Pokémon Detective Pikachu | 2019 | PG | – 1.4.3

Why is “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” rated PG? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “action/peril, some rude and suggestive humor, and thematic elements.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a couple of flirting scenes between a young man and a young woman and references to attraction and romantic feelings; a car crash that we hear has left the driver dead (replayed a few times), several scenes of peril with both humans and creatures being injured, and a cage battle sequence where creatures disappear when they lose; and a couple of not fully enunciated scatological terms and name-calling. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.”

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After Pokémon and humans live together and collaborate as partners, a young man (Justice Smith) learns that his father has been killed in a car accident. When he becomes convinced that his father is in fact alive, he partners with his father’s Pokémon, Detective Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds), to solve the mystery of his disappearance. Also with Kathryn Newton, Bill Nighy, Ken Watanabe, Chris Geere and Suki Waterhouse. Directed by Rob Letterman. [Running Time: 1:44]

Pokémon Detective Pikachu SEX/NUDITY 1

 – A man is shirtless with a coat hanging open and we see part of his heavily tattooed chest and abdomen. A young man’s pants hang low and reveal his boxers.
A creature teases a young man about liking a young woman and the young man acts shy and denies it. A couple of comments are made about a young man being lonely and sad. A creature tells a young man, “I can see why you are so excited,” referring to a young woman. A young man tells a young woman, “I’m pretty good at being alone at night,” and he acts embarrassed. A creature calls a young man, “Lover boy.” A creature calls a young woman a “dame” and a young man tells it that women don’t like to be called that. A young man remarks about a “Beady-eyed version of the woman I’m very attracted to.”
► A young woman scratches a creature and it taps its foot and moans in pleasure (not sexual). A creature rubs the foot of another creature to help keep it calm.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu VIOLENCE/GORE 4

 - An explosion causes a laboratory up to blow into flames and a containment capsule bursts releasing the creature held inside: the creature shoots into the sky and chases a car that speeds away from the area, the car is struck by a blast of energy that flips it off the road, and it crashes over an embankment and explodes (we hear that the driver was killed and we see this seen several times).
► Large balloons filled with a purple gas are popped and the gas covers a large crowd of people and creatures on the ground below; the creatures become aggressive and the people cough and fall to the ground where they are absorbed (they glow and then disappear) by the creatures. Several creatures chase a young man and a young woman and shoot at them throwing them into the air; outside, the ground shifts causing them to tumble through a wooded area, dodging tumbling boulders, and a giant eyeball opens and we see that the land is part of a giant creature; a small creature is struck in the head by a rock and falls unconscious, and the young man and the young woman are thrown into a river and when they reach the shore the young man pleads with another creature to help save the unconscious creature (the young man has a bloody scratch on his cheek). A small creature rides on a flying creature and falls to the ground (it is caught before hitting the ground). A young woman is held by a creature with a long tongue that is wrapped around her as slobber drips onto the floor giving away their location on the ceiling. Holographic imagery replays the scene of a car crash and we see a man pulling himself out of the car as it explodes. People in a laboratory setting examine a creature encased in a glass containment capsule filled with liquid in a couple of scenes. Thick purple smoke spreads in a few scenes causing people to cough and creatures to become agitated and aggressive. An unconscious creature is placed on a flat stone where another creature sprays it with a glowing beam that revives it. A young man grabs a creature by the arm and the creature zaps him with electricity (he recoils but there are no visible injuries). A young man and a creature fight with punches and kicks and the young man slips through a window and clings to the frame; another creature hits his fingers with a bone causing him to let go but another man hits the creature with a lamp and pulls the dangling man to safety. A man falls out of a chair and a connection with a creature is broken causing him to be immobilized.
► A small creature and a large dragon enter a battle cage and fight; the dragon inhales a purple smoke that makes it aggressive as it enters the cage; the small creature tries to employ its powers by straining (it looks like defecating) with no luck so it runs away as the dragon blows flames at it, the small creature is thrown into the cage wall and a young man steps on the dragon's tail distracting it and the dragon slams into a man causing several ampoules of purple chemicals to break and spread smoke through the area; people cough and creatures become aggressive as the dragon crashes into the roof and falls to the floor caught in a metal rigging. A creature is held in a forcefield and placed in a containment pod as it struggles.
► A young woman cuts a fence and along with a young man and two creatures break into a laboratory where we see creatures held in containment pods as one character says, "They are experimenting on them." A fish creature floods an arena with water and a young man and a creature wash out into the street where they are arrested. We see a battle cage where creatures fight and when one loses they disperse in a cloud of smoke.
► A creature can transform into anyone or anything and we see it taking the form of a couple of humans and their eyes look oddly small and spaced close together, giving them a strange appearance. A young man pretends to pour gasoline on a mime creature and pretends to light a match a few times as the creature blows the match out; off-screen it sounds like a match is struck and we hear an exclamation but do not see any flames or hear an explosion. A young man and a creature are chased by many creatures and they run to a roof where many more creatures appear and continue chasing. A creature attacks a young man and he spins around trying to get it off his shoulders. Two young men search through a field and find a small creature crying; one young man is convinced to catch it and throws a small ball at it, the creature is absorbed into the ball and it flashes and vibrates causing the young man to run away as the ball pops open and the creature charges out and throws a bone at the young man, propelling him into the air (we do not see any injuries). We hear that a creature's memory has been erased and it is left without its powers.
► A young man hears a sound in a darkened apartment and searches for the cause while holding a stapler to defend himself; he sees a large shadow moving toward him but it is actually a small creature. A young man goes to a police station and a creature (it looks like a dog) growls at him. A mime creature pretends to be running but gets nowhere, it pretends to be riding a motorcycle and crashes, falling to the ground slowly and bouncing (there are no injuries). A creature with a huge tongue licks a young man on the face leaving a lot of slime behind. Several small creatures spray liquid from their mouths onto a fire to help firefighters.
► We hear that if a creature becomes stressed it will explode. We see a flashback of a young man as a boy and he refuses to take a train to meet his father, but wants to stay with his grandmother. A young man receives a phone call that his father was killed in a car accident. We read a newspaper headline about a fiery accident. A young man talks about his mother dying when he was 11. A young man makes a remark about a creature "wearing the skull of your dead relative." We hear about Pokémon battles. A young man asks a creature, "Are you trying to rob me, or annoy me?" A creature sees a large car and calls it a "bad guy car." A creature talks about a man having "daddy issues." A creature says, "I hurt people who need me." A young man says that he's going to throw up. A young man says, "You're gonna make me throw up." A character says, "I'm being eaten alive." A creature sitting on a young man's shoulders apologizes for a smell and says, "Silent but deadly," inferring flatulence. A creature talks about a young man being excited and says, "I think he just peed a little. Nope, that was me," (we do not see any urine).

Pokémon Detective Pikachu LANGUAGE 3

 - 4 scatological terms (2 not fully enunciated, 2 mild), 2 mild anatomical terms (jellies), 2 mild obscenities, name-calling (dame, loner, dude, humiliating, stupid, putz, blabbermouth, abomination, lover boy, weird), exclamations (shove it, how dare you, ew get off), 4 religious exclamations (Good God, Oh My God, Oh God). | profanity glossary |

Pokémon Detective Pikachu SUBSTANCE USE

 - A young man twists an ampoule of purple liquid that sprays a thick cloud of smoke and causes him to cough.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu DISCUSSION TOPICS

 - Death of a parent, Pokémon, degenerative disease, science used for evil, grief, second chances, trust, parenting, estranged families, forgiveness, denial, coping with loss, tabloid rumors, gossip, destiny, betrayal, evolution, free will, revenge, amnesia, fear.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu MESSAGE

 - It is possible to have a second chance. Not all people are bad.