Although I remember quite clearly when Pokémon took over the playground in the late 90’s, I was never really a fan – however when Pokémon Go was released in 2016 I quickly became hooked and embraced the ‘Gotta catch ’em all’ mentality. I’ll admit I was a little dubious about how successful a hyper-realistic, live action movie would be but if the humble LEGO brick can spawn a franchise then why wouldn’t Pokémon work?

Set in a world where people and Pokémon live in peaceful harmony, Detective Pikachu is a buddy cop movie with a difference. Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) has let go of his childhood dreams of becoming a Pokémon trainer and is now perfectly happy working in insurance and living his life as one of the few people without a Pokémon partner. When his father Harry, a police detective in the bustling metropolis Ryme City, is killed in a car accident Tim must go to his father’s apartment to collect his belongings. It is here where he bumps into eager wannabe journalist with a nose for a case and meets Harry’s partner, a deer-stalker wearing, English speaking Pikachu with a bad case of amnesia.

Convinced that Harry is not dead, Pikachu persuades Tim to help him retrace his steps and unravel the events surrounding Harry’s disappearance and a mysterious gas that turns the peaceful Pokémon into rabid and aggressive threats to the fragile harmony of Ryme City.

I’ll be honest, I thought this film was going to be cringe-worthy and poorly done but it was actually thoroughly entertaining. It was great fun to try and spot all the different Pokémon, and rather embarrassing to see how many I could actually name. The hyper-realistic CGI rendering of the Pokémon was well executed, and despite the ridiculousness of it, the world built by director Rob Letterman was actually believable in a wistful sort of way.

The visual appeal of the film was hindered by some poor storytelling but helped by some excellent casting choices. The story itself is a little clunky and disjointed, relying on a explanatory monologue every now and again to make sure the audience is up to speed. And although the film is made with Pokemon newbies in mind, some of the finer plot points may go a little over the heads of the uninitiated.

Pushing the positives to outweigh the negatives is the cast. Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Bill Nighy and Ken Watanabe all put in a solid shift with their respective roles but, let’s be honest, this is Ryan Reynolds’ film. While I do find Reynold’s to be a little samey, his trademark fast-talking, sarcastic lovable-asshole type personality is perfect for the insanely cute, ridiculously fluffy lightning bug that is Pikachu.

Overall, Pokemon Detective Pikachu is a film perfect for the whole family; the kids will love the silliness and the parents will love the nostalgia. Just prepare yourselves to reinstall your PokemonGO apps because once you watch this film you’re gunna wanna catch ’em all, all over again.