“Pokémon: Detective Pikachu” (PG)
You don’t have to catch ‘em all – the previous “Pokémon” movies or video games that is – to enjoy “Pokémon: Detective Pikachu,” an engaging live-action/computer-generated movie hybrid that brings the famed anime characters out of their anime world for the first time. Even though it is designed with fans in mind, the movie scores high points for making it accessible for those relatively new to the Pokémon experience, and the end result is a win-win for die-hard fans and newbies alike.
Justice Smith (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”) stars as Tim Goodman, a young man estranged from his police detective father for years when he’s called by his father’s superior (Ken Watanabe) with some bad news: the elder Goodman died under mysterious circumstances while conducting an investigation. Traveling to his father’s precinct in Ryme City – an idyllic metropolis where humans and Pokémon creatures exist on equal footing – Tim encounters his father’s detective partner: the bouncy, fun-loving, electrically-charged Pikachu.
This difference with this Pokémon (who can speak, but only say their own names), though is that Tim, unlike other humans, can actually understand what Detective Pikachu is saying. Taking advantage of their unique way of communicating with one another, Tim and Detective Pokémon (voiced by the always entertaining Ryan Reynolds) embark on a mission (along with an intrepid reporter played by “Big Little Lies” actress Kathryn Newton) to unravel the mystery behind the loss of Tim’s father and a devious plan that could bode ill for the residents of Ryme City.
Directed by Rob Letterman (“Goosebumps,” “Monsters vs. Aliens”)“Detective Pikachu” owes a debt of gratitude to the quick-thinking, fast-talking sensibilities of Reynolds, who no doubt interjected his gift for improvised dialogue into the film. The big difference, of course, is that the dialogue of the PG-rated, family-friendly “Detective Pikachu” is that the dialogue is far cleaner from his raucous, R-rated “Deadpool” movies, but that doesn’t make things any less entertaining. Quite simply, Reynolds has the innate ability to bring any of the characters to life, which is especially impressive when it’s a yellow furball that only previously existed in the two-dimensional animated world and could only utter the word “Pikachu!”
In this live-action Pokémon world, Reynolds makes the iconic character feel like a living, breathing creature, which is an incredibly difficult for any actor to do, whether they’re playing a human or otherwise.
Of course, “Pokémon” fans – whether they’re a fan of 1998’s “Pokémon: The First Movie,” the anime series, card game or “Pokémon Go” game — will get the most out of “Detective Pikachu,” even though the film has nothing to do with the insanely popular smart phone app. Newbies who want to take a deep dive in the movie will likely benefit most going into “Detective Pikachu” by seeing the 1998 feature, if not for any other reason to familiarize themselves with the many famed characters associated with the franchise and their back stories. That’s because “Detective Pikachu,” not surprisingly, is loaded with several creatures from the “Pokémon” universe, and the familiarity of which will provide for a much richer experience than for those people who go into the theaters cold. Otherwise, just see the movie for Reynolds – he’s that good.
Lammometer: 7 (out of 10) (Pokémon fans — 9 out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
Copyright 2019 DirectConversations.com
