Mini Film Review – Pokémon Detective Pikachu

I have just been to see Pokémon Detective Pikachu; and it wasn’t bad! Set in a live-action world of Pokémon; the film follows a Tim Goodman (Justice Smith), whose father has gone missing; and isn’t the only one looking for him as a Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) no-less who is somehow able to talk to Tim, and just Tim in plain language; is for some reason also looking for Tim’s Father! The film is a pretty clever creation. The Pokémon creatures blend seamlessly into the world without much hesitation or explanation, plus it’s nice to see the main cities architecture based more on London too. The cast is pretty good, Kathryn Newton especially puts on a good performance, as too does her character’s Psyduck, and the more veteran members of the cast including Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy are pretty well integrated also. The comedy is quick but can make the laughs late, but when it wants to make you laugh, you won’t be able to hold back. The plot is pretty cool and the detective narrative structure works well, however at times this too can be a bit fast and you can find yourself a little lost as to what just happened. While it’s plot can be a bit hallucinating at times, and it’s comedy a bit late on the punch-line; Pokémon Detective Pikachu creates an astonishing believable world of Pokémon; from partner Pokémon on the streets, to astonishing feats of beauty, spectacle and astonishment in Pokémon nature. It’s silly and pretty ridiculous, but in the end that’s where this film’s character and charm lie, as it builds a world full of it, then tells a story on top of it! It brings back many fun memories for old fans, and creates new memories for young fans. You don’t really need to be a Pokémon fan to enjoy this film either! Altogether; a very fun movie!