Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is out in theatres and thriving. The live-action Pokémon movie allows us to see what many iconic Pokémon creatures would look like in the real world - for better or worse. While some realistic Pokémon turned out cute, like Pikachu and Bulbasoar, others appear quite off-putting.
The was an issue for The Pokémon Company, the Japanese firm responsible for brand management and licensing of the franchise, who believed that Lickitung's scene was too disgusting to feature in the film. The company were also opposed to Mr. Mime featuring in the live-action film as they weren't exactly sure what he was.
Detective Pikachu's visual effects supervisor, Erik Nordby, recently discussed the company's reaction to Lickitung's scene with Time Magazine (via
We Got This Covered). If you haven't seen the film, early on there's a scene in which Tim Goodman (played by Justice Smith) is confronted by a Lickitung and promptly slathered with its enormous tongue and saliva.
"For something to feel real, it has to have real-world grit and texture. But the Pokémon Company would see that and think it was dirty. We had to walk them through… and build the trust that we weren’t going to make these things disturbingly dirty. I wouldn’t say that [the scene with Lickitung] was the Pokémon Company’s favorite scene in the movie. That’s one where we got right up to the edge of what they would be comfortable with."
Later in the interview, Ravi Bansal, the film's Art Director revealed that not even The Pokémon Company are certain of what Mr. Mime is. Because of that, the company tried to disuade the filmmakers from featuring it in Detective Pikachu.
"When Rob [Letterman, the film’s director] suggested using Mr. Mime, we asked the Pokémon Company, “What is he?” They went: We don’t know.” They were actually trying to dissuade us from using him, because they weren’t sure what he was or whether he’d work well on screen. That was a bit of a strange one."
Ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son, Tim, to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry's former Pokémon partner, wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth Detective Pikachu. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to work together, as Tim is the only human who can talk with Pikachu, they join forces to unravel the tangled mystery.