Pokemon Detective Pikachu: Movie Review

Rarely do video games work in the context of films. Many have tried and almost as many have failed. "Pokemon Detective Pikachu" bucks the trend by giving its own new narrative away from its rich source material - it's a film first and fan service second.

When ace private eye Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing presumed dead, this prompts his 21-year-old son Tim (Justice Smith) to find out what happened to his father. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds). Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the truth.

"Pokemon Detective Pikachu" had a lot of surprises but it was severely limited by its family-friendly inclinations. Adults will still find it entertaining but the narrative, while completely new, will feel formulaic and simplistic at its core. Aside from its thin narrative, the film was outstanding in every regard. The visuals in particular were top-notch. Some may think the Pokemons come off as too cartoonish against the live-action backdrop but they had to compromise without changing from its source. In our opinion, the film did a great job balancing fan service and making the world of Pokemon and Rime City feel tangible and real at the same time. The action was great when given a chance but they are few and far between - and unfortunately, there aren't any significant trainer battles in the film. Overall, "Pokemon Detective Pikachu" will make fans happy while the casual viewer can still enjoy the world of Pokemon as a standalone film. It has issues definitely but for a family-adventure film, it has all the basic elements to make it a fun experience.

Rating: 3 and a half reels






Why you should watch it:
- balances fan service and being a good film well

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- narrative is limited and formulaic