Pokémon Detective Pikachu has been uploaded in its entirety to YouTube, just days before the movie hits theaters — or so Warner Bros. would have you think. What appears to be a rogue account uploading all 102 minutes of the live-action Pokémon movie and ruining its box office chances is instead a fantastic marketing stunt that’s also very much worth watching.
The YouTube video — “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu: Full Picture” — was uploaded on Tuesday by a user named Inspector Pikachu, who also tweeted it out. Actor Ryan Reynolds, who voices Pikachu in the film, then retweeted it.
It doesn’t take long for the joke to pay off here. After logos for Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary, and The Pokémon Company fade out, the movie cuts to Ryme City. Protagonist Tim Goodman walks alone through the city streets before something grabs his attention: It’s Pikachu. It’s Pikachu dancing. It’s Pikachu dancing on loop for about 100 minutes. In all, there’s about 32 seconds of actual Detective Pikachu film footage in here.
You may not want to stick around for the full hour-and-40-minute dance session, but it’s worth watching for a spell to remind yourself that the fuzzy Pikachu of Detective Pikachu is extremely good.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu hits theaters on May 10. Read Polygon’s review of the movie to see if it’s worth your time.
