One Piece Film: Zby Patti MartinsonReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 7 The latest One Piece movie starts with a character named Z and his army stealing something called Dyna Stones from an island. The Navy attempts to stop him, but Z sets off one of the stones and blows the island up.The movie cuts to Luffy and the Straw Hat crew having a Cherry Blossom party when they noticed ash spewing from an island. Soon they run across an adrift Z, and Chopper insists they bring him aboard and heal him. When Z awakes and realizes they are pirates, he immediately attacks them. Luffy realizes that the Z's weaponized arm drains his Devil Fruit powers. Z's compatriots, Devil Fruit users attack the crew as well, de-aging Nami, Chooper, Robin, and Brook to younger selves, they almost destroy the Sunny, the Straw Hat's ship, but they escape. Later the crew discover that Z plans to blow up three volcanic islands called End Points, ensuring they will erupt and destroy the sea, and all pirates as well. This also means that innocent people will die and they, along with the New World Marines, race to stop Z and his vengeance against all pirates. I've only seen one or two of the One Piece movies, and this particular one is a fairly strong one. You don't get much characterization or deep focus on any of the Straw Hat crew, although they engage in their characteristic antics. Character focus is more for Z, formerly Master Zephyr, whose vengeance is rooted in personal tragedies caused by pirates. There is plenty of action to be had, and it is all well done and well animated. It's one of the best things about the movie. The animation overall seems to be of higher quality what you would typically see in One Piece. One thing about the movie that surprised me is that there was fanservice of the men of the Straw Hat crew. We get the typical shots of Nami's bouncy breasts, and Robin's body, but we get an extended sequence of the men in a bathhouse, with low-slung towels and broad chests. It was a nice little bit of eye candy that I appreciated more than I had expected. The one downside that I experienced with the movie is that they make crystal clear how terrible pirates were towards Z, who killed his wife, child, and the many men Z trained. Yet at the same time there is the clear support of pirates and their freedom to sail the seas as they see fit. The movie never quite acknowledges the conflicting depiction of the "goodness" of the Straw Hat crew with the "badness" of a fellow pirate murdering a child. The movie makes it clear that Z is doing a very evil thing, but gives him a strong patina of nobility as well. This bothered me quite a bit as it never did before about One Piece. Despite that, I did feel this was a well done movie and I something I can recommend. Written: October 23, 2014
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