7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
When ace private eye Harry Goodman goes missing, his 21-year-old son Tim is prompted to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Pokémon and Harry's former partner: Detective Pikachu. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces to unravel the tangled mystery.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Bill Nighy, Ken WatanabeFantasy | 100% |
Family | 76% |
Sci-Fi | 68% |
Animation | 64% |
Comedy | 53% |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Cantonese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Bulgarian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1
Hindi: Dolby Digital 5.1
Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Romanian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Slovak: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1
All Dolby 5.1 tracks are 448kbps
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Hindi, Hungarian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Thai, Turkish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
This review is focused on the UHD's 2160p/HDR video presentation. 'Pokémon: Detective Pikachu' was previously reviewed on 1080p Blu-ray. This two-disc set includes the same primary audio track as the Blu-ray and the bundled Blu-ray brings with it all of the supplements. See below for the UHD video review and links to the other content reviews as applicable.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
Detective Pikachu was shot on film and, according to IMDB, finished at 2K. The results on UHD are certainly pleasing to the
eye,
though audiences looking for a massive upgrade from the Blu-ray won't find it. Warner Brothers' UHD refines the image, using both the
added
resolution to 2160p over 1080p and the HDR colors as means of bettering the picture without substantially altering it. Textures enjoy modest increases
in
stability, visibility, and overall clarity. The picture is somewhat sharper in the aggregate, revealing both core details and background elements with
improved precision. Humans and digital
Pokemon models both find firmer definition to core aesthetics, such as skin details and fur, respectively. Clothes -- Tim's t-shirts, Pikachu's hat -- are
likewise a little more tactile and refined. Dense urban areas around Ryme City enjoy more aggressive textures, even in many of the shadowy corners
where the film's noir-inspired roots are most obvious. Grain appears with more refinement and finesse as well.
The HDR color spectrum offers a further refinement of the color palette. It's vital in tightening black levels and shadow details, which are hardly at any
fault on the Blu-ray but do find more pleasantly deep and accurate shading on the UHD, if only talking in degrees rather than substantial alterations.
Likewise, there's a pleasing contrast to so many of the bright neon signs and accents around the city which reveal more intense luminosity and pop
against those more richly realized dark backdrops and shadows. Whites enjoy greater stability and crispness, appearing more dramatically
intense
on the UHD and a little less bold on the Blu-ray. Pikachu yellow appears slightly more refined but less showy, a deeper shade than the Blu-ray has on
offer. There are plenty of good examples of color bursts throughout; a holographic display fills the screen and surrounds the characters at the
61-minute
mark, for example, offering more intense blues and grays as the image assembles and as it stabilizes into a more lifelike reproduction for Tim and
Pikachu to watch.
The presentation suffers from no obvious source or encode anomalies. It's a pleasing watch that betters the Blu-ray and is certainly the option to
choose; it's just not a breathtaking, spectacular image either in comparison to the Blu-ray or against the best of the best on the UHD marketplace.
For a full review of the film's superb Dolby Atmos audio experience, please click here.
This UHD release of Detective Pikachu contains no supplements on the UHD disc. The bundled Blu-ray includes the extras as outlined below.
For full supplemental coverage, please click here. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is
included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.
Detective Pikachu is a fun movie of visual wonder but its story and execution leave a bit to be desired. It's hardly a fail, and as a game adaption it's rather good, but more polish and planning beyond the visuals would have made for a superior experience. Warner Brothers' UHD is of good quality, making incremental, but welcome, improvements over the Blu-ray. Details are sharper and colors more stable and rewarding. The UHD includes a first-class Atmos soundtrack and the bundled Blu-ray brings with it a fair allotment of bonus content. Recommended. This set is also available in SteelBook packaging.
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Power Up Edition
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PIXAR | Ultimate Collector's Edition | w/ Bonus Content "The World of The Good Dinosaur and More!"
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