Pokémon Detective Pikachu

The first-ever live-action Pokémon movie features Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Detective Pikachu, a Pokémon creature who assists a former Pokémon trainer (Justice Smith) in finding out what happened to his late policeman father. Goosebumps director Rob Letterman focuses on making a good film here rather than one faithful to the brand, and this turns out to be Detective Pikachu's greatest strength. It helps to have some knowledge of the Pokémon multimedia phenomenon, as the uninitiated may become lost in the colourful madness. However, for the most part, the movie is a charming whodunnit with more than a passing resemblance to 1988 ground-breaker Who Framed Roger Rabbit? The film's strong start, which introduces a new and exciting world, does lose momentum as the familiar plot gives itself too much to do. However, by that point, you may be having too much fun to notice, with Reynolds in his element providing wit and heart to the title character. A gem in the admittedly patchy history of video-game films, Pokémon Detective Pikachu's fun moments far outweigh the flaws.