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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 6 May 2019
New movie starring Pikachu is just a hokey Pokémon

By MARK KENNEDY Turns out, you can't copy
Associated Press "Deadpool" tricks for the PG
It's got an adorable hero set. "Pokémon Detective Pi-
from an iconic media brand kachu " borrows lightly from
who is voiced by a proven film noir crime dramas to
box office master at snark. create a mystery in a world
But, somehow, "Pokémon where humans and Poké-
Detective Pikachu" never mon co-exist. A young man
really gets arresting. called Tim Goodman (the
A neutered Ryan Reynolds terrific Justice Smith) joins
tries hard but can't make with Pikachu (Reynolds'
this live action-meets-ani- voice) to search for what
mated movie gel. It's plod- happened to the man's
ding and listless and really father, a missing detec-
not funny or smart enough. tive. The movie's best mo-
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Justice Smith, left, the character Detective
Pikachu, voiced by Ryan Reynolds, and Kathryn Newton in a scene from "Pokemon Detective
Pikachu."
Associated Press

ments are those between The film starts slowly, builds terman, Dan Hernandez,
the scenes, where the to a sort of plateau and Benji Samit, Derek Con-
Japan-born creatures thrill- then ends with the final nolly and Nicole Perlman.
ingly share the same urban third consisting of nonstop Their solution is a weird gas
space as humans. action sequences and an that makes everyone crazy
Smith is very appealing as a underwhelming conclu- but somehow allows Tim to
son coming to grips with the sion. Ken Watanabe is un- communicate with Pika-
loss of his estranged father, derused as a police chief. chu. Sure, gas.
but Reynolds, as a cute cof- Equally inexplicably, Suki The pair are joined by a
fee-guzzling detective with Waterhouse gets credit for junior reporter — really an
a Sherlock Holmes' deer- a role in which she never unpaid intern tasked with
stalker cap, ping-pongs speaks and lasts about 15 writing listicles, played by a
from heartfelt to caustic seconds onscreen. winning Kathryn Newton —
uneasily and tries to mimic Speaking of speaking, who helps them get to the
his best-known, fourth-wall you're probably wonder- bottom of the mystery us-
breaking "Deadpool" mov- ing why there's any dia- ing shoe leather and guile.
ie character ("That's a twist. logue between the ador- (This is a film that celebrates
Very twisty," he says of one able pocket monsters and the media in a big way —
plot point.) It's the most mis- humans since Pokémon there are newspaper clip-
matched buddy flick since traditionally only just say pings, honorable TV report-
Will Smith teamed up with their own names. Enter five ing and a respected giant
an Orc for "Bright." screenwriters — Rob Let- cable network. q

Big Thief's 'U.F.O.F.' is hauntingly beautiful

based band comprised of
Lenker, Buck Meek, Max
Oleartchik and James
Krivchenia, has mastered
the balance of bringing
the intricacies of folk to life
with the grittiness of rock.
"U.F.O.F" shows the under-
belly of folk — it is vulnera-
ble, obscure and imperfect
in a way that feels transpar-
ent and raw. The lyrics are
This cover image released by 4AD shows “U.F.O.F.”, a release
by Big Thief. more enigmatic than some
Associated Press of Big Thief's previous songs,
perhaps in an intentional
By RAGAN CLARK cate tone. Her voice often effort to give a sense of
Associated Press comes across as angelic, disconnect. "Open Desert"
Big Thief, "U.F.O.F." (4AD) but on "U.F.O.F.," the band's is hard to make sense of,
Since the band's debut al- third album, her voice but holds their same poetic
bum in 2016, Big Thief has takes a turn. Coupled with style.
continued to pull audienc- cryptic lyrics and entranc- Similarly, album opener
es in, captured by the voice ing musical composition, "Contact" is a song that
of lead singer Adrianne her voice is haunting, as it is hypnotic and dream-
Lenker and the compelling, floats through the album's like, with ambiguous lyrics:
poetic lyrics the band pairs 12 tracks. "Wrap me in silk/I want to
with her distinctive, deli- Big Thief, the Brooklyn- drink your milk." q