We’ve all watched or played Pokemon during childhood. Be it the trading card game, or the TV show, we have fond memories of Pokemon from our childhood.
Rushing home from school and switching on the TV just to catch the latest Pokemon episode used to be the highlight of my day back then. Kids would discuss why their favorite Pokemon is better than someone else’s, but all this saw a steep decline due to numerous reasons.
We need a multitude of escapes in status quo, and positive nostalgia has proven to be a means to provide an escape. There’s nothing better than reminiscing golden memories of childhood to take a break from the stress we all face today.
Pokemon has been an integral part of the childhood of many millennials, with some staying true and following the games and movies till date.
Back in July 2016, The Pokemon Company agreed to do a movie on the Detective Pikachu video-game, which would be Pokemon’s first live-action movie. So, what makes me think it will revive the Pokemon franchise?
What is Live-Action?
Sounds fancy, but in all of its essence, it combines animation and real photography/cinematography. Pokemon Detective Pikachu is a live-action animated film, to be precise.
This means it would contain certain CGI generated characters in an otherwise real-life movie setting. We’ve seen examples of this method in almost every Marvel superhero film, and movies like The Smurfs.
I’ve seen live-action movies do well in the box office, due to them combining small portions of animation with real-life footage. This comes off in a manner that is very appealing and realistic to the eyes.
Here, the titular character and all of the other Pokemon are CGI-made, with all special effects being added later.
How is the movie innovatively timed?
Remember when Pokemon Go came out in July 2016? Everyone was suddenly seen stepping out and going on walks just to catch Pokemon.
The game was an instant success because it brought a new technology, Augmented Reality, to the genre.
Similarly, live-action has been previously absent from this genre and Detective Pikachu is going to be the first live-action Pokemon movie. Statistically speaking, most live-action movies do well in the box office, another plus point for Pokemon Detective Pikachu.
Nintendo’s strategy of reviving the franchise amongst the masses by introducing something new has proven to be effective, seeing how Pokemon Go earned billions of dollars and is still played.
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Old is gold
Another major reason why Pokemon Go was so popular, and Pokemon Detective Pikachu will be so popular is due to the sheer amount of nostalgia Generations Y and Z associate with Pokemon.
We, as kids, would return home and watch Pokemon after school, on a daily routine. I expect a huge rise in mobile emulators for Nintendo GameBoy and DS, as old Pokemon trainers will pick up their journeys again to catch ‘em all, hence adding on to the franchise’s survivability.
The movie hasn’t even released yet and the amount of hype on social media that has been generated by us, the millennials, is huge.
One can find loads of theories on YouTube, extremely long threads on Reddit, and cosplayers scrounging their wardrobes for that perfect Pikachu cosplay. The anticipation is high, and with it, so are the chances of a franchise revival.
The Ryan Reynolds factor
Detective Pikachu is a talking Pikachu, one that only Tim Goodman (played by Justice Smith) can understand. If that’s not enough to intrigue the Pokemon fan in you, Ryan Reynolds gives life to Pikachu, voicing it.
Ryan Reynolds is a well-known and well-liked actor in Hollywood who is known for bringing his own flamboyant charisma into the character he’s portraying.
The movie is classified as action-comedy, a genre Ryan Reynolds has excelled in (Deadpool, Deadpool 2). With loads of comedy underway, the movie is set to hit the big screen soon.
Combining two fanbases – Pokemon’s and Ryan Reynolds’, might just be the secret ingredient that makes this film a huge success amongst even those who don’t follow the other fanbase.
So, what do you, the reader think? Will the movie be a revival for the Pokemon Franchise or not?
Sources: Warner Bros. Pictures, The Pokemon Company
Image Sources: Google Images
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