History YMMV / PokemonDetectivePikachu

* AdaptationalDisplacement: Not in regards to the main ''Pokémon'' series -- that it started out as a video game series is hardly obscure -- but even among fans of ''Pokémon'', many weren't aware of the fact that this movie is based off of a semi-obscure [[VideoGame/DetectivePikachu spin-off game of the same name]]. This isn't helped by [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} the franchise]] being [[ArchivePanic so vast]] and the movie's advertising not even mentioning the game.

** To those in the know on their ''Pokémon'' lore: Howard outright labels Mewtwo the "most powerful Pokémon"... with statues of the [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Sinnoh Creation Trio]], who are ''literally gods'', behind him.
** Pikachu's habit of explaining or commenting on things that are already perfectly obvious to the audience (or, even worse, are already in the process of being explained) can come off as this at times. The worst offender is when he and Tim first meet Howard Clifford and the entire first two minutes of their meeting basically consists of Howard saying one sentence at a time before Pikachu needlessly comments on the sentence Howard has literally just said.

** To quote WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic: "Hmm, is an emotional speech by Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu ''moving'' or ''stupidly hilarious''?" ''(several moments of indecision before deciding on "moving")'' "Okay, you're lucky you got good actors for this."

* ValuesDissonance: Part of the reason audiences were surprised to hear Pikachu say curse words even as light as "hell" and "damn" is because no Western localization of ''Pokémon'' media had featured profanity before. In Japan, the [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries anime]] has occasional moments of characters using similar levels of obscenity.

* EvilIsSexy: [[RightHandHottie Ms. Norman]]. [[spoiler:However, people consider her true nature as a Ditto and the BlackBeadEyes attached to it to be a turn-off. Then again, [[NightmareFetishist there are people into that sort of thing]]]].

* WTHCastingAgency: Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu. Many fans were either baffled at the idea of Pikachu speaking at all, or mad that they didn't go with Creator/DannyDeVito. This reaction simmered down with the release of the second trailer. [[spoiler:However, TheReveal that Ryan Reynolds was actually playing Harry Goodman in Pikachu's body, and his human form is the actual Ryan Reynolds, caused this to spring up again since he looks nothing like Tim]].
** The casting also falls under NarmCharm for some viewers though, who justify the casting under the grounds that as [[spoiler:Tim is lighter-skinned than his mother, his father would likely have a skin tone closer to white.]]
** In the end, the casting of Reynolds instead of someone like [=DeVito=] is justified by [[spoiler:TheReveal. If people had seen Tim's father had a body with a similar frame to [=DeVito=] they would have pieced the twist together instantly]].

** The Pancham also deserves a place here, especially the scene where one slides down a bamboo stick and the group of Pancham annoy a Pangoro only for one to fall and the Pangoro catches it... [[PandaIngToTheAudience Panda-ing to the Audience]] indeed.

** In the end, the casting of Reynolds instead of someone like [[Creator/DannyDeVito DeVito]] is justified by [[spoiler:TheReveal. If people had seen Tim's father had a body with a similar frame to [=DeVito=] they would have pieced the twist together instantly]].

* SpecialEffectFailure: Regardless of what one thinks of the designs, the Pokémon seem almost flawlessly integrated into the world of the movie thanks to the use of perspective and shading to make them look closer or further from the viewer. Except for [[https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ge7-WetWJNuRCFV4c5-7NSKXSRY=/0x0:2878x1158/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:2878x1158):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/14647099/Screen_Shot_2019_02_26_at_3.34.12_PM.png Machamp]] - whose strangely uniform skin colour makes him resemble more of an early [=PS2=] era FullMotionVideo model rather than something that is part of the world like the Snorlax.

* GenreTurningPoint: While nothing ground-breaking for filmmaking in general, this movie (together with ''Film/{{Sonic the Hedgehog|2020}}'' the following year) ''did'' succeed in aspects where other [[VideoGameMoviesSuck video game movies failed]]. It actually told a story, was character-driven and still managed to be faithful to its source material by adapting an obscure [[VideoGame/DetectivePikachu spinoff-RPG]] instead of squeezing the entire lore of the franchise in one movie.

* SpiritualSuccessor: The film could be seen as a ''Pokémon''-themed ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' due to both films being about a city where sentient species can live together in peace and are menaced by a villain's PsychoSerum that turns residents feral.