If you are a frequent Pokémon Go player, stop reading and go see this movie. If you have been catching Pokémon in May 2019, consider it a spoiler. There have been an abundance of the Pokémon from the movie out in the wild. It doesn't spoil much of the movie, but you will have a heads up of the most prominently featured pocket monsters from the movie.
For a more casual Pokémon fan this movie is still worth seeing. I am not sure how an adult completely foreign to Pokémon would react to this movie. I think the movie stand enough on its own for kids to enjoy it without knowing too much lore. It should keep adults who accompany their children entertained.
The pace of the movie is as fast as you would expect for a kids movie. I would have appreciated a little more time exploring Ryme City to see how Pokémon and their human buddies interact. The limited glimpses are great, but I was left wanting more. This was my biggest problem with the movie.
The movie revolves around solving a mystery and a menacing 'baddy' and a 'goody'. The progression of the story is laid out well. I was enjoying the universe so much that I wasn't thinking ahead in the plot the entire time. The various reveals were surprising to me as a result.
Justice Smith plays a reluctant young adult, Tim Goodman, well. It takes a long time for him to come around and when he does it is highly believable. Kathryn Newton is news intern Lucy Stevens. Her ambition drives the plot along and helps Tim move forward. Ryan Reynolds as caffeine fueled Pikachu is fantastic. His comedic styling is spot on and he gets Tim to where he needs to be.
I play Pokémon Go everyday as I walk my dog. I haven't seen other Pokémon movies or the TV show, or played any of the other Nintendo games. I still enjoyed this movie very much; I laughed out-load throughout and left the theater with a big smile. It built a world that I wanted to spend more time in. The plot of the movie is fairly formulaic and I will start forgetting about the movie quickly. If you are a fan, go see the movie to get immersed in Ryme City. For everyone else this is a fun movie with cute furry animals and quippy, PG, Ryan Reynolds.