Nintendo's Pokémon has been a global phenomenon since its inception in 1995. Between video games, TV shows, movies, action figures, and trading card games, Pokémon reached millions of 90s and early 2000s kids as they were growing up. For many, the love of Pokémon was not just a phase—it became a lifelong passion. Adults who are approaching their 30s appreciate Pokémon just as much as kids who got a game for their eighth birthday last week. It is similar to Disney—the concept of Pokémon is so deep in our hearts that we never grow up from it.
At first, it seemed Nintendo did not realize its audience kept interest in Pokémon throughout their late adolescence and adulthood. With the release of Pokémon Go in 2016, passionate Pokémon trainers of all ages could engage in real world Pokémon catching and battling. This brought nostalgia for the old audience as well as attracted attention to build a new one. Pokémon, however, still focused on its G and PG shows and movies, along with their E-rated video games and kid-friendly trading cards. The production of Detective Pikachu, rated PG-13 by the MPAA, is a game-changer. This rating shows that Pokémon may finally be growing up with us.
The live action movie uses actors and incredible CGI effects to immerse Pokémon in the real world. We follow our star Pokémon, Pikachu, as he ventures with a teenage boy to find the boy's father. Along the way there are Pokémon battles and elements of the kid-friendly show we are used to. There are also more adult themes, such as Pikachu's caffeine addiction depicted in the second trailer. Pikachu's voice actor may be familiar to our adult audience as he is famous for his role in Marvel movies. Ryan Reynolds, who plays Deadpool in the R-rated films, is our beloved star Pikachu in this movie. This may explain why it is now a perfect fit for the generation that grew up on Pokémon. Pikachu is seen as a sassy, comical, adult-like character—a character that Reynolds seems to perform very well with. Many Pokémon fans are excited about the movie and hope it lives up to the expectations the trailers have set in place.
Detective Pikachu will be released on May 10th, 2019 in theaters across the country. The second official trailer is below, including a shocking addition—the legendary Mewtwo.
