Detective Pikachu - Review Thread

[Sweeney Swift]

Gonna save yall some time now that the Sonic director publicly gave up and went back to the drawing board. When that comes out (sure doesn't look like it's this year lol), take this

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and move all the Mixed to the Negative

If this couldn't break the games film curse nothing can. Adjust expectations accordingly for the stuff that already looks like trash like Sonic, you won't be disappointed

 

[ZeoVGM]

Some of the writing in these reviews is just... strange.

 

[Deleted member 2793]

I feel like most movie critics are gonna be too elitist to give a Pokemon movie/video game movie a true fair shake.

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Not really considering they give good scores to superhero movies all the time.

 

[Ryan.]

I'm still excited for it.

 

[Galactic Specter]

I still believe it has the potential to do big numbers at the box-office, I think Pokemon has enough appeal to mainstream audiences to do it.

 

[Disco]

The trailers were pretty freaking wack tbh, but pikachu is really cute and the property will make it do pretty good

Lmao at ppl thinking its gonna do a billion tho

 

[Stinkles]

Yikes, videogame movies are cursed

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Tomb Raider and Mortal Kombat are absolutely fine. And Pacific Rim is secretly the best and most earnest anime movie, period.

 

[HeartlessNobody2134]

Reviews don't surprise me. I personally didn't care to see a detective Pikachu adaptation but I get that its probably the easiest way to go about it. The main actor is also that annoying dude from Jurassic World 2.

Even though i'm not into Pokemon anymore I still have a fondness for it due to nostalgia but I can admit that i'm not that excited for it and the trailers didn't change that.

Still interested to see how it does at the box office because unlike a lot of posters here I don't think it's going to be as major as people think.

 

[feyder]

LMAO how sad.

 

[Terminus]

I feel like most movie critics are gonna be too elitist to give a Pokemon movie/video game movie a true fair shake.

I'm still expecting a decent RT score but yeah it's not surprising to see some reviewers not like it. I feel like the people who grew up playing Pokemon aren't the majority of critics in this case.

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A huge swath of movie reviewers writing online today grew up playing Pokémon. Time is a motherfucker.

 

[El Bombastico]

I feel like most movie critics are gonna be too elitist to give a Pokemon movie/video game movie a true fair shake.

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Avengers Endgame has a 95% on RT right now.

People REALLY need to stop with this "critics don't get nerd stuff!" bullshit. It hasn't been true for years (if ever).

 

[Mariolee]

Though I haven't seen the movie, I'm going to reserve judgement until I see the movie myself considering that my favorite Pokemon movie, the first one, has a 38 on metacritic.

https://www.metacritic.com/movie/pokmon-the-first-movie---mewtwo-strikes-back!

Definitely respect what the reviewers are saying though. This is a kid's movie through and through.

 

[Jon Carter]

Hmmm. Trailer sold me and I'm exactly the undereducated audience the reviews are talking about.

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You don't need to be a Pokémon fan to like it--I'm not and I liked it--but does the idea of a live-action Pokémon movie sound cool to you even if you're not a fan? If it does, then I think you'll like it.

 

[Deleted member 249]

67% on RT now, it seems?

 

[EightBitNate]

Whether it's here or on the gaming side, I never understood why threads like these call into question the authenticity of the reviews when they're less than stellar. If you read the reviews and feel like the criticisms won't bother you, that's fine, but to say things to try to undermine the legitimacy of the author's opinion is just pathetic.

 

[ReiGun]

Are yall reading the reviews? The EW review is probably the most scathing of the bunch and it still landed a C+.

I don't know where the defensiveness is coming from. Most critics are saying it's just....fine. "Fine but better if you're a fan" to be more accurate. Then you have places like Collider and IGN praising the movie unambiguously.

 

[Atheerios]

Metacritic is very bad for movies. I wouldn't include it.

 

[Window]

The trailers were pretty freaking wack tbh, but pikachu is really cute and the property will make it do pretty good

Lmao at ppl thinking its gonna do a billion tho

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Yeah seriously. I was predicting in the range of $600m if it's well received. I think it'll still make it there. But I have no box office knowledge.

 

[Deleted member 249]

Are yall reading the reviews? The EW review is probably the most scathing of the bunch and it still landed a C+.

I don't know where the defensiveness is coming from. Most critics are saying it's just....fine. "Fine but better if you're a fan" to be more accurate. Then you have places like Collider and IGN praising the movie unambiguously.

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That's what I'm saying, the reviews actually seem to be positive if you read them lol

 

[WaffleTaco]

The trailers were pretty freaking wack tbh, but pikachu is really cute and the property will make it do pretty good

Lmao at ppl thinking its gonna do a billion tho

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Remember people were thinking it would outperform Toy Story 4.

 

[Stinkles]

You don't need to be a Pokémon fan to like it--I'm not and I liked it--but does the idea of a live-action Pokémon movie sound cool to you even if you're not a fan? If it does, then I think you'll like it.

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No but the idea in the trailer looked great to me. Maybe that's the same thing to be fair. But Pokémon and Dragonball and Speed Racer are unusual holes in my cultural tapestry.

 

[Theorymon]

Whether it's here or on the gaming side, I never understood why threads like these call into question the authenticity of the reviews when they're less than stellar. If you read the reviews and feel like the criticisms won't bother you, that's fine, but to say things to try to undermine the legitimacy of the author's opinion is just pathetic.

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Heh yeah I was just saying that in that recent Days Gone accolades trailer, glad I'm not alone in this thought!

 

[Antoo]

Seems like Warcraft. Clearly a lot put into the production design. However, the script is really shallow. If you are a fan, you can connect the dots and really get a kick out seeing a lot of the Pokémon. However, it does not provide newcomers enough to get invested (something like Harry Potter did instantly).

 

[BeforeU]

will watch it at home I guess

 

[Betty]

... nor will it make the "best video game movie of all time".

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All it has to do is beat Rampage which has a 52% on RT to be best video game movie... surely it can do that.

 

[Sweeney Swift]

Whether it's here or on the gaming side, I never understood why threads like these call into question the authenticity of the reviews when they're less than stellar. If you read the reviews and feel like the criticisms won't bother you, that's fine, but to say things to try to undermine the legitimacy of the author's opinion is just pathetic.

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Agreed completely. Also far too often fans of the brand are too biased to see legitimate criticisms that can be (and usually are) in these film adaptations

 

[Hikari]

I mean, yes you made it clear that you dislike it. So much so that you are taking the mixed reviews as proof that it's absolute garbage and are using it as pure vindictive bile to make sure others feel bad for daring to enjoy something you don't.

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Nah, that was my opinion. Anyone else can enjoy it how they want.

 

[WestEgg]

Metacritic is very bad for movies. I wouldn't include it.

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I think people here are also applying game review expectations to film, where a 5/10 is actually considered middle of the road.

 

[Stinkles]

Yeah seriously. I was predicting in the range of $600m if it's well received. I think it'll still make it there. But I have no box office knowledge.

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Sculli alt exposed!!

 

[PCfromNYC]

Anything that's a 60 or above on Metacritic is a fresh rating on RT. So 6 out of the 13 reviews there would be fresh reviews. The 3 fresh reviews right now aren't on Metacritic so it'd be at 9 fresh reviews out of 16. It'd still have a rotten score, but it's on the verge of freshness.

 

[Ryuelli]

Seems like Warcraft. Clearly a lot put into the production design. However, the script is really shallow. If you are a fan, you can connect the dots and really get a kick out seeing a lot of the Pokémon. However, it does not provide newcomers enough to get invested (something like Harry Potter did instantly).

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Warcraft was great, and the fact that we're probably never getting a sequel saddens me. Probably my favorite "magic" visuals in any movie. I loved how the spells looked.

 

[ned_ballad]

I don't think it's possible to make a video game movie with self referral humor and in jokes that doesn't confuse people who don't understand it.

Like one of the main characters is Psyduck, who gets catastrophic headaches that awaken latent psychic abilities inside of it. Pokémon fans know this. Everyone else just thinks it's a weird fat duck and the headaches are weirdly relevant I guess? And a joke about how Jigglypuff puts people to sleep by singing, and then gets frustrated when her audience sleeps, doesn't require any explanation to Pokémon fans, but to onlookers the joke doesn't go anywhere, but explaining it would drag on and be pretty boring. Imagine spending time having to explain that people are afraid of Mewtwo and he's a very big deal because he's a genetically modified super Pokémon born from the DNA of the ancestor of all Pokémon, using research funded by the Pokémon Mafia. You'd have to recap the entire first movie for context around what a Mewtwo is and why he's important.

I'm just not sure it's possible without sacrificing fan service or wasting time on explanations for things a large part of your intended audience are already quite familiar with.

 

[jett]

Tomb Raider and Mortal Kombat are absolutely fine. And Pacific Rim is secretly the best and most earnest anime movie, period.

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Not even close to being true in a world with Speed Racer in it!

Anyway, MK is what this Pokemon movie seems to be, decent if you're a fan of the video games.

 

[Window]

Sculli alt exposed!!

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I'm couldn't even dream of being that big of a Cameron fan (I do think all his movies have been good though - including Titanic).

 

[jack_package_200]

I know the alt-right latched themselves onto Alita into an attempt to shit on Captain Marvel but I still stan Alita.

Hopefully I will love this.

 

[Camjo-Z]

Metacritic is very bad for movies. I wouldn't include it.

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I don't even look at movie scores now that Rotten Tomatoes exists. Why hem and haw over what that 63 or 72 really means when I can just look at RT and see a simple percentage of how many critics think it's worth a watch?

 

[Deleted member 925]

Damn people sure do like to jump the gun here.

Also not a fan of the people who just say yikes

 

[kurahador]

Seems like Warcraft. Clearly a lot put into the production design. However, the script is really shallow. If you are a fan, you can connect the dots and really get a kick out seeing a lot of the Pokémon. However, it does not provide newcomers enough to get invested (something like Harry Potter did instantly).

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Prince Of Persia too. I feel like it's impossible to turn video game story into a good movie because you need the longevity of the gameplay to get people engaged with the setting and story.

 

[Thordinson]

Are yall reading the reviews? The EW review is probably the most scathing of the bunch and it still landed a C+.

I don't know where the defensiveness is coming from. Most critics are saying it's just....fine. "Fine but better if you're a fan" to be more accurate. Then you have places like Collider and IGN praising the movie unambiguously.

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That's what I got from reading the reviews. "It's okay but better if you like Pokémon" seems to be the consensus.

 

[EightBitNate]

I think people here are also applying game review expectations to film, where a 5/10 is actually considered middle of the road.

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Yes this is important as well.

Movie reviews tend to use a wider range of scores than gaming.

I don't even look at movie scores now that Rotten Tomatoes exists. Why hem and haw over what that 63 or 72 really means when I can just look at RT and see a simple percentage of how many critics think it's worth a watch?

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Because then Avengers and Schindler's List seem to be about the same quality of film.

 

[Deleted member 32018]

Seems like Warcraft. Clearly a lot put into the production design. However, the script is really shallow. If you are a fan, you can connect the dots and really get a kick out seeing a lot of the Pokémon. However, it does not provide newcomers enough to get invested (something like Harry Potter did instantly).

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It's reviewing far better than Warcraft did.

 

[Crossing Eden]

I feel like most movie critics are gonna be too elitist to give a Pokemon movie/video game movie a true fair shake.

I'm still expecting a decent RT score but yeah it's not surprising to see some reviewers not like it. I feel like the people who grew up playing Pokemon aren't the majority of critics in this case.

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Bruh the most profitable movie of the year is the one where several heroes fight things while wearing spandex and the most watched tv show was the one that felt like a DnD match with an especially cool dungeon master.

 

[milkyway]

I suppose it was a pipe dream to hope it'd be in the green for Metacritic. Nonetheless, promising results so far.

 

[Stinkles]

I don't think it's possible to make a video game movie with self referral humor and in jokes that doesn't confuse people who don't understand it.

Like one of the main characters is Psyduck, who gets catastrophic headaches that awaken latent psychic abilities inside of it. Pokémon fans know this. Everyone else just thinks it's a weird fat duck and the headaches are weirdly relevant I guess? And a joke about how Jigglypuff puts people to sleep by singing, and then gets frustrated when her audience sleeps, doesn't require any explanation to Pokémon fans, but to onlookers the joke doesn't go anywhere, but explaining it would drag on and be pretty boring. Imagine spending time having to explain that people are afraid of Mewtwo and he's a very big deal because he's a genetically modified super Pokémon born from the DNA of the ancestor of all Pokémon, using research funded by the Pokémon Mafia. You'd have to recap the entire first movie for context around what a Mewtwo is and why he's important.

I'm just not sure it's possible without sacrificing fan service or wasting time on explanations for things a large part of your intended audience are already quite familiar with.

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Wait is all this in detective pikachu?

 

[DecoReturns]

Reviews I read indicate very mixed reviews and one positive on metacritic. It's not looking that good. Sure, I haven't seen it and the reviews aren't finalized but a 50 doesn't break this video game movie curse and nor will it make the "best video game movie of all time".

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Do you even know what's the best reviewed Video game movie is? It's a very low bar.

I mean regardless. It seems right away you hated the movie the moment you saw the designs (not even the plot/concept). Just the design and made up your mind.

I disliked the Director and casting of Ryan the second it was announced. But I'm remaining open minded until I personally see it. You Probably should do the same and not be so hyperbolic with your comments.

 

[ReiGun]

Seeing the reviews criticize the screenplay is interesting considering WB and Legendary already brought in a new screenwriter for the sequel. Maybe they saw the same problems critics are seeing? Or maybe the other screenwriters just weren't available?

I'm sure the other major player in this, The Pokemon Company, will just be happy when the movie makes money and becomes yet another piece of their massive machine.

 

[Busaiku]

I can agree with the reviews, but I had a lot of fun with it.
Like I said, tonally, it felt very similar to Shazam!, in that it absolutely embraces what it is and has a lot of heart.

The main actress was horrible though. Justice Smith was serviceable, though his range was limited. Kathryn Newton felt like she was playing a Nickelodeon role though.

 

[ZeoVGM]

I don't even look at movie scores now that Rotten Tomatoes exists. Why hem and haw over what that 63 or 72 really means when I can just look at RT and see a simple percentage of how many critics think it's worth a watch?

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The original Avengers has like a 67 on Metacritic. RottenTomatoes gives a far better idea of how audiences will respond to a film.

 

[Antoo]

Warcraft was amazing, and the fact that we're probably never getting a sequel saddens me. Probably my favorite "magic" visuals in any movie.

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I'm not going to dispute the fact that the visuals were outstanding. The movie actually made me kind of interested in exploring some of the games but that's just it. It intrigued me but I felt like the movie only works if you are deep into Warcraft lore.

There were like 10+ characters and the human protagonist literally disappears for a good chunk of the movie. The wizard guy is literally in one scene near the beginning and has a huge character shift that comes out of nowhere.It jumped around and was all over the place.

If you are a fan, I'm sure you already know these characters so you are fine with just seeing them on the big screen. However, newcomers like me just sit there and feel overwhelmed. It feels like it condensed 5 major story arcs into one movie.

 

[AndreGX]

Wait is all this in detective pikachu?

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Yep!