Catch them all! – review of the DVD movie “Pokémon Detective Pikachu”

From Game Boy to the cinema

When Satoshi Tajiri in his childhood went to the meadow to catch insects, he did not know yet that the idea based on his hobby would so much affect the world of pop culture. The Japanese decided to translate his passion into a game. And so, thanks to the Game Freak publishing house and cooperation with Nintendo, on February 26, 1996, you could try your hand at Pocket Monster Red and Pocket Monster Green for the first time . They were released on the Game Boy platform. Huge interest meant that the Pokémon “card game ” quickly appeared on the market . Trading Card Game and Pocket Monsters manga . In 1997, the first anime episode was aired, titled Pokémon. The main roles were played by a trainer named Satoshi and a pokémon known as Pikachu. In 1998, “pocket monsters” found their way to the United States. Also there, the game conquered the market, it was decided to buy the rights to broadcast the series and it began broadcasting in the USA. However, the name of the main character was changed and thus Satoshi became Ash Ketchum. The real Pokémon craze was just beginning. They made full-length films, and the creatures themselves could be bought as mascots, balloons, cards or found in the form of chips in chips. Their images were visible on T-shirts, sweatshirts, backpacks, pencil cases, socks, but also drinks, cereals and bars. Of course, the fashion for Pokémon did not bypass Poland. From September 4, 2000, thanks to Polsat TV, we could follow the adventures of Ash and Pikachu. Although the series was broadcast, over time, the popularity of the monsters decreased. While they were still online and available as toys, they were replaced by other heroes. The Pokémon are back in style, however. In 2016, everyone remembered them and left their homes to catch them on their phones. It’s all because of the gamePokémon GO . Finally, in 2019, it was decided to make the first live action movie with “pocket monsters”. People went to the cinemas to see the Pokémon. Detective Pikachu . Recently, it also appeared on DVD and Blu-ray thanks to Galapagos.

When the challenge is thrown by fate …

Pokémon. Detective Pikachu tells the story of Tim, a teenager whose father has mysteriously gone missing. His father’s partner, Pikachu, helps him in his search. Together, they will not only solve the mystery, but also experience an adventure in Ryme City, where people live in harmony with pokémon. They will also discover the secret of one of the most influential people in the city.

This is the plot of the film in a nutshell. After watching it, I have quite mixed feelings. The story, although it has a few twists, is quite predictable. It is also difficult to say who the production is aimed at. Younger viewers do not necessarily have to be interested in the plot shown on the screen. Older viewers who remember the anime perfectly and will want to go to the movie because of nostalgic memories may also be disappointed with the script, which is far-fetched and has nothing to say about it. The actors are also not very convincing. Justice Smith, who plays the role of Tim Goodman, tries to be forcefully funny or show his despondency and suffer the loss of his father. Both are not quite successful for him. Ryan Reynolds, who voices Pikachu, appears to be Deadpool rather than a Pokémon for most of the movie. His jokes, while amusing, are more suited to a Marvel mercenary than an electric hero. Katryn Newton, Lucy’s reporter, also doesn’t add much to the story. We know from start to finish how her investigation will end. By the way, the character does not behave very sensibly at times, which can be irritating. Bill Night looks best on the screen. As the only one, he is not entirely predictable and it is hard not to like the character he plays. Bill Night looks best on the screen. As the only one, he is not entirely predictable and it is hard not to like the character he plays. Bill Night looks best on the screen. As the only one, he is not entirely predictable and it is hard not to like the character he plays.

Both the script and the acting are at best average and not too convincing. Pokémon. Detective Pikachuhowever, it is primarily a Pokémon movie. And these look delicious. Nobody should complain about this aspect of the film. The creators tried to fit as many “pocket monsters” as possible on the screen and they managed to do so. It’s a pity that some of them are only visible on the screen for a few seconds. Charizard having his moments, Mr. Mime, Bulbasaur are great, but also Snorlax or Jigglypuff shown in the background create the right atmosphere and add charm to the production. Also, the design of Pikachu, recreated in full detail, is beautiful and does not really need Reynolds voice and jokes. Just “beep, beep” would be enough for me. The special effects and Pokémon makers have done an amazing job. It is worth watching just to see all these creaturesPokémon. Detective Pikachu .

DVD release

Recently, you can get a Pokémon movie . Detective Pikachu , released by Galapagos on DVD and Blu-ray. If you decide to buy the former, you will get little other than the movie itself. In the easy-to-use menu you will be able to choose the original version or with Polish dubbing. In addition, you will find several other language versions and subtitles, including, of course, Polish. Also included is an over two-minute story by Justice Smith about how he worked on the set and how he collected cards, watched the series and played Pokémon games himself. Podczas jego wypowiedzi będziecie też mogli zobaczyć kilka ujęć z planu zdjęciowego. Jest to całkiem ciekawy dodatek i tylko szkoda, że tak krótki. Jeśli więc chcecie obejrzeć sama produkcję lub móc ja sobie przypomnieć przed pojawieniem się kolejnych części (te już są zapowiedziane) to wydanie DVD powinno Wam wystarczyć. Dla fanów „kieszonkowych potworów”, chcących zagłębić się w powstające właśnie filmowe uniwersum, bardziej odpowiednia będzie wersja na Blu-ray.

To dopiero początek!

Pokémon. Detektyw Pikachu to pierwszy, ale nie ostatni film aktorski, który opowiada nam o świecie zamieszkiwanym przez „kieszonkowe potwory”. I choć scenariusz może nie przekonywać, to ze względu na same stworki warto go obejrzeć. Na ekranie wypadają one znakomicie i będą podobać się zarówno fanom serialu, gier, jak i osobom dopiero poznającym pokémony. Możemy też mieć nadzieję, że kolejne tytuły będą się prezentować tylko lepiej. Może zobaczymy w nich także Asha? Choć ja najbardziej czekam na występ Zespołu R. Oby znowu nam błysnęli, tym razem na dużym ekranie. Ale zanim to nastąpi, warto zaopatrzyć się w DVD. Kto wie, ile filmów o pokémonach jeszcze się pojawi? Zawsze warto powtórzyć sobie te, które rozpoczynały serię i przypomnieć, co działo się dotychczas w pokémonowym uniwersum.