“Detective Pikachu”? Who’s Idea Was This?

“Detective Pikachu” was an odd idea for a film to start with. It was a 2016 video game, and I don’t think it was one of the more iconic of the games. It was for the Nintendo 3D3, and it was basically a cute little game which put a new spin on Pokemon, but considering how many games of Pokemon there are, it wasn’t an iconic one. It was a cute little game in a big list of them. So, considering how Hollywood is running out of ideas, they grabbed it and made it a multimillion dollar movie. The film is a bit mixed in its results. The trailer looked delightfully bonkers, and compared to the disaster of the trailer for the Sonic The Hedgehog movie, it looked like a good time. To a more seasoned film buff, it looked like “Blade Runner” for kids, and that itself is a blast of an idea. So, what’s the premise of this one? Tim Goodman (Justice Smith)  is 21 year old insurance adjuster, which compared to your usual main character, Ash, a plucky kid who wants to train Pokemon, is already kind of boring. His father dies and leaves him his apartment in Rhyme City, a city where people and Pokemon live side by side. A colorful place with cute critters and people.

               Never being close with his dad, he walks into the apartment, to be greeted by a yellow little creature with a lightening tail. It’s the iconic Pikachu. Except, this time he can talk! Voiced with the usual sarcastic voice by Ryan Reynolds, Pikachu is overjoyed that he can be heard. He’s not convinced that Tim’s dad is dead, and he knows this because he found a hat with Tim’s dad’s name on it. They walk into Rhyme City,  which as I said, looks like the city from “Blade Runner” and in a kids film, that’s pretty cool. Ryan Reynolds is a delight, as usual. Reynolds really found the role he was meant to play in the “Deadpool” movies. Now he brings the same energy to Pikachu. Say what you want about Ryan Reynolds, but the guy has brought a new energy to being a voice actor. He do not see him through the suit of Deadpool or Pikachu, but he know his voice. His voice more than even his actual presence is becoming an iconic one for the movies.

               The movie goes through the motions, as Tim and Pikachu team up, and their chemistry is fair enough. They are kind of like a kid friendly version of Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane’s vulgar teddy bear in “Ted”. They also team up with a young reporter named Lucy (Kathlyn Newton). She’s cute, and is the obvious love interest yet independent and I wouldn’t say fierce, but definitely gets some points for trying. They end up going on an adventure, where they meet other Pokemon, come in contact with Mewtwo, who is a genetically created Pokemon. They come together to solve the mystery and try to figure out the bigger conspiracy.

               The movie is harmless, and even kind of creative at times. As I said earlier, “Detective Pikachu” was an odd choice for a big budget adaptation because the video game seemed like an obscure entry in the “Pokémon” cannon. Yet I give them credit for trying to give this a new angle. The movie is directed by Rob Letterman, who’s last movie was the far superior kids flick “Goosebumps”, once again based on a nostalgic property. I will give Letterman credit as he’s trying to make creative kids films with a new spin based on older stuff. It’s not easy to do. However, “Goosebumps” pulled it off and I remember thinking that film gave it a lot more thought than it probably deserved. “Goosebumps” also had a ton of humor and twists. I was surprised I was surprised as a twist in a freaking “Goosebumps” movies.

               However, “Detective Pikachu” is a fun enough film, and though the middle chase scene goes on way too long, it has some charm. Yet, though, a part of me wonders if they made a film with a teenager Ash re-meeting the Pokemon from his childhood and going on an adventure, maybe this would have been more fun? Then again, do I really want adults weeping at a Pokemon film like they did when I saw “Toy Story 4”? Nope. Gotta catch them all, am I right? I give this film some credit. It wasn’t the best film, but it was fun enough, and I guess sometimes that’s all a movie should be. Oh, and somehow work Ash into the squeal, please.