I'm going to start by saying I'm not into Pokemon. I was into the cartoon its first two or three years and after that, it got very stale and repetitive. But Detective Pikachu did catch my interest just because it seemed different and the voice of Ryan Reynolds was also part of the reason to see it. My expectations were pretty low, but it was surprisingly good. I wasn't thinking I would enjoy it that much.
The plot is a little convoluted, but you will get it by the time it is finished. Experiments are made on Mewtwo and he finds a way to break out. He doesn't cause any damage other than one car, killing Harry Goodman. His estranged son, Tim, finds out the next day and comes to Ryme City to find out what happened. Tim does not encounter much until he finds Pikachu at his father's home. Together, they try to piece together what happened to Harry, figure out Pikachu's memory being blanked out, and make sure Ryme doesn't get obliterated by whatever evil approaches.
Visually, the Pokemon monsters are very good. At 150 million dollars for the budget, I'm surprised it wasn't more expensive. The detail on each one is through the roof. Ryme City has a Japanese look and the hustle and bustle reminds me of Roger Rabbit. Speaking of, there isn't much pop culture references in the film. Just a couple 90s references and a jab at the original cartoon.
As far as human characters, they do a strong effort in providing enough backstory for each character. Justice Smith gives Tim a lot of life and despite the sci-fi elements, feels like a real person with all the stuff he is going through. I didn't care for Kathryn Newton's Lucy, but she was one of the better characters of the film. They tease a few moments where they could fall in love with each other, but they don't. That's not a bad thing. But Tim and Lucy form an unlikely partnership to solve the crime. The other human characters aren't given as much care. Even the main villain, though it's very late into the film that you hear his intentions.
It has the right amount of length that isn't short, but not long either. Pikachu can be a little annoying, but he's better developed than any cartoon version of him. My complaint would be he talks a little too much. While it provides some of the comedy to it, there are moments where they could have toned down the dialogue. Mileage will vary on what it turns into. It's a comedy at first, but when it gets to the halfway point, it becomes more of a crime thriller. There is some filler, but it's mindless fun material. I would say check out Detective Pikachu. It should still be playing in theaters, but try to see it before they pull it out.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment