Pokémon Detective Pikachu
A young man teams up with Detective Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) to find his missing father in this live action family adventure co-written and directed by Rob Letterman (Goosebumps).
When ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, his 21-year-old son Tim (Justice Smith, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) sets out to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s wise-cracking former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu. Uniquely able to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on an adventure to unravel the mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City — a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side — they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the Pokémon universe.
- Director:
- Rob Letterman ('Goosebumps', 'Monsters vs. Aliens', 'Shark Tale')
- Writer:
- Nicole PerlmanRob Letterman
- Cast:
- Ryan ReynoldsJustice SmithKen WatanabeKathryn NewtonRita OraSuki WaterhouseBill NighyChris Geere
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Liam Maguren
flicksFrom the Game Boy RPGs and the viciously popular '90s cartoon to the Pokémon GO app that made zombies of us all, Pokémon has never stopped being relevant. It's surprising that a live-action movie has taken this long to arrive. It's even more surprising they adapted an obscure 3DS spinoff title rather than one from the core adventure series. The most surprising thing, though? Detective Pikachu is a videogame movie that doesn't suck.
Flicks, Luke Buckmaster
flicksThe world's smallest and most yellow investigator helps Tim (Justice Smith) search for his father in this blockbuster Pokémon spin-off. Unfortunately Detective Pikachu is ho-hum and ham-handed.
It has the cuteness and nostalgia expected of a Pokémon movie, but Reynolds snark is timid at best
Ryan Reynolds has been quite rightly riding a high recently thanks to the popularity of Deadpool and Deadpool 2, and Hollywood has become obsessed with squeezing every dollar from the global audiences by inserting his ever-dry sarcastic humour into as many intellectual properties as possible. The latest involves Reynolds voice acting for anime favourite...
It's adorable in the weirdest way
This movie is fun, adorable, and weird. I was never into Pokemon as a kid so I only knew the bare minimum going into it. I felt like they could have developed the world the characters lived in a bit more but it didn't go too deep and was quite a lighthearted and funny film. Pikachu is definitely the highlight of this movie. He's adorable yet a humorous...
Variety
pressIts box office should demonstrate fans' hunger for a more robust big-screen version of the Pokémon universe, while the disappointment needn't dissuade another team from coming along and doing it right.
Total Film
pressReynolds and Pikachu make an inspired combo in a CGI/live-action mash-up that otherwise adheres to a rigidly boilerplate formula.
The Times
pressFortunately, the ever-likeable Reynolds is equal to the task, channelling the savvy exuberance (but not the rude bits) of his Deadpool persona.
The Guardian
pressThe inspired casting of the Deadpool actor transforms this from an average Pokémon movie into fun family fare.
Stuff
pressHowever, while it doesn't quite reach either the nostalgia or quality heights of this past summer's Bumblebee (currently Mr Eight's No. 1 movie), this is finally a Pokemon movie worth catching while seated alongside your kids.
Screen Daily
pressMuch like its title character - an adorable little fuzzy yellow whatsit bearing the smart-aleck voice of Ryan Reynolds - "Pokemon Detective Pikachu" is an odd creation powered by contradictory impulses.
New Zealand Herald
pressPokemon Detective Pikachu plays it smart by honouring the decades of lore that have made the critter-catching video game and cartoon series so beloved, while also ignoring all that to create its own unique story.
Hollywood Reporter
pressStill, there's enough here to please both Pokemaniacs and the Poke-non.
Empire Magazine
pressIt's impossible to overstate how much this film owes to Ryan Reynolds. Even if you don't understand Pikachu's world, everyone can understand a great joke superbly delivered.
Flicks, Liam Maguren
flicksFrom the Game Boy RPGs and the viciously popular '90s cartoon to the Pokémon GO app that made zombies of us all, Pokémon has never stopped being relevant. It's surprising that a live-action movie has taken this long to arrive. It's even more surprising they adapted an obscure 3DS spinoff title rather than one from the core adventure series. The most surprising thing, though? Detective Pikachu is a videogame movie that doesn't suck.
Flicks, Luke Buckmaster
flicksThe world's smallest and most yellow investigator helps Tim (Justice Smith) search for his father in this blockbuster Pokémon spin-off. Unfortunately Detective Pikachu is ho-hum and ham-handed.
Variety
pressIts box office should demonstrate fans' hunger for a more robust big-screen version of the Pokémon universe, while the disappointment needn't dissuade another team from coming along and doing it right.
Total Film
pressReynolds and Pikachu make an inspired combo in a CGI/live-action mash-up that otherwise adheres to a rigidly boilerplate formula.
The Times
pressFortunately, the ever-likeable Reynolds is equal to the task, channelling the savvy exuberance (but not the rude bits) of his Deadpool persona.
The Guardian
pressThe inspired casting of the Deadpool actor transforms this from an average Pokémon movie into fun family fare.
Stuff
pressHowever, while it doesn't quite reach either the nostalgia or quality heights of this past summer's Bumblebee (currently Mr Eight's No. 1 movie), this is finally a Pokemon movie worth catching while seated alongside your kids.
Screen Daily
pressMuch like its title character - an adorable little fuzzy yellow whatsit bearing the smart-aleck voice of Ryan Reynolds - "Pokemon Detective Pikachu" is an odd creation powered by contradictory impulses.
New Zealand Herald
pressPokemon Detective Pikachu plays it smart by honouring the decades of lore that have made the critter-catching video game and cartoon series so beloved, while also ignoring all that to create its own unique story.
Hollywood Reporter
pressStill, there's enough here to please both Pokemaniacs and the Poke-non.
Empire Magazine
pressIt's impossible to overstate how much this film owes to Ryan Reynolds. Even if you don't understand Pikachu's world, everyone can understand a great joke superbly delivered.
It has the cuteness and nostalgia expected of a Pokémon movie, but Reynolds snark is timid at best
Ryan Reynolds has been quite rightly riding a high recently thanks to the popularity of Deadpool and Deadpool 2, and Hollywood has become obsessed with squeezing every dollar from the global audiences by inserting his ever-dry sarcastic humour into as many intellectual properties as possible. The latest involves Reynolds voice acting for anime favourite...
It's adorable in the weirdest way
This movie is fun, adorable, and weird. I was never into Pokemon as a kid so I only knew the bare minimum going into it. I felt like they could have developed the world the characters lived in a bit more but it didn't go too deep and was quite a lighthearted and funny film. Pikachu is definitely the highlight of this movie. He's adorable yet a humorous...
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