The Corner Penthouse

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is the first live-action movie based on a Nintendo property since Super Mario Bros. (1993). Will it go down with the legacy of being a "bad movie", or does it fare much better? Read on to find out...


When detective Harry Goodman goes missing, his son Tim (Justice Smith) and Harry's former Pokémon partner Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) join forces to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together on an epic adventure through Ryme City, they uncover a shocking plot that could destroy the whole Pokémon universe.


Maybe it's just me, but Pokémon: Detective Pikachu seems like the spiritual successor to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Both are movies about a human detective, or in this case the son of one, teaming up with a "cartoon character" to solve a mystery in a world where humans and cartoons/Pokémon live together. Tim Goodman, played by Justice Smith from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, is equivalent to Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins character from Who Framed Roger Rabbit). Detective Pikachu is Roger Rabbit, plucky wannabe reporter Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) is kinda like Dolores (Joanna Cassidy), Tim's supposedly dead father Harry is sort of like Eddie's dead brother Teddy Valiant, and there's even a bad guy character or two that is somewhat reminiscent of Christopher Lloyd's Judge Doom. I don't want to give specifics on that so as to not spoil anything.


Maybe that's why I enjoyed the movie so much, even though I have only a basic understanding of the Pokémon universe. Sure, a lot of things went over my head, but that's where the "Detective Mode" bonus feature comes in handy. It helped me to go back into the film and understand the Easter eggs and minutia that I "missed" the first time around. Justice Smith does a great job as the lead human, but it's Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Detective Pikachu that really steals the show. He plays the part with such earnestness that he immediately ingratiates himself to the audience. All of the other supporting actors do well in their roles, though most of them are not given much to do. Fans of Ghostbusters (2016) should be on the look out for Karan Soni (Bennie, the Chinese food delivery guy) as Jack, Tim's childhood friend who briefly appears in the film.


Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is presented in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio with a runtime of 1:44:29. Audio languages include English, English Descriptive, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The film includes English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles. The first print run includes a beautiful slipsleeve.


The UHD disc contains no bonus features. Here's a list of all of the bonus features that can be found on the Blu-ray disc.

• Detective Mode - A pop-up track track that points out Pokémon trivia, Easter eggs, and includes a few behind-the-scenes featurettes.
• My Pokémon Adventure (2:13) - Justice Smith talks about his love of Pokémon.
• Creating the World of Detective Pikachu (21:22 total) - Behind-the-scenes featurettes: "Uncovering the Magic", "Colorful Characters", "Bringing Pokémon to Life", "Welcome to Ryme City", and "Action".
• Alternate Opening (1:41) - Tim at his insurance job.
• Mr. Mime's Audio Commentary (3:00) - Mr. Mime provides commentary for the interrogation scene.
• Ryan Reynolds: Outside the Actor's Studio (1:32) - Ryan Reynolds discusses his method acting approach, which includes comments from his real-life wife Blake Lively.
• Music Video for "Carry On" by Rita Ora and Kygo (3:51)

Also included in the 4K UHD + Blu-ray Combo Pack is a second standard Blu-ray disc, which contains the movie and all of the bonus features listed above. Audio languages include English (Dolby Atmos & 5.1 tracks), English Descriptive, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The film includes English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles.


For a limited time, a special Detective Pikachu Pokémon game trading card is included in the case, along with an online game code. A digital copy code voucher is also included in the standard two-disc black UHD Blu-ray case.


Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is available on 4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, and individual DVD.


All images were taken from the IMDB gallery of the film or were provided by Warner Brothers. The item was provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.