‘Detective Pikachu’ is not only surprisingly good, but plain adorable

For a PG movie, “Detective Pikachu” was shockingly great, and quite a fun film to watch. While it may not be perfect in terms of the writing, it is definitely one of the best film adaptations of a video game in cinematic history. With beautifully designed CGIs and the realistic texture of each Pokémon, the film brings on a very melancholic, millennial nostalgic feeling, as my nine year-old-self would be very impressed and highly entertained. The focus of “Detective Pikachu” is definitely targeted for young children, but it also holds a special place in the heart of those Pokémon fans who grew up with the cartoon series, the video games and even the trading cards.

This adaptation is set in a futuristic, high-tech, neon-lit, hyper-colorful world populated by magical creatures called Pokémon, who live alongside humans. Its dystopian setting brings to mind a kind of “Blade Runner” feeling — without the killer androids, but instead more adorable and docile creatures. It also loosely taps into the film noir genre with how the story formula is set-up and by having Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) play a detective.  

“Detective Pikachu” will probably be one of the warmest films you’ll see all year long — it’s an enjoyable experience that children will love and adults will find amusing. I did go in with pretty low expectations, especially with the worries that Reynolds was going to tank it as Pikachu. However, that wasn’t the case, with Reynolds delivering an energetic vocal performance that truly makes the film even better.

A con to this film could be that the humor is quite childish, but there are a couple of scenes that left audience members with a faint smile at the adult-themed jokes that had underlying references to drugs or sex. In addition, the final act of the film felt rushed, with the incident being resolved way too easily in a way that did not leave viewers satisfied.

Overall, “Detective Pikachu” was quite an entertaining film to watch. While the script and pacing of the story may have not been perfect, it was the experience in terms of aesthetics and entertainment that carried the film, as well as Reynold’s exceptional vocal performance.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Good:

-Incredible CGI.

-Cuteness overload.

-Ryan Reynolds!

Bad:

-Bad pacing, final act felt too rushed.

-Script was underdeveloped.