Why doesn’t this look like a bad film?
Ryan Reynolds, voice of Detective Pikachu. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
For the Pokémon franchise, the transition to live-action could be immensely profitable. Over two decades, the franchise has spawned multiple games, animations, and an endless amount of cards and collectibles.
Pokémon fans range from older millennials who played the original game on a Game Boy Color, to children who just started playing Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!
If Detective Pikachu is a hit, the door is open to an expansive cinematic universe, one that may well have the nostalgia power to compete with superheroes and Star Wars. And so far, the film appears promising, the trailers boasting CGI Pokémon that echo years of fan art renderings, and a universe not too far removed from our own.
The neon-lit city doesn’t feel otherworldly, despite the ubiquitous presence of Pokémon, who, now that the initial shock of seeing them in live-action has worn off, look exactly as they should do (with the exception of Jigglypuff, who is strangely hairy).
