In 2000 Nintendo abandoned the feature where a Pokémon would follow your character around from its series of Game Boy games. And it’s only now, nearly two decades later, that the Pokémon franchise has taken another misstep, with that misstep constituting the entire plot for the Pokémon Detective Pikachu movie. But it’s not all bad – it’s a movie with Pokémon in it. And they’re life-like!
This is a light noir-esque mystery set in Rhine city, a megalopolis cohabited by humans and Pokémon. A city created by Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy) who serves as the figurehead, along with his son Roger (Chris Geere), who ostensibly governs the city. One of them is good and the other is bad. No prizes for guessing early which is which. The city was created as an example to the world of how the monsters and humans can live together without Pokéballs or battling. It’s basically Tokyo with real Pokémon, unlike the real Tokyo which is a city of ubiquitous ads of cartoon Pokémon.
Protagonist Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) is summoned to Rhine city following the death of his detective father in mysterious circumstances. Even more mysterious is his father’s colleague Lieutenant Yoshida (Ken Watanabe) informing Tim how much his almost lifelong absent father loved him. What’s never clearly explained is if he loved him so much, why did he abandon his son. It’s one of numerable examples of the weak plot. Just look at the Pokémon. Don’t think about the story!
While going through his father’s belongings, Tim encounters a Pikachu, voiced by Ryan Reynolds. For reasons that also aren’t ever really explained, Tim is somehow able to converse with him. Pikachu is suffering from amnesia and is somehow involved with the circumstances surrounding Tim’s father’s death. Together the two decide to get to the bottom of what has happened.
The acting is all fairly on the level. Justice Smith as the film’s protagonist Tim Goodman does okay having to spend most of the film reacting to a CGI Pikachu. Tim’s love interest Kathryn Newton as the intrepid journalist, Lucy, is likewise decent. Bill Nighy in a critical role as the city’s creator and ostensible president delivers well below the level he is capable of, leaving plenty of enthusiasm out of his role. It’s almost hard to fault him for phoning it in; his character’s back story and motivations are the most shonky elements of a screenplay held together by duct tape. Pikachu is undoubtedly the shining star in all this and the most fun part of the film. Reynolds elicits humanity and plenty of humour out of the emotionally fragile, caffeine dependent electric rodent.
With so-so acting, a narrative that the target audience (13 and under) will find a little too predictable, and a plot riddled with holes, what’s the verdict from a Pokémon fan? I loved it. They could put realistic Pokémon on the screen with any narrative around it and any Pokénerd would love it. The best parts of the film are sans humans; seeing Pokemon interact in urban and wild environments is enthralling.
Despite the negative reviews that will undoubtedly follow from critics, it doesn’t take a psychic of Alakazam levels to see more live action films following the inevitable success of fans packing out cinemas. The smartest decision by the producers was to exclude any characters from the TV series franchise from the film, avoiding The Last Airbender levels of disappointment potentially. Director Rob Letterman whose resume is filled exclusively with mediocre children’s films (Gulliver’s Travels, Goosebumps, Monsters vs. Aliens) is lucky to have the Pokémon to patch over the film’s shortcomings.
Detective Pikachu gets 1/10 for the story. And a 12/10 for the Pokémon. Average that to a 6/10 overall.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu is in cinemas from 9th May through Roadshow Films.
