REVIEW: Grading Detective Pikachu on three levels...

We’ve come a long way from the dark days of 90’s video game movies. There has been more of an effort in recent years to translate those properties to the big screen, and with the unprecedented success of the MCU—which helped “comic book movies” reach peak nirvana—video game movies are the last remaining holy grail of media properties for the cinema to do right.

Pokémon might as well be the one to play the role of IRON MAN. It is, amazingly (or maybe not) the most financially successful “media” property in the world. No, really…

1: Pokémon $90B

2: Hello Kitty $80B

3: Winnie the Pooh $75B

4: Micky Mouse $70B

5: Star Wars $65B

…

10: Marvel Cinematic Universe $32B

So now comes the first movie adaptation of the Pokémon universe, based not on the main-line series but a mostly Japan-exclusive spinoff: Detective Pikachu. Let’s consider the film in three areas, regarding how it works as a movie generally, how it works as a video-game adaptation specifically, and whether or not it can be more than just a rare-bird good video game movie…

HOW DOES IT WORK AS A MOVIE?

For the record, I’m not a Pokémon fan. I’ve nothing against the product; it’s just that it came along about three to five years too late for me to get into it. I was already too old and had long since gotten rid of my Gameboy. Everyone called it an RPG but to me, RPGs were like Final Fantasy and Pokémon was too different for me to invest in it at that age. No harm, no foul. The point is I approached the movie with an only tangential understanding of the universe and its characters.

On that note, while the film leans heavily on its universe and characters, it also does a good job keeping the ignorant viewers in the loop. It doesn’t get so steeped in lore that it forgets to actually be a movie (like 2016’s Warcraft), nor does it abandon its video game lore for something more generic and dumb (like the Resident Evil movies). Instead, it bathes in its universe but drops enough reminders and helpful notes along the way that you never feel too lost.

It helps that the movie is first and foremost a traditional detective/mystery movie. Strip away the cartoon characters and the fantastical setting and this is basically a noir private eye-esque film. When viewed on those grounds the movie mostly works, albeit with one flaw. Like most mystery movies, there is a standard template being followed: Act one introduces the mystery, act two drops a twist, and act three ties everything together with a surprising but logical reveal. That all happens here except there’s a little too much revealed in act one, even if some of it is purposefully vague/distorted.

A lot of what you think you know based on what is told to you in the opening minutes will end up being twisted later. The trouble is because so much is shown (distorted or otherwise), you’ll end up re-experiencing those events again and sometimes twice more, later in the movie. It would have been better to keep things a little more unknown, with characters slowly uncovering the truth in the second act, so that the repetition could have been avoided.

Other than that the plot progresses in a fairly ordinary way, nothing too remarkable and certainly not offensive. All the characters are likable, the special effects are flawless, the voice acting is great. It’s occasionally very funny, always at least “fine,” and engaging in the third act.

8/10 – The plot isn’t going to blow you away but it does its job well enough and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

HOW DOES IT WORK AS A VIDEO GAME MOVIE?

How sad that the gold standard of video game movies is either Wreck-It-Ralph (which shouldn’t count for obvious reasons) and Mortal Kombat. Honorable Mention goes to Street Fighter which is in the “so bad it’s good category,” although you can probably say that about Mortal Kombat as well.

One only needs to look at the trailer for Sonic to see how easy it is to go so wrong with these things. There is a large graveyard of attempted video game adaptations (Mario Bros, Assassins Creed, Angry Birds, Double Dragon, Max Payne, etc) and it’s enough to make you think the whole venture is a lost cause.

Detective Pikachu, however, tries something few have. Not since Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter has there been a “video game” movie that nailed the aesthetic. I may not have grown up playing Pokémon but my sons are fanatics. I trust the praise and complaints of my Jack and Caleb, and will defer to them on this front. According to them, the movie looked and felt like the video game come to life. And unlike Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter—movies that seemed embarrassed by their source material and so they played up the tongue in cheek camp of it all—Detective Pikachutreats things with earnest sincerity.

We live in a world where a movie franchise co-starring a talking racoon and a tree can be a multi-billion dollar earner. Why on earth can’t Pokémon? Why be embarrassed? If almost everyone loves a thing, then it’s the few who don’t who should be embarrassed!

10/10 – Respect the source material. Don’t run away from it; embrace it, put some money and effort into it, and don’t try to fix what isn’t broken and you’ll be rewarded. That’s all it takes. The MCU proved the “formula” could work, and Detective Pikachu showed it can be applied to video games too.

HOW DOES IT WORK AS A (POTENTIAL) START TO A NINTENDO CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

So let’s take the MCU example and run with it. We already know Mario is getting a CGI-animated movie. Maybe a Legend of Zelda movie in the vein of Kubo and the Two Strings. Maybe a Metroid movie based on the Prime universe. Maybe a Donkey Kong film that’s trippy and weird and fun. That’s a diverse roster of characters, spread across a variety of genres and styles, but they all have one thing in common…

And then, out of the shadows steps Shigeru Miyamoto, who says to one of the heroes at the end of one of their movies: “I’m here to talk about the ~~Avengers~~ Smash Bros. Initiative.”

9/10 – Is it a long shot? Sure, but so was The Avengers before IRON MAN released in 2008. Shoot, Avengers was a long shot even after IRON MAN released. It remained a longshot until it actually came out in 2012 and jumped straight to a billion. This can happen.

Make it happen.

FINAL GRADE (the average of the three scores)

9/10 – A really good and fun movie, a breath of fresh air for a video game adaptation, and an interesting (potential) prospect for the future.

COMMENTS

Please read our Commenting Policy before you join in with the discussion.

Note: If you have email notifications enabled, please check your email spam folders to ensure emails are not missed.

8 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Arabella

1 year ago

I found it boring, but I was only there on babysitting duty and I’m not familiar with the whole Pokemon universe. The kids liked it well enough.

SaveMe

The movie wasn’t anything memorable for me. I enjoyed Pikachu’s cuteness, but the other half of my brain laughed at how thin the plot and characters were. It feels like they give too much focus on the animals to the point that the balance is off.

holy55

Reply to SaveMe

I agree with the comments below that it’s a family movie, so that’s probably why the plot is very simple. I’m not sure that it qualifies as a good video game movie as Matthew mentioned, though. The setup is completely different that I take it as a whole new take on the Pokemon universe. It works as a spin-off, but not as an adaptation.

Reply to holy55

I see your point. Pokemon has been around for decades; we were little when everything related to it first exploded. The series grew, and so did we. It would have been better if there was more value for the adult me other than the nostalgic feeling. Then again, maybe I’m in the minority.

Natasha Yves

My niece loved it. It wasn’t as “cutesy” as I thought it would be. Humor, which can be hit or miss sometimes in these “family” movies, was bang on. Had a few lines intended for the adults in the room but made my niece laugh anyways despite not getting the reference which is always the hallmark of well written scenes.

Snarky-Guru

Reply to Natasha Yves

I haven’t seen the film yet, but the trailers for it look awesome. Of course, I’ve been fooled by film trailers before. Knowing that your niece liked it gives me more confidence to head to the cinema with my own nieces.

Rob Duggat

It was much better than I was expecting. The old show from the 90’s was playing in my head while the credits were rolling but this movie was much more enjoyable than that. It didn’t push any envelopes, granted, but it is a great family movie.

Bridget

Reply to Rob Duggat

I have to admit, I thought this movie looked ridiculous. I was expecting poor reviews. I may take my nieces to go see it though. It looks like a good movie to see with the family on a Saturday afternoon.

Cookie	Description
_pxvid	This cookie is used for detection of the browser and distinguishing whether it is a real user or malicious bot.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	This cookies is set by GDPR Cookie Consent WordPress Plugin. The cookie is used to remember the user consent for the cookies under the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	This cookie is used to keep track of which cookies the user have approved for this site.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-preferences	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Preferences".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-uncategorized	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Uncategorized".
CraftSessionId	This cookie name is associated with the Craft web content management system, where is functions as an anonymous session identifier.
csrftoken	This cookie is associated with Django web development platform for python. Used to help protect the website against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks
DSID	To note specific user identity. Contains hashed/encrypted unique ID.
JSESSIONID	Used by sites written in JSP. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests.
PHPSESSID	This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
viewed_cookie_policy	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookie	Description
b30msc
btc
CMST
cref
d
gpl
i
icts
ig_did
mdata
na_rn
na_sc_e
na_sr
na_srp
session_depth
visitor-id

Cookie	Description
__gads	This cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites.
__stid	The cookie is set by ShareThis. The cookie is used for site analytics to determine the pages visited, the amount of time spent, etc.
_ga	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_60765351_1	Google uses this cookie to distinguish users.
_gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
demdex	This cookie is set under the domain demdex.net and is used by Adobe Audience Manager to help identify a unique visitor across domains.
DigiTrust.v1.identity	Registers data on visitors’ website-behaviour. This is used for internal analysis and website optimization.
dmvk	This cookie is set by DailyMotion who display videos, it registers statistical data of visitors' behaviour on the website.
gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
GPS	This cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
is_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
sc_is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
v1st	This is set by DailyMotion to display videos.

Cookie	Description
__asc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__auc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__qca	This cookie is associated with Quantcast and is used for collecting anonymized data to analyze log data from different websites to create reports that enables the website owners and advertisers provide ads for the appropriate audience segments.
_cc_aud	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_cc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_dc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_id	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_kuid_	The cookie is set by Krux Digital under the domain krxd.net. The cookie stores a unique ID to identify a returning user for the purpose of targeted advertising.
_px2	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxff_tm	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxhd	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
ab	This cookie is generally provided by agkn.com and is used for advertising purposes.
ad-privacy	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content to the users.
ayl_visitor	This cookie registers data on the visitor. The information is used to optimize advertisement relevance.
bafp	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bafp_t	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_pl	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rf_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rt_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_t_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_td_2d31c94105a0aa6d1ceaea0c86c6b656	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bito	This cookie is generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bitoIsSecure	This cookies are generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bsc	The cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement
CMID	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPRO	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPS	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
dc_id	This cookie is used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator's permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers.
did	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
didts	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
dpm	The cookie is set by demdex.net. This cookie assigns a unique ID to each visiting user that allows third-party advertisers target that users with relevant ads.
eud	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
euds	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
everest_g_v2	The cookie is set under eversttech.net domain. The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website.
evo5_popin_instance	Prevents an interaction from reoccurring for visitors not accepting 3rd party cookies.
id	This cookie is set by DoubleClick (which is owned by Google) to build a profile of the website visitor's interests and show relevant ads on other sites.
IDE	Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
io.narrative.guid.v2	This cookie is generally provided by io.narrative.io and is used for advertising purposes.
KADUSERCOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
KTPCACOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
matchliveramp	This cookie is provided by w55c.net and is used for advertising purposes.
mc	This cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website.
mxpim	This cookie is generally provided by mxptint.net for advertising purposes.
na_tc	This is a Social Media sharing tracking cookie.
NID	This cookie is used to a profile based on user's interest and display personalized ads to the users.
nnls	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxrc	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxvid	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
rlas3	The cookie is set by rlcdn.com. The cookie is used to serve relevant ads to the visitor as well as limit the time the visitor sees an and also measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Cookie	Description
__jid	Cookies set on the website by the third-party commenting platform Disqus.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
disqus_unique	These cookies are set by Disqus so that users can comment on website/platform.
G_ENABLED_IDPS	The cookie is used by Google and is used for Google Single Sign On.
mid	The cookie is set by Instagram. The cookie is used to distinguish users and to show relevant content, for better user experience and security.
na_id	This cookie is set by Addthis.com to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
ouid	The cookie is set by Addthis which enables the content of the website to be shared across different networking and social sharing websites.
ov	This is a generic functional cookie that provides enhanced functionality and personalisation.
ts	This cookie is generally provided by PayPal and supports payment services in the website.
vuid	These cookies are used by the Vimeo video player on websites.

REVIEW: Grading Detective Pikachu on three levels…

1: Pokémon $90B

HOW DOES IT WORK AS A MOVIE?

HOW DOES IT WORK AS A VIDEO GAME MOVIE?

HOW DOES IT WORK AS A (POTENTIAL) START TO A NINTENDO CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

FINAL GRADE (the average of the three scores)

You might also like

FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

Recommended for you