What to know

critics consensus

Pokémon Detective Pikachu may not take its wonderfully bizarre premise as far as it could have, but this offbeat adaptation should catch most -- if not all -- of the franchise's fans. Read critic reviews

You might also like

Where to watch

Show all services

Rate And Review

User image

Verified

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you buy your ticket?

    Let's get your review verified.

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you buy your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu Videos

View All Videos (2)

Pokémon Detective Pikachu Photos

View All Photos (42)

Movie Info

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.

Cast & Crew

Ryan Reynolds
Detective Pikachu
Voice
Justice Smith
Tim Goodman
Kathryn Newton
Lucy Stevens
Bill Nighy
Howard Clifford
Ken Watanabe
Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
Chris Geere
Roger Clifford
Suki Waterhouse
Ms. Norman
Josette Simon
Grams
Alejandro De Mesa
Bartender
Rita Ora
Dr. Ann Laurent
Rob Letterman
Director
Dan Hernandez
Screenwriter
Benji Samit
Screenwriter
Rob Letterman
Screenwriter
Derek Connolly
Screenwriter
Mary Parent
Producer
Cale Boyter
Producer
Hidenaga Katakami
Producer
Don McGowan
Producer
Joe Caracciolo Jr.
Executive Producer
Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for Pokémon Detective Pikachu

Best-Reviewed Movies by Genre 2019
People’s Choice 2019 Winners: Marvel, Stranger Things, Cole Sprouse, and Zendaya Dominate
People’s Choice 2019: Vote Now for Your Favorite Movies, TV Shows, and More
View All

Critic Reviews for Pokémon Detective Pikachu

All Critics (310) | Top Critics (57) | Fresh (209) | Rotten (101)

View All Critic Reviews (310)

Audience Reviews for Pokémon Detective Pikachu

  • Dec 09, 2019
    Who'd have thought this is how to make a Pokémon movie work, take a c-grade Pokémon game and throw in Deadpool. But damnit all it kinda' does. The mystery is pretty basic and predictable and…well, silly. However, it pulls the movie through and the characters actually make it work. Detective Pikachu himself is especially likable, particularly from Ryan Reynolds immense charm. It's also just a fun movie with a fun world. It took forever for us to see the Pokémon world in live action, but now that we do, it looks great, and there's some real solid action sequences here. It's fairly standard family fare overall, but for Pokémon fans, it's great fun.
    Michael M Super Reviewer
  • Sep 29, 2019
    Worse than I anticipated. There are so many things it tries tries to be (a live action Noir-ish anime, a shameless cash grab, and a sincere emotional story about a young man trying to find his father) that each disconnected element ends up canceling all the others out. What's left is barely a movie.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
  • Aug 26, 2019
    I have never been huge Pokémon fan, but this was a surprisingly fun introduction to the franchise. They have spent some money here and I do question the filmmaker choice, but that is a different argument. The story is a little messy and convoluted, but the film is funny and often showcases the talent involved. The film has some grand set pieces and the special effects are quite good. This appears to be the beginning of a new series and unfortunately entered a season where Avengers Endgame was the only film audiences cared about. Hopefully finds its feet on home platforms as this is fun and very different ride. 25/08/2019
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • Jun 10, 2019
    The core story is just... So dumb. And the dialogue between genuinely any two characters that doesn't involve the titular Pikachu made me real uncomfortable. But I adore the world that holds it up. Watching Detective Pikachu was like drinking hot chocolate by the campfire in winter. Even my roommate who had to be dragged to the thing kicking and screaming ended up having a wholesome good time.
    Gimly M Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Pokémon Detective Pikachu Quotes

There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.

Movie & TV guides