Review of Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) by Moviebuffreview — 10 May 2019

Even as someone who is not all that invested in Pokemon as a franchise (which admittedly would hinder my enjoyment regardless), this feels like another classic case of Americans trying to adapt a Japanese property and having no clue what is appealing about it.

The two leads are fairly charming, and there are one or two amusing scenes. Otherwise, this script is a mess. It takes itself far too seriously, it is painfully predictable, it does not do a good job in fleshing out its characters, and it is a tonal disaster. The biggest issue for me is that it fails to deliver on two essential elements that fans seem to like about this property: the Pokemon battles and the relationship between a Pokemon and their master.

This is a waste of a potentially promising premise. That said, I can definitely see a younger generation of fans enjoying it for the thrill of seeing their favorite characters adapted to live action. Furthermore, bigger fans will definitely get some appreciation out of the lore. But as a movie, it just doesn't work.