Fanatics


     Ever since the mid-90s, Pokémon has become a worldwide phenomenon that people either adore and love or just don’t get it. Adults may scratch their heads on the appeal of this series, but thanks to many Video Games and TV Shows, so many kids of all ages are able to get attached to this magical world of so many weird and cute creatures. It was only a matter of time that a Film Adaptation of Pokémon was going to appear, however no one quite expected the first Live-Action Pokémon movie to be a film based off of a small spin-off game known as Detective Pikachu. Despite how surreal it is, this pans out incredibly well as Detective Pikachu is an incredibly fun film that will get even the most casual of Pokémon fans joy that a world they’ve known so much has been properly translated into a Live Action film.
A Modern Day 90s Live Action Ninja Turtles

     Detective Pikachu’s story centers around a former Pokémon Trainor named Tim who has been grieving over the loss of his Father who has been deemed as missing. Things take a bizarre turn when a Pikachu that only he can talk to comes in and explains how he can find his Father, to which both characters are in for an adventure in this vast crazy world of Pokémon. The premise for this film is very simple and what works about it is that the film never truly wastes it’s time with excessive filler when it comes to exploring the world of Pokémon. The film gives the audience a bit of backstory on how this world of Pokémon exist but never dwells on it as the film’s main point is to entice fans of the series into this world. Though the real question is, does this movie adapt the source material well? The answer to that is yes, as this movie can be compared easily to the 1990 Live Action Adaptation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Much like that film, it is a more gritty take on the source material, however also like Ninja Turtles, Detective Pikachu is very much aware of its strange and silly roots as both films manage to stay true the tone of the material with having a lot of heart and personality attached to it. Fans won’t feel like this movie did not get Pokémon wrong, however this is mostly saying for fans. For people who are newcomers to the franchise, this is not a film that will win you over if you haven’t been a fan of the series. It is a ridiculous movie and by the third act, the plot get a little absurd, considering the source itself is bizarre, it has to be something you would have to accept. This is also like Ninja Turtles in a sense that if you thought Pokémon was dumb and didn’t make sense before, this film won’t change your mind, but if you have liked the series a bit, then the more outlandish stuff in this film is par for the course. As it stands, Detective Pikachu is a good spiritual successor to Ninja Turtles for being there for the fans even if it is at risk of potentially alienating newcomers.

Light on Characters, Big On World

     Where Detective Pikachu may fall short in the overall plot, it ends up succeeding more so in the character department. The human cast of characters which include Justice Smith and Kathryn Newton are serviceable leads; there is not a whole lot of depth to these characters outside of being the typical lead and love interest. However, one element that makes this movie better than a lot of other live action adaptation is that the humans don’t overshadow the main appeal of the film. Whether its Michael Bay’s Transformers or the Live Action Smurfs, studios feel the need to make their live action adaptation focus on human characters that aren’t interesting and have the focus be on them rather than the fantastical element that all the fans see these movies for. Detective Pikachu rarely wastes the film on the human characters, the humans are there as the ones to latch onto but not the main appeal, as it makes good use of showcasing as many Pokémon as they can. This also goes for the real lead in the film being Pikachu himself as Ryan Reynolds gives this character a lot of personality with the voice work. It is arguably his usual Ryan Reynolds shtick with one liners and pop culture’s references you’d expect out of Deadpool, but considering this is a movie that doesn’t take itself too ridiculously seriously, it’s welcomed. The only other downside with the film from a character perspective is that the main antagonist is a bit over the top especially given how absurd his plan in the film is, but again, isn’t completely unwelcomed due to the bizarre feeling the movie strives to be. As a whole, Detective Pikachu does its characters well because it focuses on the exact characters that need to be focused on in a film like this, something that is often missing from so many adaptations.

Realistic Pokémon, Odd but Neat

Ever since the first trailer came out, there has been nothing more surreal to see in this modern age of filmmaking as Pokémon depicted in a more realistic setting. The thought of a live action Pokémon has been a possibility fans have thought of but never did they expect it to actually happen and with them looking as realistic as they are. Even despite how odd it is, the Pokémon for what they are, look fantastic in this world created for the film. Mainly due to the fact that for one thing, the film is pretty well shot in terms of making this world not completely like our own. It is a hyper realized fantasy setting and the way the Pokémon interact comes across as a cool idea to see fully realized with them in a more realistic looking setting. Yet the world itself still retains a fantastical futuristic setting in the vein of Blade Runner, so you do feel like you’re watching another world instead of our own which makes seeing the Pokémon interact all the more enjoyable. The other big element that makes the film look so appealing is even with the more realistic textures on them; Pikachu and the other Pokémon are still incredibly expressive. A lot of live action adaptations of animated properties, such as the Disney remakes fail due to the fact whenever they bring a character to life with a realistic CG look, they take out all the personality and expression just from their face alone. You may watch Christopher Robin and you may see Winnie the Pooh in that film sound like he should with Jim Cummings voice, you don’t get a welcoming sense of this character due to how soulless his eyes look and expressionless he face can get, making it look more creepy. Pikachu in this film on the other hand still has that welcoming smile and face to him with the facial animation and when you hear him say “Pika Pika”,  you just want to hold and pet that little Electric Mouse due to how welcoming he looks. That goes for most of the other Pokémon hear as they all retain their expressions and personality due to the great animation put on them. Whether they are the tougher type Pokémon like Charizard or another adorable one like Bulbasaur, the animators did their best to make these Pokémon look as real as they can be without sacrificing any sort of expression that made these creatures so appealing to look at.
     Detective Pikachu is an incredibly fun film while not a perfect masterpiece and won’t be appealing for everyone; it does exactly what it sets out to do and satisfies its fans perfectly. As far as adaptations go, it’s not going to be one to sell you on the property if you weren’t a fan prior, but that’s not the movie’s goal. It is a movie meant to cater to longtime Pokémon fans both causal and hardcore in creating a believable take on bringing Pokémon to life. With that in mind, it does that job very well with a decent script, fun characters and some incredibly world building and CG. Who would have thought the first live action Pokémon movie would be something like Detective Pikachu and be as good as it is, but it’s something that is welcomed in ever growing world of film adaptations.

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