POKÉMON Detective Pikachu Movie Review

POKÉMON Detective Pikachu is now playing in theaters everywhere! After having seen the film with my three kids between the ages of 8 and 14, would I recommend taking the kids to see it? Check out our POKÉMON Detective Pikachu movie review and find out our thoughts.

POKÉMON Detective Pikachu Movie Review

What should parents know before seeing the film?

POKÉMON Detective Pikachu is a live-action mystery adventure based on the famous 1990’s POKÉMON video game series. The film is based in a fictional city in which humans and Pokémon co-exist and it stars Ryan Reynolds as the voice of a Pikachu who can speak to only one human. Accompanying Pikachu is Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) Harry Goodman’s son and Pikachu’s old partner, and Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) who’s a junior reporter and accompanied by a Psyduck.

POKÉMON Detective Pikachu storyline 

POKÉMON Detective Pikachu’s storyline is pretty straight forward. You can read the entire movie synopsis below. 

Ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son, Tim, to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth Detective Pikachu. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to work together, as Tim is the only human who can talk with Pikachu, they join forces to unravel the tangled mystery.

An Honest Parent Review!

Now, should you take your kids to see the film? One thing to make clear here is that the film is beyond adorable and honestly, there is nothing earth-shattering in it that will make you cringe during the film’s running time. However, if you are planning on taking younger kids to see the film, you should be aware that there are a few explosions, a few injuries (includes a fatal car crash), POKÉMON  battling each other, and a few minor language choice words (like h**l and st*p*d). 

Our takeaway of the film!

As a mom, I love that POKÉMON Detective Pikachu promotes teamwork, courage, and friendship and shows how even the seemingly inexperienced can make a difference. My 12-year old boy loved seeing some of his favorite POKÉMON come to “live.” He also loved the friendship between Pikachu and Tim Goodman. For my 8-year old daughter, seeing her favorite POKÉMON was the best part of the entire movie. My worst or best critic is my 14-year old son, but this time POKÉMON Detective Pikachu gets 4 stars out of 5 from him. Trust me, this is good! 🙂 So, go see the film with your kiddos this weekend, they will have a great time and then come back and let us know what you loved about the film.