POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU

US / JAP
2019
1hr 44mins
Dir: Rob Letterman
Starring: Omar Chaparro and Kathryn Newton

In a world where people collect Pokémon to do battle, a boy comes across an intelligent talking Pikachu who seeks to be a detective

This 3D live-action/computer-animated mystery (!) is really bizarre. Based on the Pokémon franchise, the film is a loose adaptation of the 2016 video game Detective Pikachu, yet despite its idiosyncrasies and apparent selective fanbase, it proved to be surprisingly successful. It is also surprising to see that the film features some UK trains, in this case London Overground Class 378 ‘Capitalstar’ EMU’s crossing Shoreditch High Street in scenes that are heavily remastered through computer regeneration.

A Class 378 EMU crosses Shoreditch High Street. The surrounding streets, cars, neon, and buildings are all the result of CGI, though the bridge and train are real.
A closer view of another Class 378 on Shoreditch High Street bridge
This final shot appears to show another Class 378 crossing a Japanese street