109-481: Pokémon Detective Pikachu (commonly known as Detective Pikachu ) is a 2019 fantasy film directed by Rob Letterman . Based on the Pokémon franchise, the film is a loose adaptation of the 2016 video game of the same name . It was written by Rob Letterman, Dan Hernandez , Benji Samit , and Derek Connolly , from a story by Hernandez, Samit, and Nicole Perlman , and produced by Legendary Pictures and Toho . It
218-942: A Pokémon trainer. On March 20, 2019, it was confirmed that Marie Iitoyo would voice Lucy Stevens and Ken Watanabe would reprise his role as Detective Yoshida, in the Japanese dub. When the film premiered in Japan on May 3, 2019, Hidetoshi Nishijima was confirmed to have voiced Detective Pikachu in the Japanese dub. The US premiere was held on May 3, 2019, in New York and featured a yellow carpet . Detective Pikachu released shortly after on May 8, 2019, in Europe May 9, 2019, in South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia, and May 10, 2019, in China, UK, Ireland, Canada, and
327-454: A car accident. Tim goes to Harry's apartment to sort things out and meets Harry's police partner, a deerstalker -clad amnesiac Pikachu , whom only Tim can understand. Tim accidentally releases a mysterious purple gas known as "R" from a vial he finds in Harry's office; they are then attacked by a party of Aipom who became rabid under the gas's influence. Pikachu believes that Harry survived
436-505: A detective and spend more time with his father, Pikachu, and Pokémon. Additionally, Diplo appears as the DJ who performs at Sebastian's Pokémon arena. Ryoma Takeuchi , who provides the Japanese dubbed voice of Tim, has a cameo as a Pokémon trainer in a video Tim watches. In a deleted scene, Rob Delaney appears as a co-worker of Tim at the insurance company. Ralph Foody and Michael Guido respectively appear as Johnny and Snakes, characters from
545-420: A fantasy film, and Heaven Can Wait (1978) was a successful Bangsian fantasy remake of 1941's Here Comes Mr. Jordan (not 1943's Heaven Can Wait ). A few low budget "Lost World" pictures were made in the 1970s, such as 1975's The Land That Time Forgot . Otherwise, the fantasy genre was largely absent from mainstream movies in this decade, although 1971's Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Willy Wonka &
654-402: A fight between Detective Pikachu and Charizard was recorded during the 2018 Pokémon World Championships. Henry Jackman , who previously worked with Letterman on Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) and Gulliver's Travels (2010), provided the score for the film and arranged Junichi Masuda 's "Red & Blue Theme" for the film's end credits. Kygo and Rita Ora released a standalone single for
763-410: A film with a low-quality script, bad acting, and poor production values. Another important subgenre of fantasy films that has become more popular in recent years is contemporary fantasy . Such films feature magical effects or supernatural occurrences happening in the "real" world of today. Films with live action and animation such as Disney 's Mary Poppins , Pete's Dragon , Enchanted , and
872-467: A flavor based on Bulbasaur, and terry cloth bean bags. It has been marketed via toys at fast-food chains such as McDonald's and Burger King . Bulbasaur has also been included in various versions of the Pokémon painting on ANA Boeing 767s . In 2021, Seiko made limited edition luxury watches based on Bulbasaur and its evolutionary family. The island nation of Niue issued a commemorative coin with
981-552: A good balance of design elements while remaining cute. Another writer highlighted Bulbasaur's appearance in Detective Pikachu , stating that its cute appearance and affectionate design helped endear him to the Pokémon. He further noted that age seemed to affect people's perception of Bulbasaur; whereas younger audiences saw it as weaker, older audiences tended to perceive it as a more cute and appealing creature. Bulbasaur
1090-479: A guest appearance, where it is revealed that her Bulbasaur has fully evolved into a Venusaur. In Pokémon Adventures , a manga based on the plot of the Pokémon Red and Blue games, the character Red receives a Bulbasaur from Professor Oak , which he nicknames Saur. Bulbasaur also appears in the movie Detective Pikachu , where a several of them appear. In making the film, a bulldog was used to understand
1199-473: A history almost as old as the medium itself. However, fantasy films were relatively few and far between until the 1980s , when high-tech filmmaking techniques and increased audience interest caused the genre to flourish. What follows are some notable Fantasy films. For a more complete list see: List of fantasy films In the era of silent film , the earliest fantasy films were those made by French film pioneer Georges Méliès from 1903. The most famous of these
SECTION 10
#17327767141271308-496: A legal tender value of one crown , which has a Bulbasaur on the reverse side. Bulbasaur was also among the eleven Pokémon chosen as Japan's mascots in the 2014 FIFA World Cup . A Bulbasaur statue was installed on March 25, 2018, in the municipality of Suzano , São Paulo , Brazil, and was the first of several other Pokémon-related statues installed. Bulbasaur has been largely praised by critics. Nintendo World Report 's Pedro Hernandez highlighted its role in one episode of
1417-452: A little more exciting. The 1940s then saw several full-color fantasy films produced by Alexander Korda , including The Thief of Bagdad (1940), a film on par with The Wizard of Oz , and Jungle Book (1942). In 1946, Jean Cocteau 's classic adaptation of Beauty and the Beast won praise for its surreal elements and for transcending the boundaries of the fairy tale genre. Sinbad
1526-534: A modern Chinatown setting. Highlander , a film about immortal Scottish swordsmen, was released the same year. Jim Henson produced two iconic fantasy films in the 80s, the solemn The Dark Crystal and the more whimsical and lofty Labyrinth . Meanwhile, Robert Zemeckis helmed Who Framed Roger Rabbit , featuring various famous cartoon characters from animation's "Golden Age," including Mickey Mouse , Minnie Mouse , Donald Duck , Bugs Bunny , Daffy Duck , Droopy , Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner , Sylvester
1635-480: A more richly developed fantasy world, and may also be more character-oriented or thematically complex. Often, they feature a hero of humble origins and a clear distinction between good and evil set against each other in an epic struggle. Many scholars cite J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings novel as the prototypical modern example of high fantasy in literature, and the recent Peter Jackson film adaptation of
1744-637: A playable character in Pokémon Unite . Outside of the Pokémon video games, Bulbasaur was also featured as a collectible in the Super Smash Bros. series. A costume for Mario based on it was added to Super Mario Maker . In the Pokémon anime , multiple Bulbasaur are owned by various main characters, including series protagonist Ash Ketchum . The character May also captures one in Pokémon: Advanced . She later makes
1853-804: A role, but he does not appear in the final cut of the film. Principal production began on January 15, 2018, in London, England and Denver , Colorado. Nine days later, Legendary announced that principal photography had officially begun. Much of the on set interaction and vocal reference for Pikachu was filled in by Jon Bailey . However, all of his dialogue was dubbed over by Ryan Reynolds. Principal photography concluded on May 1, 2018. Some filming took place at Shepperton Studios , Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden , and Minley Woods in Hampshire , rural areas of Colorado , just outside Denver and Colorado Springs ; and Scotland . Filming also took place on Anchor Wharf at
1962-472: A sequel. In February 2023, a representative from Legendary Entertainment said that a sequel is still "in active development". In March 2023, it was announced that Jonathan Krisel would direct the sequel and that Chris Galletta would write the screenplay. Fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic , supernatural events, mythology , folklore , or exotic fantasy worlds . The genre
2071-401: A tremendous financial success, has achieved critical acclaim for its design, thematic sophistication and emotional depth, grittier realism and darkness, narrative complexity, and characterization, and boasts an enormous and loyal fanbase. Following the success of these ventures, Hollywood studios have greenlighted additional big-budget productions in the genre. These have included adaptations of
2180-428: A video purporting to be a bootleg recording of the film. Spanning nearly 1.75 hours in length, the opening minute shows the production logo sequences followed by a scene from the film featuring Tim Goodman, before spending the remainder of its runtime depicting Pikachu performing aerobics to an upbeat, 1980s-inspired synthwave tune. Reynolds aided in the prank, posting on Twitter as if he was alerting Warner Bros. and
2289-484: Is a combination of the Japanese words for mystery or miracle ( fushigi ) and seed ( tane ) . While translating the game for English-speaking audiences, Nintendo gave the Pokémon "cleverly descriptive names" related to their appearance or features as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children, with Bulbasaur being named as a portmanteau relating to its dinosaurian appearance and
SECTION 20
#17327767141272398-539: Is a fictional Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak 's Pokémon franchise. First introduced in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue , it was created by Atsuko Nishida with the design finalized by Ken Sugimori . Since Bulbasaur's debut, it has appeared in multiple games including Pokémon Go and the Pokémon Trading Card Game , as well as various merchandise. In media related to
2507-678: Is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction films and horror films , although the genres do overlap. Fantasy films often have an element of magic, myth , wonder , escapism , and the extraordinary. Several sub-categories of fantasy films can be identified, although the delineations between these subgenres, much as in fantasy literature, are somewhat fluid. The most common fantasy subgenres depicted in movies are high fantasy and sword and sorcery . Both categories typically employ quasi-medieval settings, wizards, magical creatures and other elements commonly associated with fantasy stories. High fantasy films tend to feature
2616-412: Is in development. Tim Goodman gave up his dream of being a Pokémon trainer following the death of his mother and his estrangement from his father Harry, a police detective who moved to Ryme City, where humans and Pokémon live together in harmony and Pokémon battles are outlawed. After a failed attempt to catch a Cubone , Tim is informed by Harry's friend, Lieutenant Hideo Yoshida, that Harry was killed in
2725-534: Is injured in the attack. A Bulbasaur leads them to Mewtwo, who heals Pikachu and begins to reveal how Pikachu helped him escape from the lab, only to be abducted by Roger mid-revelation. Believing himself to have betrayed Harry, Pikachu leaves Tim. Pikachu discovers the scene of the crash and finds evidence that the Greninja, not Mewtwo, were responsible for the crash. Back in Ryme City, Howard reveals himself as
2834-596: Is one of the initial three Pokémon the player can choose from at the beginning of the games. Bulbasaur and the other starters from Red and Blue are replaced by Pikachu in Pokémon Yellow , and is instead obtainable elsewhere in the game. Bulbasaur appears in all other entries in the main series, though in Pokémon Sword and Shield , Bulbasaur was not made available until the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor . Similarly, Bulbasaur
2943-471: Is really Howard's genetically modified Ditto ; the real Roger was tied up and gagged to complete the deception. They eventually defeat Howard by removing the headset on his head, freeing Mewtwo from his control. Mewtwo separates the people and their Pokémon, Howard is arrested, Roger vows to undo his father's misdeeds and Lucy is tasked with spearheading the media coverage. Mewtwo explains that Harry had tried to save him from Howard and helped Mewtwo escape, but
3052-508: Is to complete the Pokédex , a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species. Bulbasaur first appeared as one of three Pokémon the player could choose as their first at the beginning of the initial Game Boy games, Pokémon Red and Blue , released in Japan in 1996. Its Japanese name, Fushigidane,
3161-528: The Home Alone film within a film Angels with Filthy Souls , via archive footage from the former film. The film was officially announced in July 2016, although Legendary Pictures were reported to be in talks as early as April of that year. The Pokémon Company and Letterman wanted to adapt Detective Pikachu because of their interest in making a film that focused on another character besides Ash Ketchum ,
3270-675: The Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent. The film's cinematographer, John Mathieson , noted that, like his other films, Detective Pikachu was shot on traditional film , in contrast to most other contemporary films which are shot digitally . He said the use of traditional film helps make it "look more realistic". The film's visual effects were provided by the Moving Picture Company (MPC), Framestore , Image Engine , Rodeo FX , and Instinctual VFX. Much of
3379-519: The Himalayan fantasy kingdom of Shangri-La , where the residents magically never age. Other noteworthy fantasy films of the 30s include Tarzan the Ape Man in 1932 starring Johnny Weissmuller starting a successful series of talking pictures based on the fantasy-adventure novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs and the G. W. Pabst directed The Mistress of Atlantis from 1932. 1932 saw the release of
Detective Pikachu (film) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-511: The Pokémon anime , being one of Ash Ketchum 's main Pokémon for the first season, with a different one later being obtained by supporting character May . It is featured in various manga and is owned by protagonist Red in Pokémon Adventures . Bulbasaur has generally been received positively and has overall been considered one of the best Pokémon and best starter Pokémon, including by series producer Junichi Masuda . Its role in
3597-580: The Pokémon franchise, Bulbasaur are small, amphibian and plant Pokémon that move on all four legs . They have blue-green bodies with darker blue-green spots. The seed on a Bulbasaur's back is planted at birth and then sprouts and grows along with it. The bulb absorbs sunlight which allows it to grow. They can survive for days without eating because the bulb stores energy. In the video games, Bulbasaur has two "types", elemental attributes that determine strengths and weaknesses: Grass and Poison. Series producer and director Junichi Masuda considered Bulbasaur
3706-548: The Robert Zemeckis film Who Framed Roger Rabbit are also fantasy films although are more often referred to as Live action/animation hybrids (2 of those are also classified as musicals). Fantasy films set in the afterlife , called Bangsian fantasy , are less common, although films such as the 1991 Albert Brooks comedy Defending Your Life would likely qualify. Other uncommon subgenres include historical fantasy and romantic fantasy , although 2003's Pirates of
3815-482: The Universal Studios monster movie The Mummy which combined horror with a romantic fantasy twist. more light-hearted and comedic affairs from the decade include films like 1934s romantic drama film Death Takes a Holiday where Fredric March plays Death who takes a human body to experience life for three days and 1937s Topper where a man is haunted by two fun-loving ghosts who try to make his life
3924-490: The 1950s that feature fantastic elements and are sometimes classified as fantasy are Harvey (1950), featuring a púca of Celtic mythology ; Scrooge , the 1951 adaptation of Charles Dickens ' A Christmas Carol ; and Ingmar Bergman 's 1957 masterpiece, The Seventh Seal . Disney's 1951 animated film Alice in Wonderland is also a fantasy classic. There were also a number of lower budget fantasies produced in
4033-616: The 1950s, typically based on Greek or Arabian legend. The most notable of these may be 1958's The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , featuring special effects by Ray Harryhausen and music by Bernard Herrmann . Harryhausen worked on a series of fantasy films in the 1960s, most importantly Jason and the Argonauts (1963). Many critics have identified this film as Harryhausen's masterwork for its stop-motion animated statues, skeletons, harpies , hydra , and other mythological creatures. Other Harryhausen fantasy and science fantasy collaborations from
4142-567: The 1990s TV series , but was scrapped when the original game developer, Game Freak , was unsatisfied with the concept. The idea was revived for the 2016 Detective Pikachu spin-off game. Letterman said that they "spent a year designing all the characters ahead of shooting so that we could get it all right". On November 30, 2016, Rob Letterman was hired to direct the film, and the studio fast-tracked production to start in 2017. On August 16, 2016, Nicole Perlman and Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch were in negotiations with Legendary to write
4251-611: The 2000s, such as The Lord of the Rings films, the 1st and 3rd Narnia adaptations, and the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 7th Harry Potter adaptations have most often been released in November and December. This is in contrast to sci-fi films , which are often released during the northern hemisphere summer (June–August). All 3 of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, however, were released in July 2003, July 2006, and May 2007 respectively, and
4360-635: The Barbarian followed by Krull and Fire and Ice in 1983, as well as a boom in fairy tale -like fantasy films such as The Neverending Story (1984), Ladyhawke (1985), The Princess Bride (1987), and Willow (1988). The 1980s also started a trend in mixing modern settings and action film effects with exotic fantasy-like concepts. Big Trouble in Little China (1986), directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell , combined humor, martial arts and classic Chinese folklore in
4469-667: The Caribbean also saw success at the box office. The early 2010s saw a continuation of the book to screen adaptation fad of the 2000s. Also prevalent in the decade were remakes of older fantasy films especially from Walt Disney Pictures . The 2020s as of 2023 have shown an increasing interest by studios to adapt games into film with Monster Hunter , Sonic the Hedgehog , The Super Mario Bros. Movie , and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Bulbasaur Bulbasaur ( / ˈ b ʊ l b ə s ɔː r / ), known as Fushigidane ( Japanese : フシギダネ ) in Japan,
Detective Pikachu (film) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-538: The Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl successfully incorporated elements of both. As noted above, superhero movies and fairy tale films might each be considered subgenres of fantasy films, although most would classify them as altogether separate movie genres. As a cinematic genre, fantasy has traditionally not been regarded as highly as the related genre of science fiction film. Undoubtedly,
4687-657: The Cat , Tweety Pie , and Jiminy Cricket , among others. The 90s saw the Disney Renaissance in which many successful adaptations of written fantasy works were released by Disney Animation . The 2000s saw a boom in the genre. This was compounded by the success of Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter , which spurred a movement in film adaptations of fantasy literary works including The Chronicles of Narnia , Tales from Earthsea , Eragon , Inkheart , and The Golden Compass . The Star Wars prequel trilogy and Pirates of
4796-609: The Chocolate Factory were two fantasy pictures in the public eye the former being predominantly from the same team who did Mary Poppins the latter again being from Roald Dahl in both script and novel. 1980s fantasy films were initially characterized by directors finding a new spin on established mythologies. Ray Harryhausen brought the monsters of Greek legends to life in Clash of the Titans while Arthurian lore returned to
4905-550: The DVD and Blu-ray releases of Detective Pikachu have earned more than $ 30 million in the United States. Detective Pikachu grossed $ 144.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $ 289.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $ 449,762,638 million, against a production budget of $ 150 million. In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Tolkien , Poms and The Hustle , and
5014-594: The English-language trailer garnered over 1 million likes within two days, and 1.22 million likes within five days. On Twitter, it set a new record of over 400,000 mentions on the day of the trailer reveal. The film was supported by a $ 100 million marketing budget. On November 30, 2018, Letterman, Smith, and Newton appeared on stage during the Tokyo Comic-Con event. On May 7, 2019, a Warner Bros. YouTube channel named "Inspector Pikachu" uploaded
5123-454: The Grass type's weaknesses. Chris Plante of Polygon called Bulbasaur the best Pokémon; while he felt it and its evolutions "comparably dull", they were "the most true to life" as it looked more "leathery and aged" after evolving, compared to the other starters. Other Polygon writers highlighted Bulbasaur for similar reasons, mostly notably for its design, which was highlighted for providing
5232-468: The Rings and J. K. Rowling 's Harry Potter series. Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy is notable due to its ambitious scale, serious tone, and thematic complexity. These pictures achieved phenomenal commercial and critical success, and the third installment of the trilogy became the first fantasy film ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture . The Harry Potter series has been
5341-471: The Sailor (1947), starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. , has the feel of a fantasy film though it does not actually have any fantastic elements. Several other pictures featuring supernatural encounters and aspects of Bangsian fantasy were produced in the 1940s during World War II . These include Beyond Tomorrow , The Devil and Daniel Webster , and Here Comes Mr. Jordan , all from 1941, Heaven Can Wait
5450-567: The US, in RealD 3D , Dolby Cinema , 4DX , and ScreenX formats. Detective Pikachu was released on Digital HD on July 23, 2019, and was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray , Blu-ray and DVD on August 6, 2019. The film debuted at the DVD and Blu-ray charts upon the week of its release, and was the second top-selling home video title in August 2019 (after Avengers: Endgame ). As of August 2020,
5559-423: The United States since Pokémon Heroes (2003) and the first distributed by Warner Bros. since Pokémon 3 (2001). The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the visual effects and Reynolds' performance, and made a worldwide gross of $ 450 million, became the highest grossing video game film adaptation of all time until it was surpassed by The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023). A sequel
SECTION 50
#17327767141275668-643: The advent of sound films , audiences of all ages were introduced from 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to 1939's The Wizard of Oz . Also notable of the era, the iconic 1933 film King Kong borrows heavily from the Lost World subgenre of fantasy fiction as does such films as the 1935 adaptation of H. Rider Haggard's novel She about an African expedition that discovers an immortal queen known as Ayesha "She who must be obeyed". Frank Capra 's 1937 picture Lost Horizon transported audiences to
5777-409: The ancient crown of Italy), with war, cruelty, betrayal, heroism, sex, magic and mysticism, a whirl of events taken from every possible fairy tale and legend source Blasetti could find. This movie is unlike anything done before; indeed, considering that it was finished fifteen years before the publication of Lord Of The Rings, its invention of a vast, national epic mythology is an act of genius. And while
5886-575: The anime has been suggested to have played a factor into its popularity. Bulbasaur is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the Pokémon media franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo , the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy , which were later released in North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998. In these games and their sequels,
5995-471: The anime, citing Bulbasaur's appealing storyline in the episode as endearing the species to him. He stated that this role helped him become a fan of the Pokémon franchise as a whole. IGN editor "Pokémon of the Day Chick" also praised Ash's "attitude-packing Bulbasaur" in the anime, and Official Nintendo Magazine ' s John Vekinis attributed his "love of Grass-type Pokémon" to Bulbasaur in spite of
6104-633: The best starter Pokémon, finding it really cute and that it exemplifies what Pokémon is for him, citing the monster and plant combination. Bulbasaur has been voiced by Tara Sands and Michele Knotz in English in the Pokémon anime series . Bulbasaur is the first Pokémon entry in the Pokédex. It made its video game debut in the Japanese-language games Pocket Monsters Red and Green . Along with Charmander and Squirtle , Bulbasaur
6213-486: The books is a good example of the high fantasy subgenre on the silver screen. Sword and sorcery movies tend to be more plot-driven than high fantasy and focus heavily on action sequences, often pitting a physically powerful but unsophisticated warrior against an evil wizard or other supernaturally endowed enemy. Although sword and sorcery films sometimes describe an epic battle between good and evil similar to those found in many High fantasy movies, they may alternately present
6322-559: The box office in its second weekend, with a cumulative ¥1,465,395,700 ($ 13,327,837). In China, Detective Pikachu had an opening day gross of $ 16.4 million , and topped the box office with a weekend debut of $ 40.8 million. It topped the Chinese box office again in its second week, with a cumulative $ 69.3 million . In the United Kingdom, it topped the box office with a £4.9 million ($ 6.6 million) debut. As of May 26, 2019,
6431-464: The crash, as the police never found his body. They meet an informant of Harry's, a Mr. Mime , who directs them to an illegal underground Pokémon battle arena. The arena is raided by police and Tim is brought to Yoshida, who reveals footage of Harry's crash, explaining that Harry having survived would have been impossible. Tim and Pikachu are contacted by Howard Clifford, the founder of Clifford Industries and creator of Ryme City. Howard reveals that Harry
6540-419: The current toy partner for the franchise, released figures and plush toys for retail as well. Initially, Universal Pictures was due to handle distribution outside Japan, while Toho would handle the Japanese distribution. On July 25, 2018, Warner Bros. announced they had taken over worldwide distribution duties (except in Japan and China) from Universal, with the release date unchanged. Warner Bros. also got
6649-588: The decade include the 1961 adaptation of Jules Verne 's Mysterious Island , the critically panned One Million Years B.C. starring Raquel Welch , and The Valley of Gwangi (1969). Capitalising on the success of the sword and sandal genre several Italian B-movies based on classical myth were made, including the Maciste series. Otherwise, the 1960s were almost entirely devoid of fantasy films. The fantasy picture 7 Faces of Dr. Lao , in which Tony Randall portrayed several characters from Greek mythology,
SECTION 60
#17327767141276758-417: The established Venusaur design. Afterwards, the design was finalized by lead artist Ken Sugimori who, towards the end of development, drew the promotional art of all the species to give them a unified look and make any last-minute changes. The idea to feature Bulbasaur and the other Red and Blue starters in a significant role in Pokémon X and Y came around a year and a half into the development of
6867-403: The fact that until recently fantasy films often suffered from the " Sword and Sandal " afflictions of inferior production values, over-the-top acting, and decidedly poor special effects was a significant factor in fantasy film's low regard. Since the early 2000s, however, the genre has gained new respectability in a way, driven principally by the successful adaptations of Tolkien 's The Lord of
6976-465: The family-friendly blockbusters of the late 1980s and the 1990s... rather than the Japanese "Pocket Monsters" themselves." Writing for The Hollywood Reporter , Michael Rechtshaffen said, "Although the script ... tends to compartmentalize the comedy, action and emotional bits rather than organically blending them all together, Letterman's energetic direction manages to hold everything aloft." Alonso Duralde 's mixed review for TheWrap describes
7085-813: The fantasy genre. In the 1950s there were a few major fantasy films, including Darby O'Gill and the Little People and The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. , the latter penned by Dr. Seuss . Jean Cocteau's Orphic Trilogy , begun in 1930 and completed in 1959, is based on Greek mythology and could be classified either as fantasy or surrealist film, depending on how the boundaries between these genres are drawn. Russian fantasy director Aleksandr Ptushko created three mythological epics from Russian fairytales, Sadko (1953), Ilya Muromets (1956), and Sampo (1959). Japanese director Kenji Mizoguchi 's 1953 film Ugetsu Monogatari draws on Japanese classical ghost stories of love and betrayal. Other notable pictures from
7194-456: The film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, and general audiences polled by PostTrak gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Scott Mendelson of Forbes called the film "the best video game movie ever" and wrote, " Detective Pikachu works because it's a good movie first and a promising franchise-starter or a brand cash-in second. It's a real film, rooted in character arcs and narrative twists with just enough raw emotion and personal stakes to make
7303-442: The film as feeling "both ambitious and lazy, frenzied and sluggish". Peter Debruge of Variety was critical of the plot and the special effects: "Though consistent with the games ... the story of Detective Pikachu doesn't allow nearly enough Pokémon-related action, while the quality of the computer animation ... falls far short of the basic level of competency audiences have come to expect from effects movies." Debruge
7412-453: The film rights for the Pokémon franchise for 30 years. The film received a PG rating from the MPAA , it is the first Pokémon film released in the United States not to receive a G rating. When the film's Japanese release was announced on November 29, 2018, Ryoma Takeuchi was confirmed to voice Tim Goodman in the Japanese version. Takeuchi also has a brief cameo appearance in the film itself as
7521-407: The film was projected to debut to $ 90–120 million from 62 countries, including $ 40–60 million in China. Prior to its worldwide release, the film grossed $ 21 million from openings and previews in several international markets, including Japan, through Thursday. The film had an international opening weekend debut of $ 103 million (and a five-day debut of $ 112.4 million), dethroning Avengers: Endgame at
7630-506: The film's largest international markets are China ( $ 84.4 million ), Japan ( $ 21.2 million ), the United Kingdom ( $ 13.6 million ), Mexico ( $ 10.4 million ), and Germany ( $ 9.5 million ). On Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 68% based on 316 reviews and an average rating of 6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, " Pokémon Detective Pikachu may not take its wonderfully bizarre premise as far as it could have, but this offbeat adaptation should catch most – if not all – of
7739-466: The film's official accounts about the alleged bootleg. The video, which Paul Tassi of Forbes described as "brilliant", received 4.2 million views in less than a day. On March 15, 2019, it was revealed that Legendary will release a graphic novel based on the film. Niantic Labs promoted the film through the Pokémon Go app, by featuring, among other things, select Pokémon from the movie appear in
7848-409: The film's similarities to Who Framed Roger Rabbit and that it did not attempt to familiarize viewers with the franchise, but stated that it "feels more intriguing than it does derivative, and it's a delight for fans to see how immersive this world actually feels." Simran Hans of The Observer gave the film 4/5 stars, writing: "What's clever is the way this live-action spinoff exploits nostalgia for
7957-443: The film, titled " Carry On ". The song and the music video were released on April 19, 2019. Honest Boyz also collaborated with Lil Uzi Vert to make another song for the film, titled "Electricity" and produced by Pharrell Williams , which also plays over the end credits. In early November 2018, with the film in the post-production phase, a screen test was held for an incomplete version of the film, which drew positive reactions from
8066-561: The first, second, and third books in C. S. Lewis ' The Chronicles of Narnia and the teen novel Eragon , as well as adaptations of Susan Cooper 's The Dark Is Rising , Cornelia Funke 's Inkheart , Philip Pullman 's The Golden Compass , Holly Black 's The Spiderwick Chronicles , Nickelodeon's TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender , and the Fantasia segment (along with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's original poem) The Sorcerer's Apprentice Many fantasy movies starting in
8175-425: The franchise's fans." It was the first international theatrical live-action video game adaptation to maintain a "fresh" rating and it was the highest rated video game adaptation on the site, until it was surpassed by The Angry Birds Movie 2 . On Metacritic , it has a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, based on reviews from 48 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave
8284-401: The franchise, Bulbasaur has been voiced by various voice actors, including Tara Sands and Michele Knotz . Classified as a Grass- and Poison-type Pokémon, it was introduced in the games as a starter Pokémon , one players are able to select at the game's beginning. It is a quadrapedal green creature resembling a dinosaur, with a large plant bulb on its back. Bulbasaur is a central character in
8393-465: The game, including a limited edition "detective" version of Pikachu. The Pokémon Company released a series of trading cards featuring images from the film, including a limited edition Detective Pikachu card only available the first weekend of the film's release. Along with TCG booster pack sets, they produced a limited edition Detective Pikachu Cafe Figure Collection bundle. A set of 6 Detective Pikachu toys were also sold at Burger King . Wicked Cool Toys,
8502-418: The games. The Mega Evolutions for the three Pokémon's final forms were created, and the designers decided that they should give players an opportunity to receive one of these Pokémon from Professor Sycamore , the games' professor, so that players would be able to see and use these forms. Despite their English names, Sugimori confirmed that the design of Bulbasaur and its evolutions are based on frogs. In
8611-403: The hero as having more immediate motivations, such as the need to protect a vulnerable maiden or village, or even being driven by the desire for vengeance. The 1982 film adaptation of Robert E. Howard 's Conan the Barbarian , for example, is a personal (non-epic) story concerning the hero's quest for revenge and his efforts to thwart a single megalomaniac—while saving a beautiful princess in
8720-413: The large garlic-shaped bulb on its back. Both the etymology and appearance of Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur show it getting increasingly more dangerous as it evolves. Bulbasaur can evolve into Ivysaur , which can then evolve into Venusaur . Bulbasaur was created by Atsuko Nishida , a character designer for Pocket Monsters Red and Blue , which she described as "working backwards" by basing it off
8829-722: The latest releases in the Harry Potter series were released in July 2007 and July 2009. The huge commercial success of these pictures may indicate a change in Hollywood's approach to big-budget fantasy film releases. Screenwriter and scholar Eric R. Williams identifies fantasy films as one of eleven super-genres in his screenwriters taxonomy , claiming that all feature length narrative films can be classified by these super-genres. The other 10 super-genres are action , crime , horror , romance , sci-fi , slice of life , sports , thriller , war and western . Fantasy films have
8938-536: The musical Cabin in the Sky (1943), the comedy The Horn Blows at Midnight and romances such as The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), One Touch of Venus and Portrait of Jennie , both 1948. An astonishing anticipation of the full "sword and sorcery" genre was made in 1941 in Italy by Alessandro Blasetti. La Corona di Ferro presents the struggles of two imaginary kingdoms around the legendary Iron Crown (historically
9047-484: The novel Ayesha: The Return of She both produced by Hammer Film Productions . The musical fantasy film Mary Poppins was released in 1964, and 1968 saw the release of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang based on a story by Ian Fleming with a script from Roald Dahl . Fantasy elements of Arthurian legend were again featured, albeit absurdly, in 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail . Harryhausen also returned to
9156-421: The player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items. Each Pokémon have one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon. A major goal in each game
9265-499: The process. Some critics refer to such films by the term Sword and Sandal rather than sword and sorcery, although others would maintain that the Sword and Sandal label should be reserved only for the subset of fantasy films set in ancient times on the planet Earth, and still others would broaden the term to encompass films that have no fantastic elements whatsoever. To some, the term Sword and Sandal has pejorative connotations, designating
9374-411: The protagonist of the Pokémon animated TV series . On the premise, Letterman stated, "The Pokémon Company, they've already made many, many movies of Ash, and they came to Legendary with this idea of using a new character. So when I came onboard, I was pitched this character of Detective Pikachu, and I fell in love with the story behind it." The idea of talking Pokémon originated from an early concept for
9483-610: The role. In December 2017, Ryan Reynolds was cast in the title role, portrayed via motion-capture and voice over. Other actors considered for the role of Pikachu were Danny DeVito , Dwayne Johnson , Mark Wahlberg and Hugh Jackman . In January 2018, with production commencing, Ken Watanabe , Bill Nighy and Chris Geere joined the cast, followed by Suki Waterhouse and Rita Ora in February and Omar Chaparro in April. In January 2019, Rob Delaney had previously stated that he had
9592-465: The screen in John Boorman 's 1981 Excalibur . Films such as Ridley Scott 's 1985 Legend and Terry Gilliam 's 1981–1986 trilogy of fantasy epics ( Time Bandits , Brazil , and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen ) explored a new artist-driven style featuring surrealist imagery and thought-provoking plots. The modern sword and sorcery boom began around the same time with 1982's Conan
9701-558: The screenplay. Later revisions were provided by Eric Pearson , Thomas McCarthy , Derek Connolly , Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit and Letterman. Ultimately, Hernandez, Samit, Letterman, and Connolly received screenplay credit, and with Hernandez, Samit and Perlman receiving "story by" billing. In November 2017, Justice Smith was cast in the lead human role, with Kathryn Newton added to costar after an intense session of reading and testing actresses opposite Smith. Newton beat out Natalia Dyer , Haley Lu Richardson , and Katherine Langford for
9810-407: The significant special effects moments matter beyond spectacle." CNET 's Sean Keane called it the best film ever based on a video game, saying it achieves the balance of appealing to existing fans as well as potential new audiences. Keane praised Reynolds performance and called the film "an entertaining romp with plenty of heart". Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent gave the film 3/5 stars, noting
9919-589: The silver screen in the 1970s with two additional Sinbad fantasies, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). The animated movie Wizards (1977) had limited success at the box office but achieved status as a cult film . There was also The Noah (1975) which was never released theatrically but became a cult favorite when it was finally released on DVD in 2006. Some would consider 1977's Oh God! , starring George Burns to be
10028-597: The storytelling is rough - due to the need to insert everything - and the resources limited, Blasetti shows how to make a little go a long way through beautifully staged and designed battle and crowd scenes. Although it's not classified as a fantasy film, Gene Kelly 's Anchors Aweigh had a fantasy sequence called "The King who Couldn't Dance" in which Gene did a song and dance number with Jerry Mouse from Tom and Jerry . Because these movies do not feature elements common to high fantasy or sword and sorcery pictures, some modern critics do not consider them to be examples of
10137-563: The test audience. The film's first official trailer was released on November 12, 2018. Warner Bros. revealed versions of the trailer in English along with dubbed versions in Spanish, French, Italian and German. It soon became the top trending video on YouTube, and a top trending topic on Twitter, while inspiring numerous internet memes and reaction videos . Within 24 hours, the high-concept trailer amassed more than 100 million views across multiple online and social media platforms. On YouTube,
10246-479: The time, it was the best-ever opening for a video game film, (the record was broken the following year by Sonic the Hedgehog with $ 58 million) and was also the sixth-highest total for a film that did not debut number one at the box office. In its second weekend, the film made $ 24.8 million, finishing third behind John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Avengers: Endgame , and then made $ 13.3 million in its third weekend, finishing fourth. In other territories,
10355-499: The titular Pokémon as they attempt to solve the mysterious disappearance of Tim's father, Harry. Filming took place from January to May 2018 in Colorado, England, and Scotland. Detective Pikachu was released in Japan on May 3, 2019 and in the United States on May 10, 2019, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures in RealD 3D , Dolby Cinema , IMAX , 4DX , and ScreenX formats. It is the first Pokémon film distributed theatrically in
10464-411: The top of the international box office. Detective Pikachu topped the international box office again in its second weekend. Despite breaking records, the film fell below expectations due to the high budget. In Japan, the film opened at number three (behind Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire and Avengers: Endgame ), grossing ¥948 million ($ 8.6 million) in its opening weekend, before topping
10573-416: The top-heavy movement of Bulbasaur, then puppeteers in London were hired to create 3D puppets of it. Facial expressions and texture details were added using CGI . Bulbasaur has been featured in merchandise, including toys and plush dolls. Bulbasaur has been depicted in action figures sold by Hasbro in the United States, while Tomy in Japan sold vinyl dolls, wind-up model kits, Singaporean popcorn with
10682-520: The trailer. In January 2019, months ahead of the release of Detective Pikachu , Legendary Entertainment announced that a sequel was already in development, with Oren Uziel signed on as screenwriter. However, on May 3, 2021, Justice Smith said regarding a potential sequel: "I think we have to just kind of bury our hopes. I don't think it's going to happen. I really hope so though", while in October 2022, Kathryn Newton, admitted to being optimistic about
10791-649: The true mastermind behind the "R" gas and the Mewtwo experiments. He explains that Mewtwo can fuse humans with their Pokémon, but only if the Pokémon is in a crazed state, thus necessitating the need for R, as he believes that merging Pokémon and humans is the key to their future prosperity. Howard uses a device to transfer his consciousness into Mewtwo, unleashes the gas on the city from parade balloons and starts fusing humans with Pokémon, including Lucy and Yoshida. Pikachu arrives and fights Mewtwo, while Tim discovers that Roger, who appeared to be working in tandem with his father,
10900-488: The visual effects were provided by the same team behind The Jungle Book , Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , and The Lion King . Letterman compared the visual effects to the character of Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy : "They're technically, some of the most high-end visual effects in the world... It's completely photo-realistic, like they are alive and in the movie." Additional audio recording of
11009-592: Was 1902's A Trip to the Moon . In the Golden Age of Silent film (1918–1926) the most outstanding fantasy films were Douglas Fairbanks ' The Thief of Bagdad (1924), Fritz Lang 's Die Nibelungen (1924), and Destiny (1921). Other notables in the genre were F.W. Murnau 's romantic ghost story Phantom , Tarzan of the Apes starring Elmo Lincoln , and D. W. Griffith 's The Sorrows of Satan . Following
11118-433: Was abducted by a genetically engineered Pokémon called Mewtwo , who erased Pikachu's memory of the incident. He warns Tim that his son, Roger Clifford, is behind the creation of the R gas. Tim and Pikachu recruit aspiring journalist Lucy Stevens and her Psyduck and travel to the abandoned genetics laboratory Harry was investigating, where they are attacked by genetically enhanced Greninja . They manage to escape, but Pikachu
11227-405: Was also critical of the central pairing of Pikachu and Tim Goodman, saying the relationship lacks chemistry. Kate Erbland of Indiewire gave the film a mixed review, praising the "awe-inspiring" visuals but criticizing the messy plot, saying that "no amount of technical polish can detract from a thin narrative that confuses far more than it amuses", and complaining that many of the best jokes were in
11336-403: Was attacked by the Greninja. Mewtwo then decided to heal Harry's wounded body, which was when Pikachu volunteered to have his consciousness fused with Harry's in order to continue their investigation, and as a result, the experience erased both Harry's and Pikachu's memories. Mewtwo separates the two, and Tim reunites with his father in his human body. Tim then decides to stay in Ryme City to become
11445-593: Was not made available in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet until the release of The Indigo Disk . Bulbasaur appears in various Pokémon spin-offs, including Pokémon Stadium and the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, where players may be assigned Bulbasaur in a personality quiz. Bulbasaur appears in both Pokémon Snap and New Pokémon Snap as Pokémon the player can take pictures of. Bulbasaur also features in Pokémon Go and as
11554-461: Was projected to gross $ 50–70 million from 4,202 theaters. The film made $ 20.7 million on its first day, including $ 5.7 million from Thursday night previews, both records for a film based on a video game. Detective Pikachu went on to debut to $ 54.4 million, finishing second at the weekend box office behind holdover Avengers: Endgame , though it did top the Friday box office on its opening day. At
11663-509: Was ranked the third best starter Pokémon in a poll of Japanese Pokémon fans by ITmedia . The staff felt the popularity of Bulbasaur derived from the anime, particularly Ash's Bulbasaur, who at the time was the Pokémon that was with the series protagonist for the longest time besides Pikachu , spanning four-and-a-half years. They speculated this led to fans growing to feel attached to Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur has been noted to be less popular than Charmander and Squirtle. Nerdist attributed it to
11772-479: Was released in 1964. But the 1967 adaptation of the Broadway musical Camelot removed most of the fantasy elements from T. H. White 's classic The Once and Future King , on which the musical had been based. The 1960s also saw a new adaption of Haggard's She in 1965 starring Ursula Andress as the immortal "She who must be obeyed" and was followed by a sequel in 1968 The Vengeance of She based loosely on
11881-435: Was the first live-action Pokémon film and the first live-action film based on a Nintendo game property since Super Mario Bros. (1993). The film stars Ryan Reynolds as the voice and facial motion capture of Pikachu , with Justice Smith , Kathryn Newton , Suki Waterhouse , Omar Chaparro , Chris Geere , Ken Watanabe , and Bill Nighy in live-action roles. The plot follows former Pokémon trainer Tim Goodman and
#126873