"Pokemon: Detective Pikachu" Movie Review

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is wildly entertaining but apart from Reynolds’ performance and strong special effects Pokemon is simply unable to land a critical hit and instead lands a not very effective…

Ryan Reynolds continues to pedal his witty sense of comedy. Unfortunately, Detective Pikachu's PG rating holds him back from his Deadpool-level of comedy, but Reynolds carries the film when he (or rather, Pikachu) is on screen. The same could not be said for our two primary human protagonists Tim (Justice Smith) & Lucy (Kathryn Newton). The lack of chemistry and awkwardness between these two often weighs the film down.

The visual effects, however, are stunning, bringing to life all the Pokémon that many of us have waited 20 years to see in live action. The soundtrack lacked anything that would make it special and is for the most part forgettable. The message of the film is that we all need to evolve into better versions of ourselves, much like our pokemon counterparts. However, the film fumbles the opportunity to establish a compelling narrative for this respectable message. Still, there is plenty of humor and heart to keep the movie enjoyable.

Detective Pikachu is enjoyable, entertaining, and humorous even with it’s many faults. We should all strive to evolve and become better versions of ourselves - if only the film had actually had succeeded in hammering that home. Then, maybe, it could’ve been the very best.

Acting and Casting - 1 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 1 | Entertainment Value - 2 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 1 |