I saw one clip of the movie when Ryan Reynolds went on Jimmy Fallon and from then on I really wanted to see the movie. So hey, PR works.

At first I didn’t want to see it as Hollywood has a rep for ruining Anime. I mean did you see Dragon Ball the movie? Did you see Avatar: The Last Airbender movie? They were not good in my opinion. But I heard generally good reviews and like I said the clip on Fallon looked good even though it was freaky hearing Pikachu speak with Ryan Reynolds’s voice. So I suspended my disbelief and I went to see it and you know what Pikachu plus Reynolds worked.

Now I am not a huge Pokémon fan. I never got into it as a kid (long story as to why) but because I was into Anime I still knew about it and would catch episodes here and there. From the Pokémon that I do know and seeing them translated into film, OMD it was soo good! It was definitely a win for the animators. I felt like they were real, they made me believe in the world they’d created and in Ryme City.

The cinematography and the visual effects were stunning. The moments in the forest were one of my favourites in the whole movie. Also the way they showed the Pokémon’s powers was sublime.

The plot was well paced. It was like watching a crime drama (and I watch a lot). You start off with getting to know the characters and then you’re presented with the mystery, a case that seems too hard to solve; but by doing some detective work you come to the true with some curve balls thrown in along the way. I enjoy a good mystery so this was right up my alley.

Nothing is as it seems in this movie. Although I did figure out who the main villain was pretty quick. They gave themselves away but then again I watch a lot of crime drama.

One thing that did surprise me was the reason why Pikachu speaks to the main character Tim. I really did not see that coming and they never gave it away in the trailers or in any of the press junkets so I am most pleased. It’s been so long since I’ve been surprised… in a good way.

It was a heart-warming, funny film. I felt like the emphasis was on family and those emotional connections that we make with people and in the movie’s case Pokémon. There were moments in the movie that got to me and I wasn’t expecting it to.

I really do praise the performances of Justice Smith and Ryan Reynolds. They delivered on emotion so it didn’t feel stilted or awkward but rather their performances were believable and natural.

Now I kind of want a sequel.

I give the film a four out of five.