Pokémon fever is something that has never really died down. Like the Pokémon themselves, the fandom has evolved into different generations of the creatures for different generations of children. Kept alive by cartoons, video games, and films, this juggernaut shows no signs of stopping as it continues to find new ways to keep up with the times, including its original fanbase, who are now likely hitting their 30’s. At least, that’s the only explanation I can come up with for why there is going to be a live-action film called Detective Pikachu.
Trying to cater to the younger fanbase while appealing to the older one will be something difficult to do, but if any studio can do it, it’s Warner Bros. This year alone, they brought us the hilariously irreverent Teen Titans GO! to the Movies, which did exactly what I hope Detective Pikachu does. To give the film some edge, they have Deadpool‘s Ryan Reynolds voicing the adorable electric mouse. It’s hard to judge a film from its trailer, but it seems like we won’t be getting much of Reynold’s effortless adult humor. Which is a shame too because the Pikachu I remember had a lot more bit than that.
What we do get in this Blade Runner-styled world are a lot of Pokémon favorites, but with excruciating amounts of detail-work in their textures. Some of these end up looking like the stuff of nightmares. That Charizard alone is enough to make you long for the smooth-skinned dragon from the video games. Not to mention the terrifying looking Mr. Mime who looks like he’s ready to headline his own Warner Bros horror film franchise, which can easily be reworked as another Conjuring spin-off. Don’t take my word for it, watch the first trailer above.
All in all, I’ve been a huge fan of the franchise since it started out as a card game that no American child every really knew how to play. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was excited about this film. The film is coming out May 2019, and I can’t wait to catch it all!
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