#my review was this: it's a 5 outta 10 movie but every improvement I could offer would make it worse

[swan2swan]

THANK YOU FOR THAT VINDICATION.

Well, I finally know what "Skinamarink" means:

"Don''t watch it"

[ask-highheel-dellinger]

One Piece Movies!

Important: This is basically a reblog of the reviews I did of these movies awhile ago. I decided to blog them again, as it could be harder to find them now that I changed my blog name. Hope that clears things up!

I’ve been marathoning through the older One Piece movies, sort of in preparation for finally getting Film Gold subbed! I’ll be giving my opinions on each one, so maybe others who haven’t seen them might get interested! I will update it as I go along!

One Piece: The Movie (2000) - 6/10 A decent movie! The old art style definitely gives that older anime charm. The villain, El Drago, was passable, and honestly had a very enjoyable final fight with Luffy! What brings it down is the fact that, it’s set weirdly between Syrup Village and Baratie. Also Zoro’s fight was pretty lackluster. But I’d still recommend it for that final fight alone!

One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure (2001) - 7/10 Also decent. Again, old art style makes it an interesting watch. The setting itself was also interesting.The side-characters were actually pretty good too! Bear King isn’t all that great, however. Same with his henchmen. Hell, one of them, who was a Logia user, doesn’t even fight at all! Also hard to tell if Usopp putting his mouth over someone’s asshole to block their paralyzing farts is ‘too much’ or not. But, Zoro, Sanji, and even Usopp have decent fights regardless! I’d still recommend it.

One Piece: Chopper’s Kingdom of Strange Animals (2002) - 6/10 Choppers movie debut! Obviously, it’ll focus a lot on him. He’s alright, though the side-characters don’t offer much. While the movie showcases a lot of very strange animals, not much is really done with them, unlike something like Strong World. Butler serves as a good comedic villain, until the end, where he actually becomes a pretty cool threat! And this movie can boast that it actually pits the opposite henchmen than what you’d expect for Sanji and Zoro, and it’s really good! Unfortunately, while Chopper does do some work against the ‘final boss,’ the KO still goes to Luffy, which is disappointing. Still, a good watch in the end regardless.

One Piece: Dead End (2003) - 8/10 In my opinion, the first very good One Piece movie! A nice plot, and definitely the best villain so far! Gasparde is not only intimidating, but serves to give an amazing final fight in the end! The side-characters have an interesting story going on too, though one of them can come off as a little Ace-y, beyond just their design. I’d say the only things that hold it back are, that the ending could’ve been MUCH more impactful than it was, and that the other Straw Hats don’t get to do a whole lot. Still, definitely a must-see!

One Piece: The Curse of the Sacred Sword (2004) - 3/10 The first, not only bad, but HORRIBLE One Piece movie. I needed to have friends to talk to to get through it. The animation is pretty lackluster, the side-characters are passable at best, the villain is dumb, the plot and movie in general is EDGY AS FUCK, and worst of all, the complete destruction of Zoro’s character. Not only does he betray the Straw Hats, but he does so when he should KNOW that his ‘childhood friend’ is being mind controlled. The henchmen get absolutely demolished with no effort aside from the only likable one, and Luffy ends up doing most of the fight that should be completely done by Zoro. Definitely skip this, unless you plan to suffer through it with a friend.

One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005) - 8/10 A well-needed breath of fresh air after the last movie. Not only is the animation greatly improved, but the plot serves both the light-hearted nature of One Piece, as well as the very dark side of it as well. Omatsuri serves as a very interesting villain once you learn his motives, and you’ll probably end up feeling for him and his crew by the end! The side-characters actually serve a very important role in the end as well! However, what brings this movie down is the awkward bickering between the crew that doesn’t even really go anywhere in the end. The worst DEFINITELY being with Nami. Not only that, but after the crew is separated, they do nothing during the climax. And there’s an argument to be made if this movie gets TOO dark for One Piece as well. That’ll definitely effect how you enjoy this movie. But still, overall highly recommended!

One Piece: The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle (2006) - 6/10 A very simple movie. There’s no big theme or anything. It’s just a lighthearted adventure, which is nice after the last movie. Ratchet makes for a good comedic villain, who’s goals are so dumb that not even the Straw Hats take him seriously. Plus, it’s nice to see someone fight with something other than brute strength as well. Same goes for his henchmen, even if they are beaten pretty easily. However, there are a few things that give it the average score. The animation isn’t particularly special. Luffy can range from really funny to pretty annoying throughout. And, this movie really should’ve come out later, as all the inventions would’ve been perfect for Franky to react to. Also the ending with Luffy accidentally using Gear Second was just… Weird to me. Still, not a bad movie to see at least once.

One Piece: Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates (2007) - 6/10 The first of the ‘Episode of’ movies. And while it certainly isn’t bad, I can’t really recommend watching this as a way to experience Alabasta over the Manga or Anime. The animation isn’t that much higher than the anime, and it does feel rushed at points. Vital information is missed, like EVERYTHING with Ace, and Bon Clay’s sacrifice at the end. The fights aren’t all that fleshed out, though Zoro’s and the final fight with Crocodile are both really good. The most awkward moment is when Luffy and Vivi have their argument about people dying out of pretty much nowhere. But, the best part, I feel, is getting to see Crocodile in his original, full-on evil mode. It was great to see again. Other than that, if you want a quick recap of the events, the movie isn’t terrible, but definitely not recommended to watch as the first experience to the Alabasta Arc.

One Piece: Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura (2008) - 5/10 I was originally going to give this a lower score. I was teetering on 3 and 4 throughout the first portion of it, due to it, for NO reason, adding in both Robin and Franky into the story. I can understand that they wanted to make the special feel contained, without Vivi being there, but it really doesn’t work well. Same goes for the inclusion of Wapol’s brother, Mushroo, who was pretty much only added to have someone who could potentially put up a fight against Gear Second. But, what saves this movie is, one; The animation. The same animation as seen in Baron Omatsuri. and boy does it allow for some AMAZING action. And secondly, Chopper’s flashback. I’ll admit I didn’t cry seeing Chopper’s backstory in the anime, but in this movie, it got me. It really got me. With it being completely canon, there was no distraction from the sheer quality of the animation and story. In no way should someone watch this as a recap of Drum Island, but if someone wants to enjoy some good animation while reliving Chopper’s story, then I can safely recommend it.

One Piece Film: Strong World (2009) - 9/10 Oh boy. The first movie that was overseen boy Oda, and boy does it show. The animation, setting, and plot are all great. Shiki serves as both good for comedy, and threat. He is dripping with Oda charm, and I’ll say it, The Jamaican accent in the dub sells his character completely. His henchmen are silly, and give at least reasons for Zoro and Sanji to do something really cool. The rest of the crew gets to have moments as well, which is great. The animals are not only weird, but get to have plenty of entertaining scenes. The final fight with Shiki is unforgettable. And, of course, the scene with the Straw Hats crashing the party has become one of the most iconic in the entire franchise. I’d say the only thing really holding this movie back from being perfect is that, Nami being kidnapped is preeetty overused. Other than that, this is definitely the kind of movie you not only see, but plan to rewatch again from time to time.

One Piece 3D: Strawhat Chase (2011) - 7/10 While only just above thirty minutes long, I’d say that this little special is definitely worth a watch. The 3D is actually very good, and fits the One Piece style well! I’d say it’s even close, or on-par with the Burning Blood video game. The story is nothing special. Just the Straw Hat’s chasing after Luffy’s hat. That’s it! But, with that simplicity comes some GREAT flowing action. Luffy swinging around after his hat feels great to watch, and the final climax with all the Straw Hats fighting against 3 giants is just an absolute marvel. Again, very simple, but with it’s short running time, I really do recommend a view of it!

One Piece: Episode of Nami: Tears of a Navigator and the Bonds of Friend (2012) - 10/10 Yup. The first tin-outta-tin! Why? Because I honestly feel like this is the best way to experience the Arlong Park Arc. It is the exact opposite of Episode of Chopper. It represents the canon material extremely well, hitting every point it needs to with a natural flow. The animation is great to boot. The fit scenes at the end are great, especially, what I feel, one of the best beat-downs Sanji has ever given in motion. It’s accuracy and animation give it the perfect score. Not only would I fully recommend this to anyone who wants to recap on Arlong Park, but I will also say that this is possibly the best way to experience it, even for new comers into One Piece! You can show them this movie before anything else and there will be little confusion. Definitely a must-see!

One Piece Film: Z (2012) - 10/10 ANOTHER perfect score?! Well, this film deserves it. The second movie Oda has overseen, and once again it shows. Stellar animation once more, and funnily enough, the first One Piece movie that isn’t an ‘Episode of’ that features other canon characters aside from the Straw Hats! Zed is possibly one of the greatest villains in, quite honestly, all of One Piece. A man with some of the best motivations, and easily has a final fight that ranks among the best of the best in the series. And this movie actually made me cry! Before, I had only cried to Brook’s backstory, but at the very, VERY end of the movie,  right as the credits rolled, I broke. This movie is a gem in every way. This is a without a doubt a must-see for any One Piece fan!

One Piece: Episode of Luffy: Hand Island Adventure (2012) - 5/10 Despite the name, this definitely isn’t a movie dedicated to an arc retelling. Even though Luffy’s original backstory is very short compared to the rest, the movie couldn’t easily been about his backstory, and maybe one or two arcs of Romance Dawn. However, the non-canon story that takes up most of the film is just alright. The side characters were fine, though the villain, Bilic, isn’t exactly the greatest. He falls in the ‘annoying enemy’ category, like Wapol, but even worse. Honestly for how pathetic he was, his defeat wasn’t that satisfying. And unlike the Giant Mechanical Soldier, the weapons Bilic use aren’t even creative or fun. Honestly, Oh yeah. The movie has Coby in it. He doesn’t really do anything. He’s just there to try and make the movie more ‘special.’ Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it, but it’s not the worst.

One Piece: Episode of Merry: The Tale of One More Friend (2013) - 7/10 Definitely a good movie, though still has some problems. The animation is still great, and it does stay completely accurate to the original plot. Unlike Alabasta, which I can feel can fit it’s entire story completely into a movie, this movie tackles stuff from Water Seven to the end of Enies Lobby, so obviously a LOT of stuff is skipped.  Like Episode of Alabasta, the fights too feel rushed, aside from the final one with Lucci. The stuff with the Drama between Luffy and Usopp, and the farewell to the Going Merry are all done perfectly. While I wouldn’t recommend this as a full recap of events, since SO MUCH is skipped, it’s still a good movie if you just want to relive some of One Piece’s most emotional moments.

One Piece: 3D2Y (2014) - 7/10 It’s nice to see some of what happened between the two-year timeskip. As usual with the more recent One Piece movies, the animation is great. World makes for an intimidating, and honestly interesting villain with his relationship with his brother. Seeing Hancock do some fighting as well is a rare treat! Buggy is great to watch too. However,this movie can be considered suffering from the ‘Power of Friendship’ syndrome. World was completely and utterly dominating Luffy during the first half of the movie, with Luffy standing no chance. And suddenly by the end, he’s able to keep up and overwhelm World. There has never been such a whiplash in power in the series. Despite that, the fights are still great to watch, and the story is good too. A solid recommendation.

One Piece: Episode of Sabo: Bond of Three Brothers - (2015) - 6/10 This movie is a bit all over the place. It’s partially about Sabo’s point of view while in Dressrosa, which is cool to see! But we don’t get to see THAT much with him. Another part is just recapping the first half of Dressrosa, until the end of the Colosseum, in general, which seems strange given that Dressrosa was still going on at this time. And it’s final part is recapping the flashback of the three brothers, which is honestly just sort of there. Aside from some nice animation, especially during Luffy’s fight with Don Chinjao and Sabo’s fight with Diamante, the movie doesn’t really offer much. You’d be better off just watching/reading the entire Brothers flashback, and the same goes for Dressrosa. Unless you want to see a bit more extra stuff with Sabo, or want a brief refresh on the Brothers and Dressrosa, you can safely skip this movie.

One Piece: Adventure of Nebulandia (2015) - 7/10 How you feel about the movie will really depend on whether or not you like Foxy. Honestly, I love him, so this movie was a great watch. It starts off with some fun shenanigans and then leads into Luffy and Foxy needing to work together against Komei, who is an alright villain. He has a decent fight with Luffy at the end. There’s not much else to really saw. The movie is just  fun! I recommend it to anyone who wants to see more Foxy!

One Piece: Heart of Gold (2016) - 5/10 This movie is basically just to try and hold people over until  Film Gold. Does it succeed? Kinda. It’s a decent adventure movie, with some fun ideas. Olga can range from passable to annoying. The villain, Mad Treasure, isn’t anything special. Also, the idea that a guy like HIM can just, completely control the entire Straw Hat crew that isn’t the Monster Trio is pretty insulting. But, it is nice seeing the crew work together to achieve what they need to. Other than that, the movie is pretty forgettable, and I really doubt you need to see it to appreciate Film Gold more. If you’re looking for a nice adventure, you’ll get it here, but otherwise you can skip it.

One Piece: Film Gold (2016) - 8/10 Definitely a great movie! The animation isn’t only great, but this is definitely the most eye-pleasing One Piece movie to date! Plus, I think the soundtrack is one of the best  too! The middle-half with the spy movie-like feel is very unique for One Piece! Tesoro is a very good villain, with an interesting story. His henchmen are decent, though only Zoro has a real fight in the end. The final fight with Tesoro is great too! Though in terms of negatives, they are still there. Zoro is absent for a good portion of the movie. Also, I’m afraid all the hype with Lucci and Sabo doesn’t really pay off. You see NOTHING of their fight, which is a huge shame. And while seeing Gear Fourth in such great animation is wonderful, Luffy only gets two attacks in with it, so again it leaves a lot to be desired on that front. Other than those things, I’d say it’s definitely worth a watch or two. Let’s hope for continually great movies in the future!