Pokemon Detective Pikachu (2019)

I probably shouldn't have watched this movie based on its title alone. But, curiosity got the better of me. I saw its trailer which I thought was pretty hilarious, plus it has Ryan Reynolds providing the voice for Pikachu, and the great Japanese actor, Ken Watanabe!! Besides, I was a Pokémon fan (who wasn't) and spent countless hours with my handphone roaming the streets catching them during its hey days.

Well, now that I have seen it, I have to admit, it was a mistake as it had more misses than hits. On the plus side, Ryan Reynolds' delivery of Pikachu's wisecracks were spot on and provided the movie's best moments. The many Pokémon creatures that adore the screen constantly were fun to watch and probably even more of a thrill for the die hard Pokémon fans to spot and identify. However, on the negative side, Ken Watanabe was totally wasted in his one dimensional role as a Lieutenant whose sole purpose is to deliver lines that help our lead characters move on to the next act. What was he doing in this movie I shall never know! And .. I didn't even realised and noticed Rita Ora was in the movie!! The noisy conclusion was just that .. noisy and with little substance plot wise. The failed father and son relationship that was suppose to resonate with the audience and provide the moral theme in the story, just didn't feel sincere and ended up being buried under all the noise and action.

At the end of the day, Pokémon Detective Pikachu just ended up being another typical Hollywood pile of CGI laden money making product that is easily forgettable. Let's hope the producers (and Ryan Reynolds) have some sense and decency NOT to make a sequel.