We saw this movie at one of the AMC early preview shows on May 2nd, and I'm so glad we did.
Why? Because "video game movies" are something that historically were a "wait til it's on TV" type of thing - no real reason to see them on the big screen; they weren't much different than the games they came from.
Detective Pikachu, on the other hand, is an actual movie. Yes, it's set in a world where Pokémon actually exist, and this one can talk to both humans and Pokémon (Doctor Doolittle, anyone?), but unlike a "video game movie", the plot isn't just a vehicle for the setting. It's an actual mystery/adventure, with characters you come to care about, both human and not. Twists and surprises and feels. All the parts of a great flick.
One thing that surprised me was how I was amazed by the emotions expressed by the Pikachu character - not only did he feel "real" in the movie, his face, ears, body language conveyed emotion clearly and strongly. It's hard to explain, it was kind of like a cross between looking at a child and a puppy... I don't know how they did it, but when Pikachu was saddened, you *felt* it; when happy, you knew it...
Finally, I also do have to say that all of us were concerned about the "Deadpool factor" - which turned out to be a non-issue. Ryan Reynolds is a great actor, and like any great actor, you only see and hear the character he's playing - not his past ones.
Excellent movie for all ages, even if you're not a Pokémon fan, you'll enjoy it.
Review of Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
