Movies

Detective Pikachu’s Pikachu Will be as Realistic as GOTG’s Rocket Raccoon

Rob Letterman, the Director of Pokemon’s Detective Pikachu movie has something really intriguing to say right now. According to him, the animation and the visual effects team of the movie is working really hard to make sure the Pikachu in Detective Pikachu is as realistic as our favourite Raccoon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Pokemon has become the world’s greatest media franchise. It has tons of merchandise, scores of toy lines and associated figures. It has also a plethora of animated TV Series and movies at its disposal. But Detective Pikachu will be the first live-action foray of the franchise and Rob Letterman’s words actually help us understand that the movie truly holds due promise. Presenting – Detective Pikachu’s Pikachu will be as realistic as GOTG’s Rocket Raccoon!!!

Pokemon is a franchise that arose out of Nintendo 3DS game of the past years. It has now become a beast, garnering billions of dollars in terms of royalty and related revenue for the parent company. The movie will have the storyline of one such game and will star the voices of none other than Ryan Reynolds as the voice of the lead character aka Pikachu. It also stars Kathryn Newton, Justin Smith and Ken Watanabe in the live action setting.

Detective Pikachu Rocket Raccoon GOTG

The fans were not sure how Detective Pikachu will materialise a story from a game that is nowhere near as famous as the other games in the franchise. Moreover, the biggest worry was the animation – how will the studio animate the Pokemon in a live action scenario and would the visual effects live up to the expectations? All of those questions have been answered by Letterman.

Director Rob Letterman spoke with IGN regarding this issue. He assured the fans with a cool, calm and soothing statement that has put the foam back into the mouth for the fan base. Regarding Detective Pikachu’s special effect animations, he says and we quote:

“They’re [the Pokémon] incredibly real, you should think of it as the way Rocket Raccoon sits in the movie [GOTG] 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. It’s completely photo-realistic, like they are alive and in the movie.”

It is hard to argue with what Letterman has to say. Rocket Racoon is not a real character in the MCU. It is actually a CGI generated a little ball of chaos and mayhem that has become an integral part of the Marvel Family. But it never feels like Rocket is just a guy in a green screen dress anymore. The comic timing of the character and the well placed humour that Rocket is infamous for is one of the many reasons that the CGI character has been effortlessly integrated into the many MCU movies.

The voice role of Bradley Cooper, who has done a terrific job as the guy behind the mask of Rocket Racoon is also irreplaceable. If there is anyone who can outplay Bradley Cooper as the best comic voice actor of all time, it is none other than Ryan Reynolds whose sense of humour and comic timing is legendary in the circles of Hollywood. Don’t believe us? Just watch Deadpool and Deadpool 2.

However, the recurring argument is that there is no need for a realistic Pikachu in the movie. Pokemon is by itself a cartoonish setting and plays on its childish, playful tendencies of the audience. Making it too realistic will suck the fun out of the movie. The studio needs to tread carefully here. Let us hope they make the right call.

Avengers Infinity War

Rocket Raccoon appeared last in Avengers Infinity War. The official synopsis for the movie reads:

Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet — the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment.

Bibhu Prasad

Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just... do things
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