Simply put, One Piece Film: Gold is one of the best features of the franchise.
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On Jan. 10-17, One Piece will be making a comeback to North American theaters when its 13th feature film debuts in select cinemas. One Piece Film: Gold has been hefting around pure, unadulterated hype since it debuted in Japan and the two-hour anime romp left fans flustered by its action-packed fight sequences and stunning animation. Now, western audiences will get to enjoy the thrilling film, and both new and old fans are in for a treat.
The film opens with an eye-popping intro filled with flashy decor and an impossibly catchy theme. Like always, fans are immediately introduced to Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist of the acclaimed anime. The elastic hero and his gang of ragtag pirates find themselves undertaking a brand-new adventure when they encounter a massive casino-ship called Gran Tesoro.
The glittering vacation destination gets the Straw Hit pirates fired up for some gambling fun, and Luffy even tries his hand at turtle-car racing before everything comes to a crashing halt. The litany of jokes and chaotic fun comes to a screeching stop when the Straw Hat crew learns they have been duped by Gran Tesoro’s eccentric leader. The power-hungry villain enslaved the pirates under a massive debt, and his unsympathetic position even leads him to plan an execution for Roronoa Zoro.
So, of course, Luffy must find a way to stop Tesoro from killing his close friend – and that is when the film gets good.
One Piece Film: Gold takes a turn once Tesoro makes his true self known, and it is wholly appreciated. The anime launches into a heist story pulled out off Ocean’s Eleven or even Lupin the 3rd as the Straw Hat Pirates conspire to steal an item which gives Tesoro his fearsome power. It’s also during this time that fans begin to see the peripheral ramifications of Gran Tesoro’s lopsided wealth, and it is thought-provoking to say at the least.
The massive ship houses hundreds if not thousands of indentured slaves who owe Tesoro money. There are several heart-wrenching scenes which show Luffy as he slowly begins to understand these citizens’ plight, and the rubberized hero will not stand for.
While One Piece Film: Gold essentially condenses a traditional anime story arc into a film-sized nugget, it does an excellent job at grounding itself with real world dilemmas. And, most excitingly, it gives fans a truly terrifying villain.
Tesoro is nasty in a way that will refresh fans who’ve complained about One Piece‘s villains. While he’s no Shiki or Z, Tesoro does hold his weight, and he is clearly a dangerous threat from the get-go. He and his gang force Luffy and his gang to work as a team, but the film’s biggest pitfalls also resides with Tesoro.
Due to time constraints, One Piece Film: Gold is unable to explore Tesoro’s past thoroughly, and it leaves fans wanting. The movie tries to placate audiences with a sequential flashback that depicts some very disturbing moments from Tesoro’s youth, but it left me wanting more. With a bit of backstory, Tesoro could become one of One Piece’s more complex villains, but he ended up rather two-dimensions by the film’s end.
In the end, One Piece Film: Gold is a fantastical journey into the anime’s universe that is accessible for new and old fans. The film is stuffed with clever inside-jokes and cameos which long-time fans will enjoy, but they do not distract newcomers. In fact, the movie does a great job at introducing its major players through action rather than lengthy exposition, and all its fight sequences will keep anyone entertained.
Blasting off with a captivating start, One Piece Film: Gold has about everything. There’s danger, mystery, comedy, and just a dash of sex appeal. The beloved series has been around for awhile now, and it knows how to give audiences just what they want. For many, One Piece Film: Gold will become a favorite of theirs. It did for me.
One Piece Film: Gold will screen in U.S. and Canada between January 10-17th. You can get more information about theater locations and ticket prices here.
