In all, it’s an enjoyable 2-hour treat especially if you are or had been a fan of Pokemon.
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Most of the recent game-to-movie adaptions have had a bit of a bad reputation, for example, films like Warcraft, Hitman Agent 47, Super Mario Bros and the most recent snafu of Sonic the Hedgehog. Fortunately, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu does not fall under the same category as the aforementioned titles.
For anyone who doesn’t really know who or what Pokemon is, you will still be able to enjoy the movie without prior knowledge as to who the creatures are. But for the informed Pokemon trainers, it’ll be more of a treat as you recognise the Pokemons of different generations appearing throughout the film, and the characteristics that come along with it - like Jigglypuff singing at the bar - a highlight for this reviewer.
Tim Goodman (Justice Smith), an insurance agent who claims he outgrew his Pokemon training years ago travels to Ryme City - a place where humans and Pokemons co-exist in harmony - to settle his father’s affairs after learning that he died in a car crash. In his father’s house, he stumbled upon Pikachu who is actually able to communicate with him, unlike most Pokemon who can only say their own name. From the people he meets to pieces of evidence collected along the way with Pikachu, Tim is convinced that the elder Goodman’s death was staged.
We’ve all witnessed what Ryan Reynolds can do, especially when it comes to comedy and trash-talking as he aced with his Deadpool character. It is no wonder he was the selected one to voice the fluffy-looking, adorable yellow Pokemon, Pikachu in Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. While there is no R-rated one-liners or vulgarities spewing out from this Pikachu, Reynolds has shown just how much he is able to expand his voice-over characterisation work with this movie. He not only breathed life into everyone’s go-to Pokemon, but he also creates a delightful and mischievous Pikachu that we all wished we had one in real life. It helps when one is a coffee addict too.
There isn’t much of battling going on since Ryme City is all about living in cohesion, except for the first scene of Tim whipping out a Poke ball (fan alert!) to catch a certain ‘lonely Pokemon’. While the movie does drag on a little during the middle parts as it tries to squeeze in many fan elements and Pikachu’s anecdotes as possible, it is a fair straight buildup as a mystery plot given the carefully planted red herrings and multiple suspects introduced throughout the film.
In all, it’s an enjoyable 2-hour treat especially if you are or had been a fan of Pokemon. While the plot structure and revelation may seem quite predictable, it is, nonetheless a sweet addition to a family day out.
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