Even though I grew up watching the Pokemon cartoons and collecting all the Pokemon cards, I kinda grew out of it during my middle-school years and honestly, didn’t even bother playing the Pokemon Go game. Not to mention, I forgot most of the Pokemon characters and their names. So, even though this movie was a little nostalgic, it’s safe to say that I went in with a pretty clean slate.

Positives – Before I go any further, I just have to say – Pikachu is so adorable. I can literally watch this gif all day and who’s to say, I haven’t already!

Cuteness aside, after watching the first trailer, I was a little apprehensive about Ryan Reynolds’ casting as Pikachu because Pikachu “sounded” a lot like a PG-version of Deadpool. I understand that is unfair, but Reynolds is now synonymous with the merc with the mouth. However, I am so happy to report that, for this version of Pikachu, Reynolds casting is brilliant. His casting and voice performance makes this movie work. Yes, the character does sound like a lot like a watered down version of Deadpool but this movie is better for it. The main human lead Tim, played by Justice Smith, is a semi-decent character but shines, even more, when he is interacting with the adorable, caffeine-addicted detective. There are some hilarious moments in this movie, especially one scene involving Mr. Mime. Even though we don’t get a lot of action scenes with Pikachu, when it did happen, I was giddy with excitement! Another great aspect of the movie is that it focuses on world-building rather than setting up future movies, which I can appreciate as a viewer.

Negatives -Despite some entertaining sequences, this movie suffers from narrative issues and some really bland human characters. The main female lead, played by Kathryn Newton, could have been an interesting character but is often relegated to the background. Not to mention, Newton’s performance along with many other actors’ performances, often felt cartoony. In addition, if you were hoping to see some Pokemon battles like the ones in the cartoon, prepare to be disappointed. Hell, we only see the Pokeball a couple of times. The main characters also have a lot of plot armor and boy, they survive a lot of crazy death-defying sequences. Another aspect of the movie that doesn’t work is that many scenes served no purpose, aside from getting the hardcore fans to exclaim “Hey, that’s *so and so Pokemon*.” Most of those references went over my head, as I am sure they will for the average moviegoer too. Also, the movie has a reveal at the end, which doesn’t make much sense upon looking back.

Rating – Overall, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is a semi-entertaining film with good humor and an adorable, well-written Pikachu as the lead. However, it has a mediocre story, one-dimensional human characters, and some very over-the-top performances. Still, I think there is some fun to be had, both for the hardcore and average movie-fan alike. 3/5