Pokémon Detective Pikachu

PG
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Max Finchman, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Bill Nighy, Ken Watanabe,  Chris Geere and Suki Waterhouse
Running Time: 1Hour and 44 Minutes


This is a movie based on the ever so popular “Pokémon” video games. This movie is entertaining enough that it will appeal to the seasoned and devoted mega-fans and also to the newer less informed movie goers.
This movie is set in London in a kind of alternate world where humans and the popular characters from the game exist together.
Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) a young twenty-something that has unfortunately lost his mother and has a strained relationship with his father. He works as an insurance appraiser and lives a pretty mundane life. He always loved Pokémon characters as a youngster and had hoped someday to train them once we was an adult. Suddenly he finds that his father has disappeared and it is feared that he was murdered! Tim must travel to a place called Ryme City, which is Mecca for all things Pokémon. It was created by an interesting man named Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy) for the humans and Pokemon’s to interact with each other.
Tim wants to investigate and inquire about his fathers disappearance, he meets up with his fathers boss, Lieutenant Hide Yoshida (Ken Watanabe) and receives some of his fathers belongings.When he looks through the belongings, a strange purple smoke is emitted and a bunch of Gremlin type characters suddenly appear and start frantically chasing him! Tim is very frightened but fortunately his fathers personal little Pokémon character, Detective Pikachu mysteriously appears and saves the day!
 Pikachu (Ikue Otani) is a sweet and adorable soft-voiced little yellow character who helps him get away from the pesky gremlins. Detective Pikachu is a welcome little friend in a very strange and unusual world that he is suddenly thrust into!
The two of them are able to understand each other and become pals. They set out on a mission to find out what happened to Tim’s father. Tim also rallies the help of a young reporter named Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) who helps him discover the ever-so-evil and sinister Mewtwo (Kotaro Watanabe). Mewtwo has devised a wicked plan that includes the dreaded purple smoke to wreak major havoc in the city!
I enjoyed this movie and found it to be sweet and touching. The computer generated Pokémon’s were very realistic and imaginative, they did a great job of mingling them together with the humans.
Parents be advised: This movie is rated PG. I would recommend this movie for children five and over.
I think most children will be fine with it. The little Gremlins are a bit intimidating and the evil Mewtwo can be a little fearsome.
There is some mild action violence and some silly crude humor but overall it is fairly mellow.
I am giving “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” three bags of popcorn.