5/13/19 - Pokémon: Detective Pikachu - 5/10

Okay. I have to be honest here, I am a Pokémon neophyte and other than a odd curiosity, wasn’t particularly excited to watch Detective Pikachu. I can’t say that it flew over that hurdle and caught me with its Pokémball magic, but I was surprised to find myself enjoying it overall as it turned out to be pretty decent. I can’t imagine it knocking anyone socks off but the most ardent and frothy Pokéheads , but it did a good job of making a fun adventure, accessible to the uninitiated and rewarding for the most deeply invested.

Getting hung up on the world because it is Pokémon felt disingenuous. It is no greater suspension of disbelief or fantastical immersion than a world with robots or aliens. Disregarding it based on that fact seems a little dismissive (but if you hate Pokémon, I get that) especially since the world building was the best part. It felt lush and rich, textured by cuteness and an oddly comforting pairing of sweetness & hope. It constructed a world that even a non-Poké  fan would find fascinating to visit. The story on the other hand was pretty basic, leaving itself in prime position for consumption by all ages. Even if you got bored by the story, the cool diversity and intriguing other-worldliness was pleasant.

Despite some back and forth on the suitability of Reynolds and his off-the-cuff quips, his specific version of Pikachu generally works. The story plays out to make it click when it otherwise might have been a problem. Justin Smith was OK, though lacked dynamism in his range. He lost a little momentum as the film went on, precisely when he should have been gaining depth, but it didn’t derail it all. The Lucy character’s attempt at personifying a mix of the femme fatale and intrepid gumshoe reporter was a bit laughable, but I appreciated her story, her agency, and avoidance of “stale love interest” cliche. Nighy’s turn was generic, but this is a film for kids. Meh...it gets a pass.

Thankfully I watched it with a couple of Pokémasters , who definitely helped point out some finer intricacies and defining Poké features. One could easily understand it without, but there seemed to be a depth and expanse that benefited the genuine fans (and their friends). I definitely had a few questions and there are still a few lingering “so, X can do Y?” kind of inquiries, but it clicked pretty seamlessly despite those and they saved my Poké-deciphering critical mind.

I was surprised by its solidity and general pleasurability. It worked for me, despite me not being the target audience in any way shape or form. I am sure seeing these beloved 2-D characters interacting in a 3-D environment with actual humans must have been a treat. For me, I liked the CGI work, often feeling solid and with the right charm, idiosyncrasies and heft that make such worlds work. They did a good job of bringing Pokémon to life and making even the noobiest of noobs find the whole wild world ordered and likeable, when it could have been riotous and ridiculous. A pretty good time for a kid-friendly film based off a video game/card game.