If you would have told me last year that Detective Pikachu would not only be giving Twitter the best memes but also look like one of the most fun films of 2019, I would have laughed at you. Now, I find myself, in all my Pokémon newbie glory, painfully excited to laugh my head off watching the film this spring.
The latest trailer for the film manages to drop a big twist without spoiling too much of the film, which is a delicate balancing act. We do get more information as to the title character’s journey, but for the most part, it’s a celebration of humor and heart. Don’t worry about a grimdark take on the characters here; we’re getting nothing but humor here, though the action scenes already look a little scarier than the cartoons appeared to be.
While the first trailer focused more on Justice Smith’s Tim Goodman, this trailer gives us some Pikachu backstory. Pikachu woke up with no memory (but an addiction to coffee) and a hat that belonged to Tim’s missing father. Together, the pair of them are interested in finding out what happened to Tim’s dad and solving the mysteries of disappearing Pokémon.
Along the way, they run into the entire Pokédex. Some of them, like Jigglypuff, look adorable to the human eye. Others are a bit horrifying in this photorealistic style, but hopefully Pikachu’s cuteness will make up for that.
This trailer’s big reveal was that Mewtwo is in the film, and is probably the main villain of the piece. Mewtwo makes a dramatic appearance at the end of the trailer after destroying a Pikachu parade balloon, which is kids’ movie code for “danger, Will Robinson.” The official Pokémon website describes Mewtwo as “a Pokémon that was created by genetic manipulation. However, even though the scientific power of humans created this Pokémon’s body, they failed to endow Mewtwo with a compassionate heart.”
Mewtwo has been the villain of a previous Pokémon film, Mewtwo Strikes Back, which is famous for having a scene in which Pikachu tries to revive a mortally injured Ash, and all the Pokémon tears wind up saving the day. Will there be magical Pokémon tears that will rescue Tim’s dad, or Tim himself? Will Pikachu be the one in need of reviving?
Overall, this film looks like an excellent tribute to the joys of a fun, family friendly summer blockbuster, and to Pokémon itself. The trailer, set to “Holding Out for a Hero,” is bound to get you hyped for the film. Check it out below, and we’ll keep you posted on all Pokémon news until the film comes out.
(image: Warner Bros.)
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