We here at Afronauts are big fans of the mobile app: Pokemon Go. Honestly, we really weren't that into Pokemon until the app came out, but we have enjoyed it since the initial release and that has introduced us to the world of pocket monsters! Since playing the game we have really gotten to know the 'Mons and it was necessary to be successful in the game.

So, of course, upon hearing about the movie, "Detective Pikachu", we were definitely excited and anticipating the movie! ​We had a few doubts to be honest:

-How would it turnout with Ryan Reynold's voicing Pikachu?

-Would it be a cheesy rendition of the original animated movies?

-Which Pokemon would be involved? Typical and popular ones, or unique ones?

-How would they portray the Pokemon in our reality?

​WARNING! READING ANY FURTHER WILL HAVE SPOILERS! DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS! - WE DO RECOMMEND SEEING THE FILM!

Official synopsis released by Warner Brothers:
The story begins when 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, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City - a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world - they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.

The movie eased a lot of our questions in a good way, but lacked in the creative side and thus made it really hard to have a movie we could believe in and get behind completely. Ryan Reynold's as Pikachu was good. Probably not his best role, but he did a great job at making us laugh and keeping up with the humor that was inserted throughout the movie. Was the humor cheesy and at times a bit predictable? -yes, but it was still cute and nothing profane. This was definitely a family-friendly movie. The audience was treated to a variety of Pokemon, including ones that aren't often featured such as Ludicolo, Snubbull, Licktung, and Psyduck. Psyduck really had a big role in the movie! In fact, Psyduck is responsible for much of the movie's jokes and even saves the day at one point! The movie also quickly answered how Pokemon and people came to live together in Ryme City; thanks to Howard Clifford who was able to create a place where both humans and Pokemon could co-exist. The movie does move swiftly from beginning to end, which was nice. Nothing felt rushed, but we get the point and to the end without having to suffer from over-explanations and empty scenes,

The aspect that we were concerned about - Would it be a cheesy rendition of the original animated movies? - can be answered with a: No, it was not. However! It wasn't completely without holes either. It was nice that the movie played off of the first ever animated movie to be in theaters, also known as "Pokemon The First Movie". We see that they have recaptured Mewtwo and it was Tim's dad Harry who was trying to help Mewtwo. Yet the movie lacked in a good ending to our big showdown and concluded rather cheaply. Our biggest issue with the movie was trying to really get behind it as a story. As Agent Afronaut says, "sometimes you just gotta hit the I Believe button", but even this movie has our buttons stumped. There are plenty of diehard Pokemon fans who have already written articles bashing the movie with lists of "why [insert situation] can't happen", and while we may not be professional Pokemon experts, we still were left baffled by a few things. Like, how did Lucy, Tim, and their Pokemon survive the Torterra forest? Not only was it phsyically impossible, but somehow Pikachu was the only one who truly was hurt from the shifting land and these 2 city folks did not seemed equipped or trained to be able to survive any of that. As mentioned before, there were some other holes in the story too, like how conveniently Mewtwo was able to just fix the whole city and separate the humans from their Pokemon, yet the R that was made from his own DNA actually did effect him, so how did that exactly work? Just try to hit your believe button, I guess.

With all that said, we still think you should see the movie! Why? Well, besides it being a family movie, which are far and few between these days, the movie also delivers in an unexpected way!

• The villain is not who you think! They lead us to believe that Roger Clifford, the son of Howard, is the villain. After all, he is a jerk and seems to not like Pokemon too much. Yet later we see it's a result of daddy issues and he resents Pokemon for taking up all of his father's time. Roger gets framed by his dad and Harry even goes so far as to use Ditto to impersonate Roger to capture Mewtwo. The reveal of the villain is a bit of a twist too, because the realization happens after we see our protagonist go through a lot to discover the truth.
• We experience generational thought and society shifting. In our reality we often see that has older generations step down and pass on, the new generations step up and take their place and with them come a new way of thinking. Rights and acceptance is at an all time high in our society and that simply didn't exist prior to the Millennium. The movie also shows that Howard is very stuck with an old mentality of "conquer and preserve". Though he boasts about a city he created to let Pokemon and humans coexist, he really had a zoo in mind and sought to control Pokemon, and eventually be able to use the Pokemons forms/bodies to live forever. Once Howard is defeated, Roger swiftly moves to restore order and make amends with a new generation stepping forward.
• Ryan Reynolds is good as Pikachu. His ability to dish out witty humor and deliver those one-liners will have you laughing.
• Mr. Mime shines! Though the scene was heavily teased in the trailers, there's a bit more to it than what was revealed before the release and it's literally the best scene in the whole movie. Well, unless you're the emotional type, and then perhaps you'd prefer the pep talk from Pikachu to Tim before he finds out that it's his dad. Mr. Mime is still one of the best scenes though!
• Mewtwo! As mentioned before, the movie gives a nod to the first ever theatrical release and fans will feel delight when they see Mewtwo hovering in the forest. Mewtwo doesn't do anything, but save the day really. There are no crazy or psycho moments. Mewtwo simply saves Harry,  and Pikachu, and defends  himself, as well as eventually restoring the city back to normal.

If you're looking for a good time, whether you're a Pokemon fan or not, you'll enjoy this movie and we think you should see it! It's a good movie and rises above the normal genre of youth movies. Just have your Believe Buttons ready, and if it gets stuck or you find it hard to press in a couple of scenes, we understand, but it's nothing you can't move on from.

Fathom Events hosted a special 2-day only screening of the anime movie: "Okko's Inn" in select theaters on April 22nd & 23rd. While Agent Afronaut was away in NYC, NY representing our parent organization, EDFU, I - Agent Bunnie - decided to venture out and see what this was all about.

Okko's Inn is not a new anime, but still fairly new that you may not have heard of it or watched it yet. I hadn't caught wind of it before going to the theaters to see it this April. It was initially released in June of 2018, so it's April theater debut was less than a year later here in America. It is based off of a series of books by Hiroko Reijo, who is a Japanese author. These books are not readily available in America, by the way. Before this movie was released, a manga series and a TV series followed -both of which I could not find in the America.

Synopsis (officially released by GKIDS):

​After losing her parents in a car accident, Okko goes to live in the countryside with her grandmother, who runs a traditional Japanese inn built on top of an ancient spring said to have healing waters. While she goes about her chores and prepares to become the inn’s next caretaker, Okko discovers there are spirits who live there that only she can see – not scary ones, but welcoming ghosts who keep her company, play games and help her navigate her new environment. The inn’s motto is that it welcomes all and will reject none, and this is soon put to the test as a string of new guests challenge Okko’s ability to be a gracious host.

The latest feature from famed anime studio Madhouse and director Kitaro Kosaka, who was a key animator on numerous classic films at the venerable Studio Ghibli, seamlessly blends immersive, idyllic landscapes with the storybook charm of Okko’s beloved ghosts. Okko’s Inn delivers a rare ghost story that is firmly grounded in the trials and joys of humanity.

Given the brief description that you read above, I was a bit skeptical about this movie before going. So much so, that I read quite a few reviews of the movie before going. Most of the reviews gave it a fair rating at best, with the majority giving it a thumbs down -and that was almost enough to persuade me to stay at home and wait until it was shown at a fan con. Yet, something deep in me told me that I may get something out this movie if I'd just take the time to watch it and when the time came to go to the movie and I didn't have anything to do, I decided to go! And I'm really glad I did! - Oh, and I'll touch on those reviewer's criticisms later on.

The presentation from Fathom started out with a very candid intro from the director, which I found to be very personable and insightful. Kitaro Kosaka told his vision and direction of the film, as well as how it personally related to him.

I'd like to start the actual review by saying that I went on the day that the movie was shown in "dub" or the edition that had been re-voiced by English actors. One big criticism I had read about the film was that the English-dub was horrible and I will say it is not great, and in some parts it will make you cringe. The movie is much more than just simply about a little girl who loses her parents and then grieves, and that had me pleasantly surprised, but also very appreciative. It also emphasized how annoying the English version had been watered down, and that is all too common for Anime brought to America and it needs to stop. American markets want to push a "kids-only" label on this genre and many of these Anime stories are so intricate and deep. The theater I went to had mostly children and by the end of the movie, most of them were zoned out or crawling around on the floor. Anime is definitely not just cartoons.

Okko loses her parents very early in the movie, so the majority of the movie is about her living with her grandmother and adjusting to her new life. We quickly are introduced to the typical city girl that Tokyo-rasied Okko is and it takes her quite some time to adjust to the country-life. We also have the modern versus traditional ways thrown in here, as her grandmother dresses and operates in a traditional Japanese etiquette, but Okko has been raised and living in modern society. It was a predictable outline, but it was nice to see how Okko blended it all together and learned how to use city smarts with traditional practices to not only help customers and also grow as a person. I had read that the original author of the books did a lot of research and interviews when writing this book to really capture the ways of the original inns in Japan, and I feel it was really shown through this adaptation by Kitaro Kosaka.

The ghosts or spirits that Okko can see are limited. The summaries about the movie that I read made it seem like it was going to be a full on haunted house, but really it's just 2 ghosts and then a demon. One ghost is a boy named Uribo who has an attachment to her grandmother, because they were childhood friends. Uribo is still a boy, because his death came during childhood. The other is a little girl named Miyo that Okko sees at school when she has a confrontation with the school bully Matsuki Akino, aka Frilly Pink. It turns out that Miyo is actually the older sister of Matsuki and died before Matsuki was born. The demon comes into the story when Okko finds a bell and releases the demon who has been trapped inside. The take on the demon, who's name is Suzuki, was refreshing. In Western Culture we typically see demons as evil and malevolent, but the original Greek origin of the word literally just seems "spirit" and it wasn't until the anti-Pagan movement that the word "demon" had negative connotations attached to. Suzuki is definitely mischievous, but he means no harm and tries to do better when Okko requests so. Furthermore, he is used as a bridge between our world and the Spirit World. As the film progresses, Okko becomes happier and confident and the more she does the harder it is for her to be able to see and hear Uribo and Miyo. At one point, Okko feels so alone, because she cannot hear or see her ghost friends.

The climax comes at the end when Okko finally grieves. Her connection to the Spirit World help to shield her from this process until her job and the accident come together and she's forced to confront what happened; the man who crashed into her parents car and killed them is a man that she has worked diligently to please at the inn.  It's and this breaking point that we see just how much Okko has grown and learned from her time at her grandmother's inn and her role as junior innkeeper, and she grieves in that moment and her parents assure her that she's alright and she can let them go.

I feel this is a good family movie and a movie for all ages, though the deeper meanings and more mature topics may be lost on young children. The movie will be appreciated more by those who have lost someone close to them. The negative reviews comparing this to Casper The Ghost and the likes were clearly people who don't understand the Anime genre and who went into the viewing with a limited mind. This is not your typical ghost story and it's really not about ghosts. The other most noted complaint I read about the movie were that Okko's actions and reactions didn't seem fitting for her age, but having experienced my own mother's passing a few years ago and watching our family of all ages have to deal with it too, I can tell you that I learned very well that everybody deals with death differently and everybody grieves differently, should they choose to grieve, because not everyone does. Lastly, for those who bashed this movie artistically, I would say that they were mostly missing the art of the storytelling which is done beautifully here. The movie comes full circle at the end, with Okko being able to accept the loss of her parents and is also able to assure the spirits that they can move on too, because Uribo knows now that Okko is there to help her grandmother and Okko is able to bridge Miyo with Matsuki. The same dance ceremony you see in the opening that she first sees with her parents, is the one that Okko performs herself along with Matsuki who has come to respect Okko now, and the spirits are there with her to assure they will see her again when they are reborn. Throughout the movie you see many people dealing with loss in many ways, from death to break-ups, and Okko is there learning from it all and if you let go of preconceived notions let the story guide you through, then you may learn too. If nothing else, you'll find comfort from it.

The movie isn't available for purchase yet, but you can pre-order it on Amazon and it will be released July-2,2019. Some major retailers like Target and Best Buy are selling the movie too. I highly encourage you to pick up a copy!

Last year during SDCC 2018, we had the opportunity to experience "Laika Live" - it was a mini tour of Laika Studios' projects, production process, and upcoming projects. The company really rolled out the red carpet for fans and those who stood in the long line to see their offsite tour.  We were given so much free swag! The real joy in the whole "experience" was seeing how they actually made the films. They actually had people there with a mini workshop to show us how they make the 3D models and explained what goes into making them move, as well as their costume design process. Needless to say, we were very impressed - as if we weren't already! We here are Afronauts are pretty big fans of "Coraline" and "Kubo And The Two Strings".

It was there at SDCC that we were given a first glimpse at their latest movie, "Missing Link", before the general public! They actually played the trailer for us and then we walked through a forest that mimicked the one from the movie with exclusive images from the film! So, of course, we wanted to check the movie out once it came to theaters and see if it lived up to the hype that they presented to us.

WARNING! READING ANY FURTHER WILL HAVE SPOILERS! DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS! - WE DO RECOMMEND SEEING THE FILM!

Going into the movie, both Agent Afronaut & Agent Bunnie had very different ideas of what this movie was actually about.

​Agent Afronaut thought the film was going to be very predictable with a storyline that has been played over and over- typical betrayal by the European explorer/conqueror. Agent Bunnie thought the film was going to be a cheesy telling of how we evolved. - One thing we both agreed on prior to seeing the movie, was that we had a lot of doubts in it being good. Yeah, sure we had experienced the hype at SDCC, but at that time very little was known about the film. The more previews we say in theaters, the more doubts we had. However, we're happy to report that we were both WRONG!

Quick Synopsis: The movie is about British adventurist, Sir Lionel Frost, who is played by Hugh Jackman. He is rejected by a high society club for adventurers and he makes it his mission to be apart of this club by proving that the creature known as Sasquatch exists! To do this he travels to Washington, USA after receiving a letter that turns out to be from a Sasquatch, aka Mr.Link, who is voiced by Zach Galifianakis. It is Mr.Link's desire to be taken to where his "cousins" are, known as the Yetis, so he can live out the rest of his days with his kind and not be lonely. Frost agrees to take Mr.Link to the Himalayas in exchange for being given proof that a Sasquatch exists. The journey to the Yetis home is long and involved being chased by a western outlaw the entire time who is hired by the leader of the British adventurer club and along the way they get help and are accompanied by Frost's ex-flame, Adelina Fortnight, who is voiced by Zoe Saldana. Once they find the Yeti's they are actually rejected by them, because Mr.Link (who is now known as Susan at this point) is viewed as "the redneck cousin". Eventually, they escape the Yeti prison, defeat both the outlaw and the British Lord who were out to kill them, and realize what was truly important.

The overall theme of the movie was "belonging", which was obvious. Both Sir Frost and Susan are seeking to belong, while Adelina already had figured out it's best not to try and belong to a group of people who won't accept you for who you are. It's the not so obvious aspects and the subtle details that really made the movie and made us here at Afronauts really get behind it!

• Evolution - Laika's take on Susan/Sasquatch and the Yetis was very non-traditional. Susan could talk, read, and write English. Self-taught, actually! The Yetis had built their own society and maintained a kingdom. It is pointed out in the movie that we're not so different from them. Afterall, both Frost and Susan seek the same result at the end of their journey. Not only that, but the Yetis were basically the representation of the British in this movie just in ape-like form.
• Man Isn't Always Right - At one point, Adelina calls out Frost for not treating Susan as an equal. We also see this behavior from Frost at the beginning. He clearly feels that his credentials make him superior and he longs to be part of a high society club and yet throughout the movie Adelina tries to show Frost the errors of his ways and how lonely it is making him in life and why people leave him.
• Empowering Women - At the end of the movie Adelina leaves to go off on her own adventure. She states that she doesn't need men or anyone and it's time for her to be free. Earlier in the movie, Frost references a "caged bird" to describe Adelina and it is at the end we get confirmation that this is really describing women during the times of the Wild West and the fact that they were not seen as equal to men. The way that Mr.Link receives his name, Susan, also involves a moment were Frost assumes that the prospector Mr.Link should be named after is a male, but it turns out it was a female and thus he takes the name Susan. - The other nice part of the ending for Adelina, was that it was nice to see a woman keep her bearings through the whole movie and not fall in love, but rather teach (and two beings, I might add!) and move on.
• European Conqueror - Laika didn't stray away or try to dilute the fact that Europeans who traveled the world to "explore", really more so conquered and corrupted. From the very beginning we see the mounted heads and preserved corpses of the creatures found by these Europeans and it is Susan who declares to Sir Frost at their first meeting that he doesn't want to end up dead. The Yetis also seek to remain hidden, because they feel they would be destroyed by humans. There are also several times during the traveling that it is pointed out how little Europeans know and how uncivilized they appear abroad. When they are in Asia to go to the Himalayas, Mr.Frost speaks very loudly and plainly to an Asian man, while Adelina mumbles, "The white man abroad" in annoyance. Not to mention, that many of the cultural issues are pointed out by a woman who is of Latina descent, most likely Mexican considering the time, who has obviously traveled the world and who currently lived in America.
• Historical Accuracy - Laika also touched on the fact that history is usually told by the conqueror and the victorious. The reason the British Lord goes after Frost for his conquest of Sasquatch, is to prevent the knowledge that humans descend from these creatures. We found this aspect to be small in terms of the movie, but a very interesting one that Laika included.
• Evolution of the World - Another small inclusion from Laika was the fear of change and evolution of the world/society. The British Lord stated a major reason why he wanted to stop Frost was to prevent the world from changing and to make sure he was not forgotten or misplaced in the world. While this was only a moment in the movie, it was a huge reference to male and Caucasian dominance.

Complaints: No real complaints here, although Agent Afronaut wasn't a fan of the cheesy humor. It's not for everyone, but Agent Bunnie enjoyed it! Agent Bunnie would have liked a bit more backstory on what happened to Susan's kind, but in hindsight this might have actually taken away from the message and the overall story.
​
Overall, we really enjoyed this movie and we highly recommend it! Even though it is animated, we feel this movie is best for older children 12+. Make sure to catch it in theaters soon before it makes it's way out! Of course, you could always buy the Blu-Ray/DVD!