Live-Action Detective Pikachu Visuals Compared To Guardians Of The Galaxy
Pokemon fans are undoubtedly familiar with the adorable, rosy-cheeked Pikachu, but the series’ most unusual iteration of the character is getting the live-action treatment in the upcoming Detective Pikachu movie. Featuring the small yellow Pokemon’s investigative exploits, solving mysteries and inhaling all the coffee is what this lightning-type is all about.
As the past hasn’t been kind to video game or anime adaptations, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu would seem to have a few hurdles to climb to convince audiences of the movie’s qualities. The most apparent of which is how Legendary Entertainment plans to bring the world of Pocket Monsters into live-action, a concern director Rob Letterman spoke about with IGN during the recent 2018 Pokemon World Championships.
The movie is live-action, it’s not animated. We’re using some of the best visual effects companies in the world to bring the characters to life.”
Explaining the approach toward adapting Pokemon to a real-world setting, the director cited Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films, specifically the realistic portrayal of Rocket Raccoon, as a point of reference. Letterman reveals the film’s CGI technology was intended to feature the familiar critters in a photorealistic light, in contrast to the bright and cartoonish way they’ve been featured in every medium thus far.
They’re incredibly real, you should think of it as the way [Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy character] Rocket Raccoon sits in the movie as if he’s really there. It’s that technology. The same group of people that worked on that, or worked on Jungle Book. We’ve got the people on it that worked on Fantastic Beasts. They’re technically, some of the most high-end visual effects in the world,” Letterman explained. “It’s completely photorealistic, like they are alive and in the movie.”
The idea of super-realistic Pokemon seems like an unprecedented way to go about a Detective Pikachu movie, especially when considering the over-the-top source material. One would think the colorful creatures we’re accustomed to would fit well alongside a world with a Pikachu sporting the voice of Deadpool.
However, the current state of CGI can’t be understated as numerous films such as the aforementioned ‘Guardians’ have proven capable of creating some pretty wonderful things. I mean, look at Thanos! The possibilities that await with lifelike versions of Pikachu, Charizard, and the movie’s myriad of other Pokemon could be genuinely exciting. Except for Mr. Mime. Only terror awaits with that monster’s appearance.
Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is scheduled to hit theaters on May 10th, 2019.
What do you think? Do you appreciate the effort to make realistic Pokemon, or is the original look the best way to go about things? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more from the realm of anime and manga, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
