Movie Review: Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

This evolution for video game movies has shocked our expectations

When rumors of a "live-action" Pokemon movie began popping up in Spring of 2016, many people reacted negatively. At this point in time, there has been no good video game movie, ever. The idea of seeing a realistic Pokemon was also a bit unsettling to some fans. However, when the trailer for Detective Pikachu was dropped in the Fall of 2018, people began to praise it for it's already amazing portrayal of many different Pokemon, including the titular Detective Pikachu. Once released in the Spring of the following year, the movie was successful with box critics, fans, and made millions at the box office. It was with Detective Pikachu that ushered in a new era of video game movies that are actually good. The last one of these I looked at was my mini-review for Sonic The Hedgehog which released earlier this year. Enough with the history lesson though. Detective Pikachu takes place in the wonderful world of Pokemon. We follow a young man named Tim Goodman who while in Ryme City gets caught up in a mystery to find his missing father with the help of a talking Pikachu.

The movie starts with someone escaping from a mysterious laboratory where Mewtwo is being kept. Mewtwo escapes, and from the audience's perspective, Mewtwo destroys the car. After this opening scene, we then meet our main character, Tim, a 21 year old boy who works for an insurance company located in his small town. One of his friends tries to get him to catch a Pokemon, but fails. Tim replies saying that he doesn't want a Pokemon, he just wants to focus on his job at the moment. Though he then gets a call from the Ryme City Police Department. We can tell by his expressions that it isn't good. Next we see Tim on a train to Ryme City. On the way he reads a newspaper article revealing that the person in the car at the beginning of the movie was Tim's dad, Harry. The article states that his father, and partner Pokemon had perished in a car crash. Arriving in Ryme City, he meets up with Hideo Yoshida, a police officer that worked closely with Harry Goodman. Afterwards, Tim heads off to his father's apartment. Arriving at the apartment building, Tim meets Lucy, a young aspiring journalist. Along with her partner, Psyduck she wants to uncover the truth behind Harry's death. Once in the apartment, coming across his father's desk, Tim finds something a bit suspicious. Tim finds a small vial filled with purple gas, it is later referred to as R Gas, that he accidentally, and unknowingly unleashed onto a group of nearby Aipom. Upon breathing in the gas, the simian Pokemon's eyes turn purple, and they start becoming aggressive. Tim stops looking around the apartment though when he hears an unfamiliar voice, and grabs a stapler for self-defense. Though what he comes across isn't a intruder, but much rather our titular Detective Pikachu. Hearing the Pikachu speak like a normal human, causes Tim to panic a bit, understandably. The two's introductions are cut short however when the rabid Aipom bust into the apartment attacking both Tim, and Pikachu. 

Tim, and Pikachu get away from the group of Aipom, and see that they now have returned to normal. Tim then tries to see if anyone else can hear Pikachu speak, but of course all they hear is normal Pikachu sounds. Finally calming down, Tim agrees to go with Pikachu to a local coffee shop to discuss the case further. It is then Tim finds out that Pikachu is his father's partner Pokemon. The news article though said both Harry, and his Pikachu perished, but with Pikachu alive Tim is filled with hope that they can find Harry. Pikachu though doesn't know too much, as he had lost his memory shortly before meeting Tim. The next day, Tim, and Pikachu decide to go meet with Lucy at her place of work to ask her about the mysterious vial that was found in the apartment. Lucy tells Tim that Harry had been looking into a case about these vials, and must've found out too much. She then tells him that the vials were found around the docks. That night, Tim, and Pikachu go to the docks to try, and find the informant. The informant turns out to be a Mr. Mime, which leads into one of my favorite scenes in the movie. For context, Mr. Mime, is well, a mime Pokemon who can create invisible barriers. By using it's own power against it Tim, and Pikachu are able to get the information that they need from Mr. Mime. The due then arrive at an underground Pokemon Battle dome. At the place, the guy running it recognizes Pikachu for wounding his Charizard, and challenges them to a rematch. Tim, and Pikachu agree as they need the information from this guy. In a slight twist though, turns out that Pikachu's memory loss also affected his fighting ability, meaning that he can't use any of his specialty thunder attacks. It also doesn't help that shortly before the battle starts the opponent makes his Charizard breathe in a whole vial of the R Gas.During the battle, more vials of R Gas are accidentally broken causing all the Pokemon in the building to go wild. With this, the Battle Dome is ruined, and Tim, along with Pikachu are apprehended by the police as Pokemon Battling is illegal in Ryme City.

Tim, and Pikachu then meet with Mr. Yoshida who proceeds to show them both footage of the crash. Seeing the footage, the older police officer insists that there is no way his father could've survived. Pikachu is disappointed by this, though having bonded with Tim, Tim decides to help Pikachu recover his memory. He also explains that as a child, he wanted to be a Pokemon trainer, but after his mother died his father became more wrapped up in his work, making Tim feel unloved. Pikachu insists that his father loved him, and that he would be damn proud, yes Pikachu says damn. As the two decide to search for Pikachu's lost memory, suddenly a black van appears, and in it a mysterious woman let's them know that Howard Clifford, the founder of Ryme City wants to see them. Going to meet Howard, the old man explains that his son, Roger must be behind this. He also shows Tim that the car crash was caused by Mewtwo, and that he took Tim's father. The next day Tim, Pikachu, Lucy, and Psyduck head off to the now abandoned research lab from the beginning of the movie. There they find Pokemon that are being genetically experimented on from Greninja with power enhancements to Torterras with growth enhancements, though the Torterras seen in the building are normal sized. Tim, and Pikachu find out that the scientists at the lab were creating R Gas from Mewtwo for it's mind-controlling abilities. Looking further into the security footage, it's implied that it was Harry who had brought them Mewtwo. They want more answers, but that's the end of the security footage. As they finish their investigation of the lab, the group are attacked by the genetically enhanced Greninja who chase them outside the lab. They manage to escape however using Psyduck's incredible psychic power. As the Greninja are defeated though, a new threat appears. 

Turns out the entire outdoor area of the lab is the Torterra enclosure. The growth enhancements have made the Grass-type Pokemon grow to colossal sizes. As they are awoken from their hibernation, the entire forest crumbles around the protagonists. Pikachu is hit by falling debris, and nearly dies if not for the help of a group of Bulbasaur leading Tim to a Pokemon who can heal Pikachu. That healer Pokemon though turns out to be Mewtwo. Mewtwo isn't hostile however, and heals Pikachu. When Pikachu wakes up, Mewtwo tries to show them both what really happened at the crash. Though all they get to see is Pikachu, freeing Mewtwo, and Mewtwo saying that humanity is evil. Before it can finish it's explanation, Mewtwo is captured by Roger, and taken away. Now thinking that he had betrayed Harry, Pikachu insists on separating from Tim not wanting to hurt him too. Lucy, Tim, and Psyduck return to Ryme City. Tim tells Lucy that she needs to get to a news camera, and tell the city about Roger's plan, while he goes up to Howard's office. Meanwhile at the same time Pikachu comes across the location of the crash. Looking around, he finds a Greninja star. After some thinking, he figures out who the real villain is, and starts running back to Ryme City to save his friend. In Howard's office, Tim tries to tell him that his son got Mewtwo. Though it is then revealed that Mewtwo is inside Howard's office, captured. Howard sprays Mewtwo with R Gas which he then uses to transfer his mind into the legendary Pokemon. Having fused, he escapes into the city to do the same to everyone, and their Pokemon. Pikachu arrives in time to see the aftermath, and with his powers back, Pikachu begins to fight with Mewtwo. Meanwhile at the same time, still in Howard's office, Tim decides to try, and take off the mind control helmet that Howard's human body is wearing. Though he is stopped by another one of Howard's creations, a Ditto with the power to replicate not only Pokemon, but also humans to perfect detail, well except for the eyes. Tim also finds Roger trapped in a closet which shows that Ditto was pretending to be a evil Roger this whole time, Ditto was also the mysterious woman from earlier. Basically if anyone is wearing shade, assume they were a Ditto the whole time. I think i'll still be seeing human Ditto in my nightmares though.

Tim is able to finally defeat Ditto by spraying it with R Gas which causes it to transform multiple times before fainting. Back to the fight between Howard Mewtwo, and Pikachu though, Pikachu decides to use his Volt Tackle against Howard. Howard says it's useless as a Pikachu can't defeat a Mewtwo. Pikachu replies saying that he doesn't need to defeat Mewtwo, but buy Tim time. He then sees Tim taking the mind control device off of Howard, freeing Mewtwo. With Mewtwo now free it uses it's incredible power to reverse the city's transformation. With everyone back to normal, Howard is arrested, and Roger allows Lucy to tell the story to the whole city, as long as she puts in a nice thing about Roger planning to undo everything his dad did. Mewtwo also tells Tim that his father was with him all along, and we get the big reveal. The Greninja had caused the car crash, and his father was supposed to die, but Mewtwo taking in both of the selflessness decides to save Harry by fusing him with his Pikachu until the body recovers. In the next scene, Tim is at the train station seemingly planning on returning home, he then hears a familiar voice. Though the voice isn't coming from any Pikachu, it's his father, Harry, now returned into his proper human form. He is also accompanied by his Pikachu. Tim tells his father that he's decided to stay in Ryme City with him, and wants to become a detective. I can only hope that this leads into future adventures in Ryme City.

Let me first say, I absolutely loved how they made the Pokemon in this movie. The Pokemon still have their familiar designs, but they look like they could be a part of our world. The visuals have to be the best part of this movie. The plot is a bit predictable, but I forgive it since it's full of charm, easter eggs, and some nice laughs. There is a reason that this movie is one of my most favorites, and I hope that you see now as well. To me Detective Pikachu is a 5 out of 5 Paws up experience. 

by the way, did I mention that it's my birthday today?