Ghost in the Shell, Speed Racer, Death Note, Dragonball.
These are very diverse movies, but they have one thing in common- they are failed attempts at bringing Japanese anime to life. But that didn’t stop Hollywood from trying. This year, the cutest of them all- Pikachu, jumps onto the big screen. But there’s a twist. This Pokémon doesn’t just go “pika pika”, he will speak and lending voice to this adored character is none other than Deadpool himself- Ryan Reynolds.
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is based on the 2016 video game Detective Pikachu, and follows the crime-solving adventures of well, Pikachu of course. With the phenomenon of the Pokémon GO still going strong, the pint-size detective is under a lot of pressure to deliver. Will Hollywood finally deliver a movie that does justice to a beloved anime character? It just might, and here’s why.
We are all familiar with Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, the foul-mouthed, insult-hurtling unwilling super-hero that made us laugh. Imagine that voice, but coming out of Pikachu. When Reynolds was first cast as the Pokémon, there was outrage. People petitioned to have Danny DeVito voiced him instead. That didn’t happen, obviously.
And once the trailer came out, surprisingly, Reynolds didn’t get any death threats from fans who grew up with Pokémon. Instead, people respond to how funny Pikachu is. Reynolds has proven that his expressive voice gives a new dimension to the character.
Watch how Reynolds “prepare” for being Pikachu:
Funny Pikachu
We all know Pikachu, but who knew it’s funny too? At least this version is. Detective Pikachu isn’t as adorable as he lets on. He will stop at nothing to solve crimes, but he is not afraid of exploiting his cuteness to get his way. This refreshing take on the Pokémon character is a huge gamble, but if the trailer is any indication, it would seem this is the right way to go. And once you get around the fact that Pikachu is funny, having Ryan Reynolds voice him doesn’t seem so weird after all.
Involving the originators
The previous unsuccessful attempts by Hollywood to remake Japanese anime all had the same issue- they didn’t work with the source.
Warner Brothers, the studio behind the movie, collaborated with The Pokémon Company to make the film. This means Detective Pikachu has the full support of the folks that created Pokémon. This lends credibility to the storyline and its characters.
Live Action for the Win
When the notion of a live-action Pokémon movie was mooted, most people were perplexed. How will it work? It seemed impossible for us to imagine all the adorable fantasy creatures coming to live without being cheesy. But somehow, it worked. In fact, if the trailer is any indication, the movie seems action-packed, and heck, Pikachu even looked like a realistic furry little animal that I want as a pet.
Will you be rooting for Pikachu?
