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Pokémon: Detective Pikachu  (2019)
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
2019 | Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
Much better than I was expecting
I never really 'got' Pokémon. I've never watched it, never read it, never had any interest in it whatsoever. I actually gave the game Pokémon Go a shot, as I was already a big fan of Niantic's previous game, Ingress. But swiping balls randomly at floating animated creatures on the screen? Yeah, not really my idea of fun. So, why then would I go watch a Pokémon movie where, for some strange reason, Deadpool is voicing the lead character, a cute little fluffy Pikachu? Well, in the interests of providing balanced, impartial Smashbomb reviews that's why. And, because my nephew asked me to take him...

I guess one of my concerns before heading in to see Detective Pikachu was how exactly the Pokémon we're going to be portrayed. If this was going to be some kind of Smurfs or Alvin and the Chipmunks style movie, where over-the-top CGI characters are thrust upon the world of over-the-top human characters in some crazy adventure aimed at six year olds, then I wouldn't be very happy. Thankfully, it turned out to be the compete opposite.

21 year old Tim receives news that his father, top detective Harry Goodman, has gone missing following a car accident, and is presumed dead. He travels to his father's place of work - Ryme City, a modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live happily side by side - and joins forces with Harry's Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu. Tim discovers that he can understand what the wise cracking, cute little Pikachu is saying to him and they set about trying to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Harry's suspected death.

I was pretty impressed from the offset just how well this movie is presented. It's set in a world where humans and these strange, wonderful creatures live alongside each other in harmony, yet the Pokémon are never really presented in that wacky manner that I described earlier with other CGI character movies. It's extremely well done and feels both natural and believable. And because the focus of the movie is more on the story, and the mystery to be solved, rather than revelling in the fact that this is a live action Pokémon movie, it made it all the more enjoyable. This felt to me something more alike to 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'. And I really liked it!

Better still, I rarely felt as though I needed any prior knowledge of Pokémon in order to appreciate and enjoy it. There's a brief explainer near the beginning regarding the whole trainer/balls/battles concept, which didn't make it any less ridiculous as far as I'm concerned, but that just didn't matter as it wasn't really necessary to the main plot. Having never experienced Pokémon in any other media form, I obviously can't comment on how faithful this is to any of that, but as a family movie I'd say this is a pretty big hit.
  
Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! (2017)
Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! (2017)
2017 |
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
20th Birthday Tribute
For the uninitiated, let’s start with some key facts: Pokémon has been entertaining kids and the young at heart for 20 years. A phenomenon like no other in the 90s, Nintendo’s award-winning franchise has been a worldwide smash, and despite a dip in the late 00s, it shows no signs of slowing down.

With 19 movies under its belt, dozens of video games including the ridiculously popular Pokémon Go, and countless TV series, Pokémon is an occurrence that doesn’t come around too often. Now, to celebrate the brand’s 20th anniversary, Nintendo has released this; Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! But does being the 20th film in the franchise mean it’s not worth a watch?

Acting as a soft reboot of sorts, Pokémon: I Choose You! follows franchise hero, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, as he starts out on his journey to catch as many Pocket Monsters as he can. For fans of the brand, what follows next needs no introduction; he meets Pikachu and the rest as they say, is history.

Or is it? Well, in this case, not so much. The basic story that delighted kids in the 90s has been slightly reset as we are taken through the pairs journey, meeting people and Pokémon that weren’t in the original 1st television series. This has both positive and negative results on the finished product.

The plot is as simple as you would expect from a children’s film and it’s clear that Nintendo are out to make as much money from this as possible. Pre-film adverts were all Pokémon related and the cost of a ticket for this particular showing was double the normal price.

Why? Well, this is the first Pokémon film to be released in the UK in 15 years. That’s not a milestone to be sniffed at, and it’s clear the producers, animators and orchestras have gone all out for this instalment.

The film itself is beautiful to look at. Pokémon has always been criticised for its rather lacklustre animation compared to other Anime features like Spirited Away, but I Choose You is right up there with the very best. It’s colourful and drips with detail. From gorgeous sunsets to damp caves, the animation comes alive.

Elsewhere, the score is nicely integrated into the film with a single, haunting piano playing through much of the succinct 98-minute runtime. The familiar theme tune that kids and adults have come to know and love over the years is given a lovely instrumental upgrade and this is when the flutters of nostalgia start to kick in.

Unfortunately, the removal of Ash’s companions, Brock and Misty, from the film undoes some of the hard work for this 20th anniversary as they were such an integral role in the first films and television show. However, newcomers Sorell and Verity each provide the story with a couple of different layers.

I Choose You also tugs at the heartstrings more than previous instalments. As the title suggests, this is about Ash’s journey with Pikachu and that doesn’t just include the happy times. Younger viewers may find some of the imagery on screen a little disturbing as we’re taken through an at times, dark and menacing backstory.

Overall, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! is a film that absolutely represents 20 years of the beloved series. With gorgeous animation and an intriguing change to the story that kids and adults have come to know, it’s definitely the best Pokémon movie out there. Let’s be frank, each of the films has been made to sell Pokémon toys and games, but never has it been done so beautifully.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/11/05/pokemon-the-movie-i-choose-you-review/
  
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!
2018 | Action, Action/Adventure, Fighting
I, like many people my age, spent a good chunk of their childhood playing through Pokémon Blue and Red on the Nintendo Game Boy, and then not long after, Pokémon Yellow.
These games took the world by storm and it was easy to see the way. An top down adventure game, with light RPG elements, and the satisfaction of collecting different creatures, whilst the games tag line urged you to 'catch 'em all', it was a set of games that were enjoyed by adults and children alike.

All these years later, Pokémon Yellow has been given a new lick of paint, and re released as Let's Go Pikachu (or Eevee if you prefer).
It's the same in nearly everyway, just with modern graphics, and it's just great.
Firstly, seeing all of these beloved characters in full shiny 3D graphics is pretty special.
The game retains all of the simple camera angles and vibrant colour palette, and it really works.
The game mechanics are identical as well. It's a simple game to get used to, and one that takes a lot longer to master.
The music is also given update, but all the classic score is intact. This 'if it ain't broke' approach that has been applied works wonders, much like the recent Crash Bandicoot and Spyro re releases.

The Nintendo Switch format allows the player to dock the console, meaning that you can play Let's Go through a TV and turns the controller into a Wii style remote, enabling you to 'throw' Pokéballs if that's your style, or you can opt for a classic handheld approach.
Another feature allows you to import Pokémon from the Pokémon Go app, which is a nice touch

With games like Breath of the Wild showing off just what the Switch can do in terms of huge beautiful looking maps, im longing for a proper open world Pokémon game at some point, but Let's Go is a nostalgia filled and fun stop gap that will steal hours and hours of your time.
  
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!
2018 | Action, Action/Adventure, Fighting
Pokémon on a home console (while docked) (3 more)
Second player
Nostalgia
Gameplay
The second player can’t be a friend or another account (3 more)
Grinding for days only to find a damn shiny Zubat!
Can dress them up but can’t transfer all the various hat-Pikachu’s over from PoGo
I wanted my Squirtle Squad!!!
Old school gaming smoothly brought up to date
So I’ve been playing this for a year & thought I should probably review it before Sword & Shield releases.
So take the template of Pokémon Yellow, update it with Pokémon Go’s unique style & wedge the word “Let’s” in the title (be honest, we all ready it in Marino’s voice anyway!). Create variants to nod at the core games.
Pikachu is actually useful as you don’t get HMs but Pikachu learns skills that are basically the same thing (I assume Eevee does too) some uniquely created moves to make that starter much more viable throughout the game (shame Pika doesn’t get a fire move!)
Nice to see Jessie & James too
You don’t actually need to trade to complete the dex as you’ll have most in Pokémon Go & can transfer that way.
30+ combo for highest chance of a shiny?!? Really. Caught over 200 Geodude’S in a combo & nothing!
Would’ve liked the surfing game from Yellow to have made an appearance though
  
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond
2021 | Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Underground system (2 more)
Nostalgic feel
Contests
No more grinding (1 more)
Game exclusives
Brilliant Diamond is a remake of Diamond. Remakes aren’t always the best. However for Brilliant Diamond, I believe is was better than the orginal. I enjoyed spending hours in the underground catching Pokémon that I was struggling to get. I did find it annoying to have to trade with others for the game exclusives though.

I spent over 100 hours to beat the story in this game. I enjoyed trying to find the perfect team but I can say I hated how easy it was to level up Pokémon. Yes it’s nice to catch things in the underground once you hit like the third or forth city and spent more hours than I can count down there hunting and catching but it made the game a lot easier as you progressed. It seems to be the latest thing they are doing, to make the game easier. And while that is fine and dandy I miss having to grind the level of my Pokémon team.
  
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) in Movies

Jun 15, 2019 (Updated Jun 15, 2019)  
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu  (2019)
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
2019 | Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
Magical (I'm 30 years old dammit)
I was the exact target audience at the time of the original Pokémon cartoon series, and invested a fair portion of my childhood playing through Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, so seeing this all unfold on screen was quite something.

The action kicks off immediately, with Mewtwo (all of my friends bloody loved a bit of Mewtwo back in the day), ticking all the right nostalgia boxes from the start.
It's not long before were pushed into the wider world of Pokémon, both original and later generations, and it just filled me with childish joy to be honest.
The CGI is odd - in a way that I was aware that I was watching CGI creatures, but at the same time, they didn't feel out of place alongside the human characters, it all blends pretty well.

Looking past the blinding nostalgia, the story was engaging enough (even if it does get to absurd levels of silly towards the end), the action pieces were all pretty fun, and the cast were likable enough for the most part.

I spend more time than I probably should playing video games, so it's exited me to no end that we finally have a pretty decent video game movie, and I can only hope that Detective Pikachu is the start of something good, both for future Pokémon installments, and just video game adaptions in general.
  
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu  (2019)
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
2019 | Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
Totally Onix-pected
Before we begin, I must apologise for the bad pun, but if any franchise deserves a pun for their first live-action movie adaptation, it’s Pokémon. Growing up in 90s Britain, Pokémon was absolutely everywhere. You couldn’t turn a street corner without seeing Pikachu and his sidekick Ash (or should that be the other way around) emblazoned across every toy shop window or on every bus. It was a true phenomenon that took the world by storm like nothing else.

Fast forward to 2019 and perhaps even more impressively, Pokémon is still very much in people’s consciousness. The adorable Pocket Monsters, if we are referring to them with their full title, are still something of a cultural mainstay across the globe – yet true global box-office success has eluded them.

Enter Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. The first live-action movie from the universally loved series. It’s taken over 20 years to get to this point, but is the resulting film worth the wait? Or are we looking at yet another video game to move adaptation dud?

Ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son, Tim (Justice Smith), to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds). Finding that they are uniquely equipped to work together, as Tim is the only human who can talk with Pikachu, they join forces to unravel the tangled mystery.

It was a peculiar choice for Warner Bros. and The Pokémon Company to adapt one of the lesser known video games in the franchise in which a talking Pikachu helps a young man solve the mystery of his missing father, but it ended up being a master stroke.

For those not familiar with Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow etc, the film needs no introduction and no prerequisite of Pokémon knowledge, meaning it’s suitable for Pokémon fans and Pokémon novices.

What the movie does need however, is complete immersion. The central setting of Ryme City is a thriving metropolis in which Pocket Monster and human live alongside each other, free from the battles that brought the franchise universal success. It’s a bold move, putting aside what is essentially the main money-making aspect of the series, but it works well for the most part.

The creature designs are astounding, bringing these historically cartoon animals living and breathing into the 21stCentury
Director Rob Letterman (Goosebumps) creates a vibrant world that is as immersive as anything we’ve seen on the big screen in years. You feel a part of the adventure and to be frank, it took me back to my first experiences with the trading cards and the Gameboy games.

With charm, wit and heart on its side, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is by far the best video game movie, although that’s not saying much. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s Justice Smith plays the lead role of Tim with gusto and true emotion and his character arc throughout the film is pleasingly well-written for a film in the genre. Bill Nighy adds some class to proceedings as wealthy businessman Howard Clifford and Ken Watanabe pops up now and then as a detective inspector.

But the main star is of course, Detective Pikachu himself. Ryan Reynolds takes to the role like a Magikarp to water and brings a little of his Deadpool magnetism to the portrayal. It shouldn’t work, but it really does and the humorous little mouse is a delight to spend the film with.

The cinematography too is lovely. John Mathieson, who worked on Robin Hood with Ridley Scott and X-Men: First Class brings to life stunning locations, filled with mystery and magic – and that’s everything you could ask for in a Pokémon movie. The special effects are on the whole, very good. With a reported budget of $150million, you can see where the money has been spent. The creature designs are astounding, bringing these historically cartoon animals living and breathing into the 21stCentury. There are a couple of lapses here and there, but nothing to write home about.

It’s not all good news. The plot is both predictable and nonsensical at the same time, especially towards the film’s climax. The thrill here is definitely not in the story but rather in the exceptional world the film-makers have built. Rumour has it that a sequel is already on the cards, and with a confidently filmed, funny and emotive first outing, the Pokémon franchise continues to be in good health.

Your move Sonic.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2019/05/10/pokemon-detective-pikachu-review-totally-onix-pected/
  
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Mike (21 KP) rated Pokémon GO in Apps

Dec 28, 2017  
Pokémon GO
Pokémon GO
Games, Health & Fitness
Social aspect, the very fact it's the closest to a real world Pokémon experience. (0 more)
Buggy, new events or twists run out too quick. (0 more)
Still hanging in there
Having had this game from release, I still play everyday.
The audio focus policy on android has been fixed in the last release, so can now finally listen to music and play.
  
Show all 3 comments.
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Ross (3282 KP) Dec 28, 2017

Ditto.

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TCBellflower (2 KP) Dec 29, 2017

I still play it but I’ve only been playing since I came back to the states.

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu  (2019)
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
2019 | Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
The cgi (1 more)
The story
Is a bit all over the place (0 more)
Detective Pikachu doing a Video game movie right
Contains spoilers, click to show
Detective Pikachu was one of the movies I had planed to see this summer being the fact that it is the first live action Pokémon movie.

I was highly surprised with how well the story was handled and how it maintained the main themes of the Pokémom franchise (friendship, love, and striving to be the best)

Though I do believe that the movie had the issue of thinking it needed to have its audience seeing something happen at all times such as having the Apom (Apalm?) attack last what felt like ten minutes.

I do think that the ending is satisfying with having the main character to grow closer to his father.

I do recommend seeing detective Pikachu expecially if your a long time fan of the Pokémon franchise.
  
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Paul Bayley (2 KP) rated Pokémon GO in Apps

Jan 8, 2018  
Pokémon GO
Pokémon GO
Games, Health & Fitness
Encourages activity (0 more)
Repetitive after a short time (0 more)
idea needs more thought
This has been out for a while now and I keep going back for a few days only to remember why I stopped playing was a great idea to do this and would be so much better if it wasn’t so repetitive after about an hour of walking around finding all the same creatures new features and Pokémon are added but it just goes back to the same old grind