Hailed by many as the greatest cinematic adaptation of a video game franchise to date, Detective Pikachu won the hearts of both fans and skeptics alike when it hit theaters earlier this year. It wasn’t just a fluke, either.
From the filmmakers’ respect for the source material to eye-popping CGI and a family-friendly – if somewhat predictable – story at its core, Pokémon’s first foray into live-action territory is now the video game flick to beat, setting the bar higher than ever before for those that follow.
Besides the obvious talent behind the camera deserving of praise for bringing Detective Pikachu to life, though, so too, do the subjects of its lens. The reveal that none other than Ryan Reynolds had been cast in the film’s titular role prior to its release certainly wasn’t without its initial controversy, however. The star, best known for playing the foul-mouthed anti-hero Deadpool, as well as appearing in a slew of other R-rated films, couldn’t have been a more unsuited candidate, or so it was thought.
The curse words had been cut (we’re still waiting for those R-rated takes to be released) and dialogue kept largely PG, but Reynolds’ patented charm and wit otherwise carried over wholesale for his performance as Pokémon’s mascot. For the actor though, the well-received role was a victory for personal reasons. As per commentary provided on the film’s home video release, he details how one of his main reasons for pursuing the part was due to his children.
“I was excited to do a film that my kids would love,” he says, adding “I don’t do a lot of films that are not rated-R. For me, that’s a big one.”
Finally, then, his children can see their dad at work without having to wait until they reach 18 and, as luck would have it, it’s a damn fine performance, too.
