Pokémon has been around since 1996 and it no longer just encompasses games, there are now animated series, comics & mangas and with the release of Detective Pikachu, there’s no the live-action film that is a first for the franchise.
When the film was announced, I was generally excited about it, not only did the production teams behind Detective Pikachu did a great job of bringing the characters to life, but you have the hilarious Ryan Reynolds lent his voice to Pikachu.
Here’s what Detective Pikachu is about:
The story begins when ace private eye Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City—a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world—they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.
I reviewed Detective Pikachu on 4K Blu-ray and even though the movie was upscaled to 4K resolution, it made the film look better overall. The 4K Blu-ray of Detective Pikachu supports both Dolby Atmos for more immersive audio and HDR10.
From a visual perspective, the 4K version of the film adds sharper details and bolder and deeper colour hues. Each of the Pokémon featured in the film are highly detailed with realistic-looking fur. Because the film is has a detective/neo-noir tone, a lot of the film takes place at night and the HDR10 support makes blacks deeper.
Thanks to Dolby Atmos support, the audio in Detective Pikachu sounds amazing and lets you hear all the little nuances in the film.
It’s worth noting that if you buy the 4K Blu-Ray of Detective Pikachu, the 4K disc only includes the film and nothing else, while all the special features are on the 1080p disc which is also included. There is also a digital code included with the Blu-ray.
One aspect that is kind of lacking in the bonus features, there are some but not an abundance.
The Blu-ray (both 4K and HD) and Digital Version of the film come with the following bonus features:
- Detective Mode (which will show you behind the scenes footage, pop-up trivia, facts, featurettes, easter eggs and more)
- Alternate Opening
- My Pokémon Adventure
- Creating the World of Detective Pikachu: Welcome to Ryme City
- Uncovering the Magic
- Action
- Colourful Characters
- Bringing Pokémon to Life
- Mr. Mime’s Audio Commentary
- Ryan Reynolds – Outside the Actor’s Studio
- “Carry On” by Rita Ora and Kygo (Music Video)
Detective Pikachu is directed by Rob Letterman (Goosebumps, Monsters Vs. Aliens) with a script by Letterman, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Derek Connolly and Nicole Pearlman.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Detective Pikachu is a good film with great visuals and a great performance by Reynolds as Pikachu.
Detective Pikachu is now available on Blu-ray, 4K Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.
Pros
- 4K version of the film adds details and sharpness
- Dolby Atmos and HDR10 support
- Detective Mode is a fun new way to watch the film
- Great image and audio quality
Cons
- 4K Blu-ray disc only includes the film
- Lacking in bonus features
TheCanadianTechie 