Good. Pokemon is a kids property and should focus on that before anything else.
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Pokemon Live-Action Movie a Go at Legendary (Detective Pikachu)
- Thread starter Broken Joystick
- Start date
Transformers is a kids' property. Superheroes used to just be for kids.
A PG-13 Pokemon movie that appealed to kids and adults alike would've had the potential to do gangbusters if it didn't suck.
...I was all in for Devito, but Dinklage would be amazing too!
And this is a live-action movie. When Nintendo means to start a more synergetic cinematic universe, they are going to do with with CG ones. Besides, Pokémon is a franchise broad enough to have more than one style for its feature films. I bet the yearly summer animation movies will continue even besides Detective Pikachu. In fact, I'm guessing the one will be a Winter release.
It's better to give Legendary a more specified structure to work with. Live-action "reboots" that repurpose the core identity of each franchise tend to fall behind expectations, even if they are more marketable. With this one, I believe they can make a genuinely great movie that fans will remember, not just a mediocre version of a story that's been told through other media a hundred times before.
The thought leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. I hope they never go this route.
Are kids movies suddenly deemed automatically "not good" or "inaccessible" for some reason? There are two big kids movies in theatres right now.
There should be more superhero movies aimed directly at kids imo. But that doesn't mean others can't enjoy them.
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
lol I KNEW the problem was going to be "but I want BAD-ASS FIGHTING POKÉMON"
Have you seen the Detective Pikachu game? It's somewhat dark. It's not aimed at kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvHfQAk_H-A
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
Zootopia may have contributed to something, somewhere in the thought-line, especially since it was popular in the US and Japan. But I don't think it's straight up THE reason this concept was picked. The was likely many.
Yeah, I misspoke. I meant one of the reasons.
I wonder how closely Legendary worked with TPC and Nintendo to come up with this idea.
Why not both lol. We can have two Detective facing each other lol. Dinklage can be the drunk detective versus the hardy as rock Devito Pikachu lol.^_^
Detective Pikachu is a game that has been in the works since 2013 and the first part was released in February 2016.
This deal only just happened.
Chances are that the movie idea came from the game, not the other way around
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
You can still be a spectacle film that has some substance ya know? Civil War proved that.
"Highest rated" due to hype. Actually watching it (and Ultrom) shows massive downgrade compared to most of the other MCU films like Iron Man and Captain America WS.
And I disagree, Iron Man arguably started the MCU yet it only had key action moments rather than being the whole film.
pls no
pls don't go that way
Man, this really is a great idea.
Pikachu can be a fully fleshed-out character. You can show how Pokemon exist in people's everyday lives (personally one of my favorite elements of the series). You can have a good mystery at the core of the tale. And you can still have all of the series staples — battles with other Pokemon, encounters with wild ones, etc. Heck, you could even have a crime syndicate be part of the plot (i.e. Team Rocket).
Ultimately, this could be a great story-driven way to establish the Pokemon universe in film.
Pikachu can be a fully fleshed-out character. You can show how Pokemon exist in people's everyday lives (personally one of my favorite elements of the series). You can have a good mystery at the core of the tale. And you can still have all of the series staples — battles with other Pokemon, encounters with wild ones, etc. Heck, you could even have a crime syndicate be part of the plot (i.e. Team Rocket).
Ultimately, this could be a great story-driven way to establish the Pokemon universe in film.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
btw Go barely has battles even so I don't think even the "action" counts when the masses pretty much just want to see Pokemon
Well obviously. I meant making it into a movie.
You are just jumping to conclusions based on nothing. We have no idea what style of movie they are going for or what their target audience is supposed to be. Claiming that this or that movie wouldn't be able to appeal to a wider audience is silly before we don't know anything more concrete.
I would love if the show makes tons of puns based on Pokemon and all their personality lol. I mean, imagine seeing Sudowodo who act like it is a tree trying to hide from interrogation by our Dinklage Pikachu lol.
Absolute. Fucking. Garbage.
By the time this comes into theatres the Pokemon Go craze will have faded and none of those kids are going to be remotely interested in a 'Detective Pikachu' film whatever the fuck that is.
No wonder all those other studios (allegedly) pulled out of bidding for these rights. The whole idea of Pokemon, kid capturing monsters, lends itself to a big cinematic adaptation. That could easily be a family franchise that would appeal to the older fans as well as the kids that play that the Pokemon card (???) games.
But this? Pffft.
I hope that Legendary try and make this dark and gritty with Detective Pikachu investigating the rape of a young woman at a college fraternity that is run by Charmander.
By the time this comes into theatres the Pokemon Go craze will have faded and none of those kids are going to be remotely interested in a 'Detective Pikachu' film whatever the fuck that is.
No wonder all those other studios (allegedly) pulled out of bidding for these rights. The whole idea of Pokemon, kid capturing monsters, lends itself to a big cinematic adaptation. That could easily be a family franchise that would appeal to the older fans as well as the kids that play that the Pokemon card (???) games.
But this? Pffft.
I hope that Legendary try and make this dark and gritty with Detective Pikachu investigating the rape of a young woman at a college fraternity that is run by Charmander.
Possumowner
Member
This is going to be another game to movie disaster isn't it...
Unless Danny Devito is Pikachu...then it automatically gains cult legendary status 😀
Unless Danny Devito is Pikachu...then it automatically gains cult legendary status 😀
Watergate?
Max Landis?
Well if they are wanting to shoot the film next year Landis could be perfect to write this because he refuses to redraft any script he writes.
Wait really? Didn't know that, that explains a few things..
But I was referring to this
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1249896
You do know Pokémon has been a huge thing between Red & Blue and GO, right? Plus it's a highly adaptable series and Detective Pikachu is an existing property as is.
Doesn't mean that enough people are going to go and see it in the cinema to justify the considerable expense of making a film like this in the first place.
ARGHGHHHHHHHH DOUBLE POST!
Apologies.
Apparently so.
Interesting. If Landis was pitching for a traditional Pokemon film then it stands to reason that the 'Detective Pikachu' angle was obviously introduced pretty late in the game.
Again I wouldn't be surprised if this insistence on a Detective film by the Pokemon Co. was the reason that the other bidders dropped out.
Apologies.
Apparently so.
Wait really? Didn't know that, that explains a few things..
But I was referring to this
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1249896
Interesting. If Landis was pitching for a traditional Pokemon film then it stands to reason that the 'Detective Pikachu' angle was obviously introduced pretty late in the game.
Again I wouldn't be surprised if this insistence on a Detective film by the Pokemon Co. was the reason that the other bidders dropped out.
LordRaptor
Member
An odd couple cop buddy movie really doesn't mean there's not going to be any action or flashy special effects and pokemon moves being thrown around in it.
People have already mentioned Roger Rabbit as being the kind of film that would work, I'd say something like Men In Black would also make a good template - as that is also literally an odd couple buddy cop movie set in a fantastical world, except 'aliens' instead of 'pokeymans'.
People have already mentioned Roger Rabbit as being the kind of film that would work, I'd say something like Men In Black would also make a good template - as that is also literally an odd couple buddy cop movie set in a fantastical world, except 'aliens' instead of 'pokeymans'.
I feel like this well be something like the chipmunks, garfield or smurf movies sadly
Well a Pokemon film was always going to be a family film but this whole Detective angle lends itself more to a Garfield/Chipmunks style live action/animated film.
Tilda Swinton and Pikachu?
Why? It's not like I'm saying it needs to go hard R with tits and blood everywhere. Just a light PG-13. Enough violence that it gets the rating and isn't seen as a kids' movie, but still easy enough on the violence that kids can still go see it. Like most superhero movies these days.
I want to see something like this in live action, and that would probably get a PG-13 rating.
It's not about quality. It's about audience.
The kinds of 20-30 somethings who go out to see the latest summer blockbusters typically aren't going to see a movie targeted towards kids unless they have kids who they are taking.
On the other hand, kids, even those younger than 13, are highly likely to go see PG-13 blockbusters.
Look at this list of the highest grossing films worldwide.
Look at the ones that have crossed over $1 billion. There are 26 of them.
Four of them are kids' movies: Frozen, Minions, Toy Story 3, and Zootopia.
All of the rest are live action PG-13 blockbusters.
As we've seen with Pokemon Go, there's a huge number of Millennials who still have a ton of nostalgia for Pokemon. It's still a strong brand beyond kids if packaged correctly. And I don't think a movie about a talking Pikachu solving crimes is the correct packaging to take advantage of that demographic. I think they're wasting a huge opportunity here by making a movie that will really only appeal to kids and current hardcore Pokemon fans when they could instead make a movie that also captures millions of casual Pokemon fans.
It is going to be a kids films.
It's a Detective Pikachu film.
It's going to be a film that adults take their kids to go and see like The Secret Life Of Pets or, as someone mentioned earlier, the recent Garfield films.
"Enough violence".
I think you need to go outside and spend some time away from the Internet.
veloxStrix
Banned
I'm not sure how much more substance Civil War had over any other hero movie. The only thing I see going for it is that it was the latest release and dealt with darker subject matter. I've argued in other threads - about these same films even - that darker content does not make a deeper experience. But I've yet to love any film involving superheroes besides Guardians of the Galaxy and the greatest superhero film of all time, Tank Girl.
I hope I don't end up comparing Detective Pikachu to either of these films.
Surprisingly preachy from the double balloon tits avatar user.
nuttyevans
Member
Idris Elba as Pikachu please
Maybe try following the conversation instead of jumping in in the middle with no idea what the context is for the things you're replying to?
I know Detective Pikachu is probably going to be a kids' movie. That's exactly the point I'm trying to make: That they shouldn't be making a Detective Pikachu movie for kids, but instead a Pokemon movie with a more traditional story that would appeal to Millennials who played Pokemon as kids.
I agree with what KevinCow is saying. Video game movies mostly suck so I don't doubt a traditional Pokemon movie could have been terrible. But by not doing it they missed out on the chance to make a huge splash and cash in on nostalgia so hard for a large audience. This movie sounds like it was offered by TPC with no real global perspective aside from Japan. I wouldn't doubt this kind of movie is what caused the likes of Warner Bros. to back out.
LordRaptor
Member
Because buddy-cop movies are synonymous with Japanese cinema amirite?
Look, maybe you guys believe whats basically a kid-friendly pokemon themed Enter The Dragon / Bloodsport wouldn't be automatically terrible, but for a film that stands a chance to be, you know, actually watchable beyond fan service, I don't see how Detective Pikachu doesn't stand a better chance than not.
My reaction would have been the same if they made the movie about Pokken or Pokemon Snap or whatever since its a spinoff. The movie seems way too much about corporate synergy just like how every animated Pokemon movie seems to recycle the same plots with a new legendary.
Collecting and battling Pokemon is the core appeal of the franchise and making the first live action movie about a detective mystery misses the point.
LordRaptor
Member
Corporate synergy as in buddy cop movies are a staple of hollywood movies that work, from examples ranging from Turner & Hooch all the way along to Seven, so the likelihood that it is a decent film first, and promotional fanservice second is higher, you mean?
e:
Because cop buddy movies are instantly understandable to someone unfamiliar with anything relating to the source material. And there is zero point making a Hollywood film that nobody who isn't a pokemaniac is going to understand.
Great, so now Detective Pikachu is mass appeal and traditional Pokemon is living in a bubble? Why not leverage the brand for what makes it unique instead of taking the buddy cop formula and putting a Pikachu in it?
JohnTinker
Limbaugh Parrot
I cackled like an idiot in the middle of the office and had to do my best to explain that I couldn't explain what I was laughing at
LordRaptor
Member
What? I don't even know where you're going with this.
The Pokemon universe - in other words the brand - has humans and pokemon co-existing, and has pokemon doing regular ass jobs - like machamp removal men - alongside their human counterparts.
How the fuck does a pikachu cop not fit that brand?
e:
Like, the games are filled with people and pokemon just living regular ass lives in the world of pokemon.
You could make a medical drama about pokemon just as easily too.
"Dr House, maybe it's Pokerus?"
"It's never pokerus"
LordBaztion
Member
Danny Devito in a pikachu costume is going to be the best thing ever.
Because you are suggesting that taking a template like a buddy cop or medical drama movie and putting Pokemon characters in it is a better move for general audiences than making a Pokemon movie that has elements unique to the brand's identity but also known in popular culture like "gotta catch 'em all".
I know when I'm thinking up potential inspiration for a live-action Pokémon feature film, the first person I turn to is Michael Bay.