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The Pokemon movie I didn’t know I needed
This movie really surprised me. I was not quite sure whether it would be good, mediocre, or bad. However, if you’re debating how you would like it, I hope you at least buy a ticket and give it a shot.
The details of a film’s star rating in this blog generally go as follows:
3 Stars for beginning, middle, and end of the story
Star for casting/acting
Star for everything else- cinematography, soundtrack, etc.
Bonus Star 1- for marketing, release date, etc.
Bonus Star 2- for storyline fitting in with prequels/sequels, end credit scenes, etc.
If you would like to see a more detailed outline of how a film’s rating is created by me, there is a blog post dedicated to just that. Also, I don’t do spoilers. I won’t mention any major plot twists or endings but I will hint at things and mention scenes that don’t give away any of those major points.
Let’s get into it.
Beginning: This movie gets the full beginning star. The teaser was crafted very well as it was action-packed but not too crazy. It sets up the main action of the movie and draws the audience in without giving too much away. When Tim Goodman (played by Justice Smith) is introduced, his character’s backstory was established in a way that made me feel for him and what he was going through. He is a down on his luck guy who says everything is fine but he definitely settled for a life other than what he actually wanted. You really get to see him set up well and get an insight into how his life is currently going. Detective Pikachu definitely has a beginning that makes you want to see more.
Middle: Full star here as well. There are great action scenes that work well alone and as part of the bigger story. There are several little twists along the way that keep you engaged and paying attention. There are also plot points introduced that you can look back on after the ending and realize how all of the little things fit into the twist ending. Overall, this movie had one of the best Act 2’s I’ve seen this year.
End: I loved the ending of this movie. I’d give it a star and half for this if I felt like it, but I don’t, so a single full star is what it gets. The twist at the end I actually didn’t see coming until it started being explained by a character. That is significant because I tend to always see the end coming in movies. It was a great wrap-up that was not only extremely satisfying but also concluded every twist and turn the film had previously taken. The movie flowed so seamlessly through this ending and I was very impressed.
Casting/Acting: I’m giving Detective Pikachu a half star for this category. Ryan Reynolds was great as Pikachu, and his choice makes sense in context of the twist at the end, but his portrayal does give the overall movie a weird vibe for me. Until, you actually go see the movie and see the ending then the whole thing makes sense. He is just so connected to his Deadpool portrayal for me that the entire movie I was expecting him to bust out a Deadpool-esque line. However, for any parents worried, that never happens. It’s a totally kid friendly movie. I think if this movie came out before Deadpool, I wouldn’t have had any hang-up, but it didn’t and so I do. On to Justice Smith, I enjoyed him in this film. I was not a fan of him in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, but to be fair I had major issues with that movie in general. He really made this film for me. His ability to portray a full range of emotions made me feel like I was friends with Tim Goodman. He made his character seem so real and his relationship with Ryan Reynolds in the film turned it from a movie about Pokemon into a movie that just happens to be set in a world with Pokemon. Also, Diplo and Rita Ora have some minor roles...which was unexpected but also kind of fit in with the random tone I got from the movie in general (not a bad thing in any way, but it is a pretty random decision to suddenly make a Pokemon movie again, which means it was probably in development when Pokemon Go was all the rage). Their random cameos and other casting choices makes me think that the people in charge weren’t sure how the movie would do at the box office seeing as how Ryan Reynolds was the only big star name. Keep in mind, it is not a bad thing to have a single big budget star, and it is not an indicator of how good/bad a movie is. To conclude, I would like to give a shout-out to Kathryn Newton. Her character had some long, funny worded lines and she delivered them really well. The lines could have been seen as cheesy and ridiculous and instead she made them sound realistic and funny.
Everything Else: Detective Pikachu gets the full star for this one. The VFX was great in my opinion. The Pokemon actually looked like Pokemon and they didn’t stick out badly with the real-world actors and sets. The other thing I really liked was some of the camerawork with Tim Goodman’s dad, Harry. There are several shots where you never see his face and that worked to set up the story and the major plot point.
Bonus 1: Half star for this. I had no idea what kind of movie I was going in for, aside from -- Pokemon. I had no clue about a plot or what the characters were trying to accomplish. It really seemed like the marketing was banking on people wanting to see a Pokemon movie. I was pleasantly surprised by the movie it ended up being. I would suggest you make sure to pay attention as you watch because there are some cool little things that you can pick up on, but only if you’re actually paying attention, and only if you actually go see the movie. I also think the release date was nicely timed. It is at a time when kids are either already out of school or are about to be. I mention kids specifically because I see this as a family movie.
Bonus 2: I did not give Detective Pikachu a star for this. If it gets a sequel, cool. If not it’s not needed. This movie was nicely self-contained. It set up the whole Pokemon world and finished its story off at the end. I have heard rumors of Red and Blue movies and I think those would do well, but as of right now I do not see enough to warrant Detective Pikachu getting this bonus star. However, if other movies do come out, I will update this section of my post.
Overall: I think you should try this movie out. I did not have high hopes for it and I enjoyed it. It is definitely good for kids and hits the nostalgia well if you grew up playing the various games. I do wish that they had leaned into Justice Smith’s character wanting to be a pokémon trainer more as that is what the games focused on. However, the movie has Detective in the title so I see why they didn’t. I also understand that this movie is more based off the actual Detective Pikachu game. That is also probably why, but I grew up wanting to be a Pokemon trainer so I still want that.
In closing, most video game movies end up not performing well at the box office, but this one topped $50 million its opening weekend. So maybe this is the turning point for the video game movies. Maybe Sonic The Hedgehog stands a chance.
So let me know:
Are you planning on seeing this movie?
Do you wish the filmmakers had done anything differently?
Does anyone still play Pokemon Go?
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