Movie Review: Pokémon Detective Pikachu, a family film filled with silliness and giggles!

The new movie Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) is a heartwarming family flick. This is the Pokemon franchise’s first live-action movie, and it almost seems like fan fiction, because it takes place in the Pokemon universe, but without the main characters that we are used to.

This urban fantasy mystery film was directed by Rob Letterman. Justice Smith plays Tim Goodman, a twenty-one year old on the search for his father Harry, who he hasn’t seen in ages. Detective Pikachu is his father’s partner, with voice and facial motion capture by Ryan Reynolds, who urges Tim to help him figure out what happened to him and Tim’s dad. There is also journalist and love interest Lucy Stevens, played by Kathryn Newton, and her Psyduck that tag along on the adventure and help them solve the mystery.

This film was shot on traditional film, rather than being shot digitally. The CGI Pokémon are really well done, looking super cool and realistic. I really enjoyed seeing all of the Pokémon walking around and interacting with the universe. Most of the visual effects in the movie came from the same people who did the visual effects for other recent films with a lot of great CGI, like The Lion King, The Jungle Book, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Even though the movie was filmed for a younger audience, the visual effects make it really cool to watch for adults as well, especially if you grew up liking Pokémon.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu is certainly a family movie filled with silliness and giggles. Pikachu himself is a comical character, a nice compliment to the usually serious Tim. The movie does get real and has its sad moments as well. It is a mystery, and it's exciting seeing the events pan out and clues provided to solve the mystery. The ending isn't all too surprising. Overall, the movie is enjoyable and a fun watch. It's not revolutionary or a grand masterpiece, but it does give you the feels and leaves you feeling good and happy at the end.