63. One Piece Stampede; movie review

ONE PIECE STAMPEDE
Cert 12A
102 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence

Once or twice a year I am utterly bewildered by a movie which has been acclaimed by fans of Japanese anime.
Such was the case with One Piece Stampede.
Its creators make absolutely no attempt to reel in those, like me, who have no knowledge of the previous 13 One Piece episodes.
Devotees have gushed so much it has an 8/10 rating on internet movie database while I was utterly bamboozled.
Apparently,  Takashi Otsuka's film is the culmination of 20 years of One Piece adventures although its conclusion did seem to promise more.
It is also said dwarfs other movies by its scale.
True, it is big. In fact, its protagonists grow into ginormous beings who are vying to be seen as the strongest in the world.
At its beginning, I thought I had it in my grasp as pirates from across the world had come together for an exciting festival and to track down treasure left by the late Pirate King, Gold Roger.
The complications arrived when so many characters were introduced that I just couldn't remember who was who.
Indeed, I couldn't even identify who was on which side during intense and vibrantly colourful battle scenes to establish who was the new king.
Its press blurb states that: "For the unacquainted, it will undoubtedly (and understandably) be a zany experience)."
Totally correct - as time went on, the explosions of colour merged into one kaleidoscope.
Would fans agree that director Otsuka and creator Eiichiro Oda "knocked it out of the park in terms of story and animation."? Reviews would suggest so.
All I saw was lots of shouting and a film which lurches from scene to scene and an unfathomable plot.

Reasons to watch: If you are a devotee of the series
Reasons to avoid: If you are not!

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 3/10 (I can only say as I see)

Did you know? One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.

The final word. Masayuki Endo, President and CEO of  Toei Animation Inc: “One Piece: Stampede' is a bold celebration of One Piece and its unique blend of action, humour and heart." Anime News Network

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