Ah, if 12-year-old me could have seen my  face during the screening of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu I gleefully attended.

A thrill for anyone aged eight to 28, Detective Pikachu capitalized on the love and goodwill Gen X moviegoers had for their beloved TV show to make this incredible feature.

Featuring the voice of Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds, as the affable, hilarious Pikachu, this adventure of the thunder-fighting cute little Pokemon and his human friend (played by Justice Smith) is a fun little summer romp.

Smith – probably best known for the inane supporting role in Jurassic World 2 last summer – showed me here he can hold his own in a title role, and that he’s better than the screaming, chattering character from the Jurassic sequel.

With the always-welcome Ken Watanabe on board, a bold visual style and some great jokes and sequences, this was a really fun time, albeit nothing incredibly special.

Director Rob Letterman’s second live-action film based on a popular series (he directed Goosebumps) is another hit, and Ryan Reynolds’ voice acting is the scene-stealer here.

It hit me right in the feels and brought both my ten-year-old and almost-30 selves both joy. It’s a nostalgic, beautiful trip for sure.

3.5/5 Stars