Pokémon Detective Pikachu

Play trailer

2:23

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

PG

Released May 10, 2019

1h 44m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

317 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

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 Critics Reviews

Clarisse Loughrey

Independent (UK)

It's a delight for fans to see how immersive this world actually feels.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 10, 2020

Full Review

Justin Chang

FilmWeek (LAist)

I found this weirdly diverting... It's a counterintuitive fit for this character, and I kind of liked that about it.

Sep 28, 2019

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

Pretty well-done, and when it got to the end, the bits that are meant to tug on your heart strings twitch the very top register...

May 22, 2019

Full Review

Brittany Patrice Witherspoon

Pop Culture Reviews

Despite some hiccups Pokémon: Detective Pikachu can’t seem to overcome, there are moments when the film truly soars...

Jul 14, 2024

Full Review

Manuel São Bento

MSB Reviews

For hardcore fans, it might be everything you’ve ever wished for, but for fans of the 2000s Pokémon, who stopped following the franchise (...) the numerous Easter Eggs and references might not be enough to overcome the undeniable narrative issues.

Rated: B-

Jul 24, 2023

Full Review

Ash Jefferson

But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Detective Pikachu is a great time that is well worth watching in the theater if for nothing more than it’s gorgeous visuals. It’s a film that you can take the whole family to and everyone will find something to enjoy.

Rated: 7/10

Jan 22, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Terry G

it was a live action pokemon film, could have been much better. heres hope for a legend of zelda film at some point.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/22/22

Full Review

Xavier

such nostalgia ,loved it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/04/22

Full Review

Steven

Really dumb kids movie. Visual effects were nice though.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/28/22

Full Review

Alexander S

I was astounded by the live-action translation of Pokémon in Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. While I would have preferred a more immersive live-action approach that delved into the Pokémon world of capturing, training and battling Pokémon which the movie unfortunately omitted, I found the film to be thoroughly entertaining. Pokémon fans will appreciate the film’s family-friendly and playful tone, which facilitates further engagement with the characters and the Detective Pikachu storyline adapted from the game beyond the constant focus on Ash Ketchum. Grading: B

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

Ryland C

A fun great film for a Pokemon fan such as myself!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/28/25

Full Review

zestyitaliano 2

it was a good movie, but i have to ask myself, why?

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/01/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Rob Letterman

Director

Ryan Reynolds

Detective Pikachu

Justice Smith

Tim Goodman

Kathryn Newton

Lucy Stevens

Bill Nighy

Howard Clifford

Ken Watanabe

Lieutenant Hide Yoshida

Dora and the Lost City of Gold

85%

88%

Dora and the Lost City of Gold

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Dora and the Lost City of Gold

Sherlock Gnomes

28%

36%

Sherlock Gnomes

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Sherlock Gnomes

Show Dogs

16%

27%

Show Dogs

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Show Dogs

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

69%

96%

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Paddington 2

99%

89%

Paddington 2

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Paddington 2

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Pokémon Detective Pikachu: Trailer 2

2:23

Pokémon Detective Pikachu: Trailer 1

2:21

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

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.

Director: Rob Letterman
Producer: Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Hidenaga Katakami, Don McGowan
Screenwriter: Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Rob Letterman, Derek Connolly
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Toho Company Ltd., Legendary Pictures
Rating: PG (Some Rude and Suggestive Humor|Action/Peril|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 2019, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 23, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $144.1M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, SDDS, Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

Most Popular at Home Now