Summary

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is a surprisingly enjoyable and energetic film that successfully brings the Pokemon universe to life with its clever genre twist. The decision to explore a smaller segment of the Pokemon universe through a detective noir story allows for a more accessible entry point for newcomers and parents. Despite its departures from the traditional Pokemon formula, Detective Pikachu remains a love letter to the franchise, with meticulously realized creatures and a tone that strikes the perfect balance of fun and adventure.

Within the last decade, film adaptations of video games have gone from almost ensured recipes for disaster to surprisingly lucrative box office hits. Gone are the days of Uwe Boll; the last two years alone have seen the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Bros. among their year’s highest-grossing movies. And this last week finally saw the long-awaited release of Gran Turismo, delivering another clever translation of a gaming property into the cinematic realm.

Yet the film that signified the shift away from big-budget bombs remains surprisingly unsung four years after its release. 2019’s Pokémon: Detective Pikachu was an unexpectedly jolly surprise, vibrant and full of energy, and faithful to the Pokémon property while adding enough clever genre twists of its own to appeal to newcomers to the franchise and anyone looking for another solid video game adaptation would do well to give it another look.

Not What We Expected, and That’s a Good Thing
Warner Bros. Pictures

It’s easy to forget, but the very concept of a Detective Pikachu film was almost unanimously mocked when it was first announced. Non-Pokémon fans were largely confused, while diehard fans of the games and anime were understandably infuriated. Many of them had been waiting years to see a straightforward live-action Pokémon movie where a lone trainer could go on an epic journey, face off against the Elite Four, and maybe even meet Team Rocket. In a universe full of endless story possibilities, a tongue-in-cheek detective film was not what they had in mind.

And yet this decision to explore a much smaller, contained segment of the Pokémon universe is largely why the movie works as well as it does. With a more straightforward adaptation of the video games or anime, it’s easy to imagine that newcomers and parents would’ve been left in the dust and confused about the lore of the world since the pacing of those stories never really stops to let the audience catch their breath. A more genre-rooted story filled with fantastical creatures was, in hindsight, a much more accessible entry point to Pokémon.

Related: Gran Turismo: 10 Things to Know About the Video Game Series Before You See the Movie

Since the film follows the structure of a traditional detective noir story very closely, the recognizable tropes and story beats give the viewer an easy path to understand what’s happening, even if the lore or terminology occasionally creates confusion. And the other clear inspiration for Detective Pikachu, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, gives newcomers an additional shorthand; it allows the writers to clearly establish a world where humans and bizarre creatures live in harmony, thrown into chaos when a mysterious antagonist threatens to upset that balance.

More importantly, though, this setup is a fresh and clever take on Pokémon as it already exists. Even the main games in the franchise, while all enjoyable to varying degrees, have done little to change up the basic formula even twenty-five years later. As such, sneaking a clever noir plot into a Pokémon movie feels like a nice opportunity to explore a corner of the universe fans haven’t experienced before, and the experiment largely pays off.

Still a Celebration of Pokémon
Warner Bros. Pictures

Despite these surface-level departures, the film itself is nothing if not a love letter to the Pokémon franchise and its fans. Every inch of the Pokémon universe is meticulously brought to life, with Easter Eggs sure to please longtime fanboys in almost every frame. The titular creatures are gorgeously realized and brought to life through visual effects that thankfully enhance the story and never overwhelm everything; the creature designs eschew any pretense of realism; thus, they paradoxically look much cuter and more organically part of their environments because they look so cartoonish. Ugly Sonic, this is not.

And the tone hits the perfect balance one would want from a Pokémon movie. The noir plot, which ultimately builds to a scheme to control the mythological Mewtwo, adds up surprisingly well and does a great job of keeping the viewer engaged and guessing. Bill Nighy, who is ultimately revealed to be the mastermind behind said scheme, is as always a delight, chewing the scenery in a way that’s infectiously enjoyable, and he’s fully committed every second of his screentime. Nighy admitted he became a fan of the franchise preparing for the role, and it shows.

Above all else, the movie is fun, delivering all the childlike enjoyment and adventure that one would immediately expect from a Pokémon movie. Ryan Reynolds, as the voice of Pikachu, largely plays within his expected screen persona, but he does an excellent job of adding surprising restraint to his trademark snarkiness. And he’s well-matched by his live-action co-stars, Justice Smith and Kathryn Newton, who both make appealing blockbuster leads.

As has always been the case with both the video games and the anime, the clearest and most obvious task the film needed to pull off was making this Pokémon universe one that a child would want to explore and journey across in real life. And with a hugely appealing Pikachu and a cleverly thought-through universe wonderfully realized in live-action, it succeeds greatly on both those counts.

Related: How to Watch the Pokémon TV Series in Order

Well Worth a Watch For Pokémon Fans
Warner Bros. Pictures

If you’re a Pokémon fan, it seems almost a given that you’ll have a great time at Detective Pikachu. Against all odds, it brings the universe every child dreamed about exploring to life, and with a clever genre twist that ensures it’s a new flavor and not simply reheated leftovers.

In fact, it’s such a fun time and did such a good job in breaking the video game movie curse that a sequel feels not just justified but warranted. Further opportunities to explore the Pokémon world hold endless potential, and the sooner we all get to see a live-action reimagining of Team Rocket on the big screen, the better.