Pokémon: Meisterdetektiv Pikachu

This movie is humorous and the visual effects are incredible. Even though some aspects of the movie leave us underwhelmed, it is still a step in the right direction.

I've loved Pokémon my whole life and this was the most excited about Pokemon developments since Pokemon go. Whilst there is nothing to hate about the film I couldn't describe it as more than reasonably good and mildly enjoyable where as I was hoping to be blown away throughout. Having said that I'm excited to see where the franchise goes movie wise in the future as it certainly has potential.

(Theater impressions--short review) Semi-casual Pokémon fan here--played through a few of the games (never played Detective Pikachu), watched the anime as a kid, but not super invested in the franchise. A lot of people seem to be giving this movie high ratings. Detective Pikachu is not without merit, but the film's good points (namely, Ryan Reynold's performance, some good humor, some nice character interaction and overall high production values) are unfortunately outweighed by its bad points (namely, a needlessly and hopelessly convoluted plot, hit-or-miss performances from the remaining cast, some jokes that didn't land, some heavy-handed dialogue and some poor character interaction, and lack-luster CGI). The film is overall inconsistent in tone; it doesn't seem to really know who it's for or what it wants to be. I had fun watching the film with my friends in the theater (who are also familiar with Pokémon), but if you're unfamiliar with Pokémon or if you're watching it on your own on the small screen it might not quite be an enjoyable experience.

I am not saying the movie is great. Far from it. Its full of flaws. But its fun and nostalgic.

I watched it at a moment when I was sad and terrified and alone. I put it on and felt better at then end. That's it. It did its job. And sometimes that's enough.

While I like Pokemon, I've never been a collector of cards or watcher of the cartoons. Still, the characters are cute and I like the idea of the competitive fights. From the trailer, the movie looked funny and cute, so I wanted to see it. And that's basically what you get from the film. Ryan Reynolds is funny and charming as the title character. The Pokemon are cute and the CGI is well done. Yet, underneath the surface, the plot is nearly nonexistent and the acting is subpar at best. So, is it worth watching? Yes. It's cute and funny. You'll laugh and be visually entertained. But once it's over, you realize you really gained nothing from the time spent watching.