For the longest time, film adaptations of popular video games seemed to struggle with bringing the source material to life on the big screen. Between the live-action Super Mario Bros. and some atrocious Hitman movies, these adaptations fail to capture the essence of the source material and heavily rely on your familiarity with the IP to succeed.

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The narrative around video game adaptations began to shift during the late 2010s after projects like Netflix's Castlevania, a Sonic the Hedgehog movie, and Detective Pikachu became international hits. Nobody expected the first live-action Pokemon movie to be based on a spin-off game for the 3DS, but it did so many things right that it deserves all the praise it can get.

Updated on March 31, 2023 by Kyle Chamaillard. Detective Pikachu was a huge success when it launched in 2019 and is one of the highest-grossing video game adaptations ever made. As rumors begin to swirl about a potential sequel, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit the original and examine what made the first live-action Pokemon work so well.

10 Including Older Pokemon

Bulbasaur stands by a rock

When Detective Pikachu first launched in 2019, there were around 800 Pokemon registered in the National Pokedex. It would have been great to see all of them appear in live-action, but the crew decided it would be easier to pick about 50 Pokemon to place throughout the film. Instead of focusing on the newest creatures, Detective Pikachu features familiar faces from the original generations.

Nostalgia sells, and seeing Pokemon like Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle in Detective Pikachu's first trailer may have inspired you to want to see the film on its opening weekend. If you grew up watching the anime or playing Pokemon on the Game Boy, there is something incredibly special about seeing your original starter Pokemon brought to life on the big screen.

9 Meta Humor

Detective Pikachu stumbles down a road while looking sad

The Achilles' heel for many video game adaptations is an over-reliance on gags and Easter eggs that tend to be more distracting than entertaining. Detective Pikachu is full of references to the Pokemon series, but most of them happen so quickly that you might miss them even if you've been playing the games since they launched.

Ryan Reynolds is known for playing Deadpool, a character who loves to break the fourth wall. When Reynolds was cast as Detective Pikachu, it wasn't surprising to hear him add more comedic elements to the role, such as singing the anthem to the Pokemon anime in one scene. It's refreshing to see an adaptation embrace its roots without having to shove a reference or joke between every line of dialogue.

8 Film Noir Throwbacks

Lucy Stevens sits in a booth beside Tim and Detective Pikachu

Detective Pikachu is the Sherlock Holmes of Pokemon, and the movie takes plenty of inspiration from the film noir genre that helped establish some of the greatest detectives in cinema. Detective Pikachu is somehow evocative of movies like Blade Runner, Knives Out, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit due to its lighting, dialogue, and cynical protagonist.

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While the 3DS game was more of a lighthearted adventure, the film adaptation leans into many tropes that define film noir and perfectly executes its style and tone. It feels like a throwback to a lost era, but Detective Pikachu makes it work while adding original ideas and twists to help keep the adventure fresh.

7 Casting

Ryan Reynolds holds a Poke Ball

The cast for the Detective Pikachu movie is incredibly talented, and it's still shocking to see how much star power the movie was able to obtain. Veteran actors like Ryan Reynolds and Bill Nighy helped carry the dramatic parts of the film, while younger stars like Kathryn Newton and Justice Smith — who starred in 2022's excellent The Quarry — brought their love of the series they grew up with onto the screen.

It's hard to imagine the film's success without Reynolds though, whose fast-talking comedic style is the perfect fit for a Pokemon who can't stop drinking coffee. Sure, maybe another actor like Charlie Day could have played Detective Pikachu, but Ryan Reynolds was also an essential part of the marketing for the movie and went above and beyond for the role.

6 Music

Detective Pikachu dances in a neon-lit room

Music has been an instrumental element of the Pokemon series since it launched in the late '90s. Each town in Pokemon Red and Blue had a distinct theme, and the anime and movies contained excellent original music like the PokeRap and 'Polkamon' by Weird Al Yankovic. Detective Pikachu continues this trend by featuring remixes of classic songs and fantastic new tracks performed by artists like Rita Ora and Pharrell Williams.

The music throughout Detective Pikachu perfectly sets the tone for the adventure and blends familiar melodies with newer ones to create a dynamic soundtrack for any situation. The music is such a fundamental aspect of the series that some musicians — like Rita Ora and Diplo — have cameos in the film.

5 Visuals

Snubbull snarls inside an office

After the infamous trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog that shocked the internet and caused the studio to re-design the character, the team behind Detective Pikachu made sure its live-action Pokemon would look realistic without causing nightmares to the nation. By using a hybrid of practical and computer effects, the creatures throughout the movie look pretty incredible and help immerse you into a world where people and Pokemon can co-exist.

Pokemon like Cubone and Psyduck look exactly like they do in the games, while others like Snubbull and even Pikachu have texture and hair that would be impossible to see on a 16-bit sprite. The only Pokemon that stands out as not looking as great as the others is Mewtwo. While it looks great initially, seeing it speak with its mouth and have more human expressions once it becomes a host for Howard's mind is a little unsettling.

4 Mr. Mime

Mr. Mime sits in a dark room

With over 50 Pokemon appearing in Detective Pikachu, it would have been impossible to give each one a spotlight to shine under. Aside from Pikachu, Mewtwo, and Psyduck, the only other creature with a decent amount of screen time is Mr. Mime, one of the original Pokemon that has always stood out for its human-like features and ability to create invisible walls.

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Mr. Mime almost steals the entire movie after appearing in a scene where Tim and Pikachu attempt to interrogate him for answers. Reminiscent of scenes from Seven and The Dark Knight, the duo are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want, including pouring invisible gasoline on the Pokemon and threatening to light it on fire. It's one of the movie's darkest and funniest scenes and showcases Mr. Mime's abilities in a way previously unimaginable.

3 Pacing

Aipom screams inside an apartment building

It's hard for some movies to have an engaging beginning, middle, and end without at least one segment feeling slower than the rest. Detective Pikachu immediately draws you in with a riveting opening scene, then introduces the main characters in interesting ways before moving forward with the plot. There doesn't seem to be a wasted scene throughout the movie, and it stays interesting until the credits roll.

Pacing is one of the most important elements of a movie, and Detective Pikachu perfectly balances moving the plot forward while finding time to squeeze in a joke or two between pivotal moments. By the end of the movie, you'll feel like you got to know all the main characters well enough to understand their motivations, and it neatly ties up most of the loose ends, so you're not left asking dozens of questions about the ending.

2 The Twist

Mewtwo stands in the streets of Ryme City

Most stories rely on twists to keep you on your toes, but an entire narrative can be ruined by using too many or making them feel unbelievable. Detective Pikachu sets up plenty of unanswered questions during its first half, successfully subverts your expectations, and keeps you guessing until the end. The first twist involving Mewtwo's true intentions is satisfying, but the location of Tim's missing father is even better.

It turns out that, to save Harry, Mewtwo was forced to merge his soul with Pikachu's to keep him alive until Tim arrived. It turns out that the talking Pikachu was Tim's dad the entire time, and they managed to fix their estranged relationship without even knowing it. It's very different from the ending of the Detective Pikachu game, but it's a great twist that gives you a new perspective when you watch the movie for a second time.

1 Heart

Detective Pikachu holds a magnifying glass to his eye

The Pokemon anime and movies have always had enough heart to make you feel emotionally invested in the main characters and their Pokemon friends. Moments like Ash saying farewell to Butterfree or Pikachu crying to revive Ash in Pokemon: The First Movie resonated with a generation, and though Detective Pikachu can be goofy at times, it still has enough heart to make you feel a range of emotions when you watch it.

There is a scene roughly halfway through the movie where Tim finally opens up to Pikachu about his conflicted feelings about his father. After losing his mom, he felt like his dad got too wrapped up with work to care about him, and by the time he did reach out, Tim felt like he didn't need him anymore. Detective Pikachu is full of surprises, but the fact that a moment between a man and a talking yellow mouse can make your eyes swell up could be its greatest achievement.

Next: Pokemon That Would Make Better Detective Than Pikachu