MPAA Rating: PG/Genre: Mystery Fantasy Comedy/Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy, Rita Ora, Karan Soni, Josette Simon, Diplo, Max Fincham/Runtime: 104 minutes

I think it’s safe to start this review off by letting each and every one of you in on a little bit of a secret about myself. That being that, back in the day, I was (and maybe still am to a degree) a huge nerd when it came to the iconic franchise that is Pokémon back in the day. No I wasn’t the kind of kid who thought himself to be the next Ash Ketchum (Team Brock or Tracy all the way) by any stretch nor did I go around with Poke Balls in my pocket and hurl them at animals in the apartment complex where I spent some of my formative years. By the same token though, I was the kid who knew every Pokémon in at least the first and second itinerations by heart, had every game for either Game Boy or Game Boy Advance including Yellow and Crystal at one time, owned a stuffed Pikachu (no shame in admitting it; a lot of us 90s fans of the franchise did), and possessed both a fair amount of the episode compilations/first 3 movies on VHS to say nothing of an impressive stack of the trading cards. More than anything though, I was definitely the kind of kid who would have loved to have seen a live action Pokémon movie in the theater. Sure, I saw some things a kid my age maybe shouldn’t have seen in the theater (Road to Perdition, all 3 Lord of the Rings films, and Gangs of New York), but a Pokémon movie?! Man that would have been legit! Sadly for as much as I and others my age at the time begged the world to make this a reality, we would find that this was not in the cards for us. Rather, we would have to wait until the long-ago year of 2019 before we would see what the land of movie magic would be willing to do with this iconic property. I say that because 2019 was the year in which Hollywood chose at long last to give us a Pokémon cinematic adventure that, among other things, dealt with not only the 2016 game Detective Pikachu, but which also had none other than Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Pikachu. To say fans of the franchise were nervous might be a bit of an understatement, but having seen the film since then I can safely say that we really were making a Gyarados out of a Magikarp or a big deal over nothing for those not fluent in Poke talk. I say that because I really do dig the heck out of this movie dear reader. Indeed it’s not a perfect film by any stretch, but with the aid of really good work on both sides of the camera Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is a genuinely good slice of cinema that is sure to appeal to both long-time fans of the franchise as well as newbies in equal measure.

The plot is as follows: Pokémon: Detective Pikachu gets its intriguing narrative underway by taking us to the neon-drenched locale of Ryme City. A sprawling metropolis much like the ones that we all know in the world around us with perhaps one key distinct difference. That being that in this metropolis human beings have learned to live side by side in relative harmony with a variety of fantastical creatures known as Pokémon (I say relative because it doesn’t seem like a day goes by here without Slowpoke holding up traffic or Jigglypuff getting cited by the police for keeping everyone up with their singing until 4:00 in the morning). All jokes aside, we see that it is in this bustling locale that we are introduced to our hero, a 21-year-old young man by the name of Ash Ketchum ehhh Tim Goodman. Tim, we soon learn, has recently arrived in Ryme City because his dear ol’ dad, a famous detective named Harry Goodman, has mysteriously vanished and he is there to sort through his personal effects because the police have decided to declare him dead. It is while going through his dad’s apartment in the city however that we soon see Tim cross paths with a rather unique member of the Pokémon family. That being a hat rocking, unable to remember much due to a really bad case of amnesia, and yet snarky to the hilt Pikachu that was also his dad’s partner in the detective biz. Upon discovering though that they can speak to and even be understood by one another, we see that Tim (with more than a tad bit of reluctance for reasons I shan’t spoil here) and this distinct Pikachu decide to team up and solve the mystery of Harry’s disappearance. A mystery that will not only see them cross paths with a variety of both people as well as Pokémon, but also see them discover a fairly nefarious scheme. One that, if successful, could not only annihilate the peace between the two groups in Ryme City, but also bring potential peril to the entirety of the Pokémon universe overall. Thus can our dynamic duo work together, get to the bottom of the mystery, and save the day or is the world of Pokémon truly doomed? That I will leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader…..

Now right off the ol’ Poke Ball, it should be noted that the work done behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing isn’t too bad. With that in mind though, there is one particular avenue that is worth pointing out that might not be up to par with the rest of the movie. That being that if you are someone who is able to put two and five together with relative ease then the twists and turns that this slice of cinema’s narrative provides movie goers with aren’t exactly the kind that will prove to really be all that surprising. To be fair, I get that the main audience for this particular film was meant to be the swarms of younger movie goers out there, but at least give us older movie goers a narrative that we can enjoy along with them. On top of that, it should also be noted that even though this film does operate with a fairly swift tempo throughout the entirety of its runtime, there are moments where the tone does abruptly shift in such a way that don’t be surprised if you get the impression that some of the characters in this give off the vibe that they are in an entirely different film than everyone else. With that said though, there is no denying that the rest of the work done behind the camera more than lives up to what fans of this iconic franchise have long hoped for from a live action Pokémon movie to say nothing of proving to be just as engaging to the casual movie goer in equal measure.  This starts with the fact that, when looking at this slice of cinema from a visual perspective, this is one slice of cinema that is not only truly beautiful to look at, but it was also one that was shot on film at the request of its helmer. As a result, not only is there a distinct geniality to the smorgasbord of CG characters that are present throughout the film, but it also manages to brilliantly synch up with the noir tone of the overall film. Along with that, I also love how much this film really does operate as a love letter to both the franchise overall as well as the characters themselves. As a result, we see that through an equal mix of countless Easter Eggs as well as a line-up of at least 60 Pokémon critters who all make an appearance at some point during this film not only does the world of the film feel fully realized, but it also is brilliantly tied into the already established lore as well in a way that thankfully doesn’t feel too forced. Finally, it should also be noted that even though there are quite a few action beats present, they are all shot in such a way that never once is it difficult to discern what is going on or who is involved in any of them. Perhaps the two that definitely come to mind are not only a beat that acts like a wonderful blend of a Godzilla movie and Inception, but also another involving Pikachu and Tim being aided by some Bulbasaurs in the forest that feels less like something in a live action Pokémon film and more like something one might see in a film from Studio Ghibli. Suffice it to say that whilst there are issues with the work behind the camera, they thankfully aren’t enough to overwhelm all the good work present there as well.

Of course, the other big element that helps this slice of cinema work on the level that it ultimately is able to would have to be the work done by the immensely talented cast of performers in front of the camera as well. This starts with undoubtedly the MVP of the film in gifted actor extraordinaire Ryan Reynolds as the titular character and in a word he is amazing. Indeed I have long been an admirer of Reynolds’ skill as an actor, a little movie called Green Lantern notwithstanding, and I know that when it was first announced that he would be taking this part on there were quite a few people out there who probably panicked and thought this would be less a distinct performance and more a PG-rated retread of his iconic turn as Marvel antihero Deadpool, but thankfully that is not the case. Instead, we see that Reynolds actually manages to give a truly remarkable turn here. Yes, there are quite a few moments where Reynolds’ take on Pikachu does possess the actor’s trademark fast-talking snarkiness to say nothing of straight-faced wit, but there are also moments in this where Reynolds wisely knows to simmer down on those qualities and instead play up the emotion in this as well for reasons that are better left unspoiled. Indeed all I’ll say is that there must have been a Pokémon in my house with a power to dispense pollen because I genuinely welled up at certain points during Reynolds’ performance in this. Not just because of the jokes he was making, quite a few tip-toeing the line between kid friendly and adult worthy, but also because of the pathos on display as well. Suffice it to say that it is a truly magical performance and one that Reynolds delivers beautifully. Alongside Reynolds though, I think praise must also be afforded to the work done here by Justice Smith as our main human character Tim Goodman. Indeed Smith does a wonderful job at not only operating as the audience’s guide through this truly distinct world, but also as the story’s very reluctant hero who, through his terrific and genuinely heartfelt team-up with the titular character, gets a chance to begin some long-overdue psychological healing as well. Thus when you also factor in top-tier support work from newcomer on the block Kathryn Newton who is perfect casting in the role of an aspiring junior reporter that our heroes team up with named Lucy Stevens as well as such screen vets as the always welcome Ken Watanabe who, as Lt. Yoshida, is brilliant casting and he plays his role perfectly even though I must confess there are a handful of times where he is acting less like he is in a Pokémon movie and more like he’s in Tokyo Vice as well as the always dependable Bill Nighy who is also well-chosen in the role of noted Ryme City industrialist Howard Clifford even though his arc in this might have more than a few beats that run on the familiar side of things among others there is no denying that the work done by the cast in front of the camera definitely aids the team behind the camera in bringing this slice of cinema vividly to life.

All in all and at the end of the day is Pokémon: Detective Pikachu a flawless slice of cinema? Honestly no, but then again it didn’t really ever need to be. At the same time though, is this the worst thing to happen to the Pokémon brand this side of seeing Pikachu get his butt handed to him by, of all entities, Kirby in Super Smash Bros. or Ash Ketchum seemingly finding something new to whine about every 5 minutes in the first few seasons of the show? Thankfully, I can confirm that is also not the case with this film. Indeed it might not have the most game changing narrative in the entire world, but there is no denying that this is still most assuredly a very entertaining film that also does a great job at bringing the world of Pokémon to life in a manner that is both immensely satisfying, but also sure to make you laugh, maybe make you hold back a tear or 5, and most assuredly will leave you with a smile on your face the size of an Onix. Not just if you are a long-time fan of this iconic franchise such as myself with particular regard to the loving winks and nods placed throughout, but also if you are among those who are just stepping foot into this truly intriguing world for the very first time. Suffice it to say then that, with the aid of passionate work behind the camera and lively work in front of the camera by an extremely well-chosen cast of players with particular regard to the voice-over work from Ryan Reynolds as the titular character amongst others, there is no denying that Pokémon: Detective Pikachu might not ever be the very best like no one ever was, but trust me when I say that this is one film you will most definitely want to choose to watch. Not just on your own, but with any little Poke fans in your life as well. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Pokémon: Detective Pikachu a solid 3.5 out of 5.