“Pokémon Detective Pikachu” is the first feature to pivot on a pairing of animated characters from the Japanese merchandising juggernaut and real live actors. The plotting proceeds with the one-mission-then-the-next logic of a video game, and even the notion of film noir feels bogus. (Pikachu became a gumshoe for Nintendo, but the character, as seen in other Pokémon adventures, is the cute little critter with rosy cheeks who causes storms of electricity.) As if inviting the viewer to pick up a controller, he laments aloud that he can’t solve his own mystery. He can, however, talk to Tim — everyone else simply hears “pika, pika” — in dialogue that sounds like Raymond Chandler filtered through the children’s game of telephone.

Source: New York Times May 09, 2019 11:02 UTC