DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME ActionONE PIECE
MUSICShin Jidai
MUSICWatashi wa Saikyou
MUSIC DramaGyakkou
MUSICUtakata Lullaby
MUSIC DramaSekai no Tsuzuki
MUSIC DramaTot Musica
MUSICKaze no Yukue

REVIEWS

• 

  ZeraLight

  70/100
  (Spoilers free) Not the kind of movie I was expecting, but an enjoyable watch

  Alright, I'll try my very best to share my thoughts about One Piece: Red with you.

  First of all, keep in mind that this is the first One Piece movie I've seen so far. Thus, I won't be able to give you any comparison with any other one.
  In case you are wondering how I managed to watch it already, it's because France had the chance to get the movie in simulcast with Japan.
  Some of you might've seen some videos about the mess we had in our movie theaters when the movie was out. It was especially the case for the firsts representations.

  Here's what it looked like in my session :

  To be honest, it didn't really bother me, I still had a pretty decent time (you have to believe me).

  ---

  Time to talk about the movie itself (I'll try my best to avoid any spoiler!).

  Uta's singing:

  You probably already expect it if you've read the synopsis already, but Uta's going to sing.
  Ado did an amazing performance, and you'll surely be moved by her singing.
  If you can't wait to watch the movie to hear the song, you can already find most of them on YouTube on Ado's channel.
  (I recommend you don't if you want to enjoy the movie at its fullest)
  Even though I love Ado's performance, I have to admit some songs were maybe too much. Too many songs can get on your nerves at one point, especially when they cut an impactant scene.
  There were about 10 different songs in the movie.
  I caught myself sighing at some point because of Uta's endless singing.

  Expect the movie to be close to a musical comedy.

  Story:

  The movie takes place between the Whole Cake Island arc and Wano Country arc.
  Our Straw Hat crew is enjoying what seems to be the biggest concert of the world with the superstar Uta.
  Some pirates will try to capture her alive so they can ask for a ransom. Luffy and his friends will rush on stage to help Uta get rid of them.
  We also learn in the first minutes that Luffy knows Uta from a decade ago, and that he knows she's Shanks' daughter. I find this information a bit too rushed and inconsistent with the manga, but I won't dwell on it.

  Unfortunately, I can't really tell you more about the story without spoiling you the important matter.

  For those who don't care about being spoiled, here's more:
  We will learn that Uta is the vilain and we'll get to know her motivations:
  Uta was a singer who was part of Shanks' crew, and git abandonned by her father in the island where the movie takes place.
  We then learn that she hates pirates, and attack Luffy's crew as if they were mere enemies.
  Uta's devil fruit power is able to force anyone who listen to her singing to sleep and share the same dream.
  The majority of the movie will take place is this "dimension" where she can do anything she wants.
  Get ready to see musical fights with shots alternating between punches and dance choreography.

  WHAT ABOUT SHANKS???

  This is probably the most important question you ask yourselves.
  Is Shanks finally doing something, or is it just another let down?
  For those who don't want to know, I'll answer you with a spoiler tag:
  YES! Shanks is finally fighting. We have an idea of what he is capable of. That's trully a blessing after all these years of teasing!

  Visuals:

  I don't have much to say. The visuals were great. Uta's choregraphies and the fights were clean and smooth.
  There might be a lot of CGI sometimes, but it is pretty well executed.

  About some more precise events (spoilers ahead):

  About the final fight:
  It was sometimes hard to understand what was going on because we kept switching between the dream dimension, and the real dimension.
  A lot of characters participate in this final fight, it was a good surprise to see some of them again to be honest.

  I remember THE scene where Luffy and Shanks are about to give the final blow. What a hype it was.
  And, this same scene is interrupted not once, but TWICE because of flashbacks. That really triggered me.

  About the vilain :
  Uta being an old acquintance of Luffy, he doesn't even try to hit her when needed. It was really annoying sometimes.

  Overall conclusion:

  The setting of the movie is done in a pretty slow way (1h20), with perhaps too much musics, for a really intense fight scene of about ten minutes.
  A few flashbacks triggered me because they ruined the hype of the action.
  And I finally didn't really like Uta. She lacked something.

  If you know what to expect when you go to see the movie, I am sure you will enjoy it.

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• 

  Kusaja

  85/100
  Film Red is one of the most idiosyncratic movies, thanks to its musical performances and focus on character drama

  Film Red is the second most idiosyncratic One Piece movie, thanks to its overt reliance on musical performances and the spotlight focused on Uta, a new female character. It also has the benefit of bringing out Shanks, who is one of the most important yet mysterious characters in the original work, as an active participant. While this is not a canonical story, I have found a lot to enjoy this time around and wish to share my thoughts and feelings with some open-minded readers.

  Of course, it is hard to ignore the commercial success of the movie's theatrical release, which proves Film Red has resonated with many thousands of people across Japan. However, I will warn those who are expecting more of the same that they may not always find it here. Thus I can at least respect, even in the midst of disagreement, those who felt this movie struck a discordant note.

  Why are there such vocal viewer reactions, alternatively expressing their love and hate for the end product? It's because Film Red brings together a relatively unique mix of rock opera, character drama and all-star battle through a couple of daring artistic choices. Thematically speaking, this movie also implicitly challenges a few of the assumptions that are common among a certain percentage of the One Piece fanbase.

  As you can easily imagine, that approach will not sit well with everyone. For me, Film Red doesn't seek to establish a new standard in terms of shonen battle spectacle, but it still reflects a key part of the emotional core of One Piece. There is plenty of merit in this.

  From a certain perspective, one of the great virtues of Eiichiro Oda's manga masterpiece has to do with the value of found family and the clash between different ideals of justice in a world that can simultaneously be incredibly colorful and whimsy while also continuing to be fundamentally unfair and occasionally outright cruel. Despite all of the twists and turns of this latest cinematic narrative, I would say the movie remains true to an interpretation of this idea.

  STORY: 7.5/10

  In many fictional stories, the most admirable heroes are those who simply fight against absolute evil and win. In the case of One Piece, there are plenty of those situations and our hero Luffy usually has his heart in the right place, but for me some of the best parts of the original story focus on the struggle of those characters who combine virtues with flaws and imperfections. Even if their motivations are ambiguous or even misguided, I have always been more interested in the little stories of characters who, whether important or not, at least try to stand up against the world to fight for what they believe in. Sometimes they win, sometimes they fail.

  Regardless of the merits or even the desirability of either side's beliefs, there can be a lot of poignancy in those moments. It doesn't matter if you're part of the Marines, Shichibukai or Yonko...your position doesn't necessarily mean all of your beliefs are right or wrong. Sure, we all know that One Piece is ultimately a Shonen Jump publication and this means there are certain ethical limits. I don't expect the grand tale of Luffy and his friends to end on an unhappy note, to be honest, but the story has occasionally reached towards exposing a darker underbelly than what its colorful surface suggests. In the long run, we trust those glimpses into a dark reality are only obstacles and a brighter future is waiting for our cast of characters.

  On the other hand, there is also a degree of artistic value in the act of depicting what would happen in the One Piece world when the pressures are just too strong and you'd rather escape from reality...both for yourself and for the sake of others (or say, to meet the expectations and demands of others). In a way, that same sensation of tension and determination is part of what I can appreciate about Film Red's script.

  Predictably enough, it isn't simple to make One Piece: Film Red fit into any specific part of the larger One Piece story. You would quickly find small and large inconsistencies upon looking at the chronology.

  Yet, speaking only for myself, I was able to watch the movie as a standalone project with ease. When we are dealing with an alternate non-canonical storyline, as almost all One Piece movies are, the screenwriter can afford to play rather fast and loose with the absence and presence of various characters, abilities or locations.

  Is it perfectly written? No. Does it need to be? Nope. While the formal narrative is arguably the weakest link in Film Red, it has also incorporated quite a few of the themes of One Piece while bringing a certain amount of fresh air into the room. I happen to find the features and consequences of that decision to be worth appreciating in multiple ways.

  In short, Eiichiro Oda himself supervised the creation of this movie and he was getting tired of creating "legendary old men". With a small number of honorable exceptions, most of the One Piece theatrical entries have fallen into a rather typical methodology: Luffy and the Straw Hats run into a new and seemingly all-powerful male foe, leading to a great battle where this enemy is inevitably defeated. Everyone can go home and be happy. The End.

  That's all well and good, but at some point it's nice to add a little variety. Based on that premise, the story of Film Red is less of a straightforward pirate action adventure and more of a vehicle for the exploration of a new fictional character, Uta, through the use of musical expression. It would not be out of line to say that the term "musical battle" has been applied both literally and figuratively to this production with controversial yet arguably excellent results.

  Specifically, Uta, the idol and songstress who is the undeniable center of this movie, represents a concrete departure from the norm.

  Saying too much would be a spoiler, but the first half of Film Red is essentially built to introduce us to a set of mysteries. Mysteries with a degree of useful foreshadowing, as a matter of fact, although not everything will be immediately clear. To be sure, there are at least two big plot twists that aren't even remotely hinted at in the trailers. One of them is rather typical and can be found in plenty of other fictional works, yet it is still comparatively new within the context of the One Piece universe.

  Unsurprisingly, resolving any mystery usually requires exposition. Around the midway point of the movie, the pace does tend to drag. This mystery-solving, so to speak, does provide a number of secondary characters with a chance to shine, but I agree it can feel rather heavy in the moment. That said, the musical sequences were able to revive my interest whenever it threatened to drop.

  Now, strictly speaking, it would be incorrect to label Film Red as a complete musical. There's been some hyperbole about most of the movie being nothing other than songs in the old-school Disney fashion, which is objectively inaccurate.

  However, I can find a grain of truth in that statement. The viewers' ability to enjoy this project will rely, to a considerable extent, on their willingness to open their hearts and minds to what the movie is trying to do. Frankly, this is always more of an emotional process than a purely logical one. If that fails, then the entire house of cards will crumble and you'll leave the theater bored and bitter. Not my personal case, yet I can understand why other folks might reach such a conclusion.

  Once certain narrative keys have all been unlocked, Film Red's story pace speeds up during the second half and there is a large-scale battle waiting at the end. Yet this time, I would readily recognize that the outcome of the battle is the least interesting part. As spectacular as it is to see certain unexpected team-ups and so many powerful attacks being used...the real threat is not the external enemy, but an internal one. It is there that the Film Red script will play its final card and, for my money, the gamble was worth my investment. Naturally, this will vary depending on the viewer's own preference, tastes and capacity for empathy.

  To put things in perspective here...any truly action-based movie like the mega-hit One Piece: Stampede would place far more attention on the battle choreography aspect. Yet Stampede, for all of its adrenaline, felt comparatively emotionally shallow. I dare to say that One Piece: Film Red is almost the exact opposite. For me, the relatively underwhelming combat was compensated by more of a theatrical and engaging approach to the drama.

  CHARACTERS: 8/10

  Oh boy. I'll only discuss a limited number of individuals in detail, because there's a large cast involved here and it would take too long. Ironically enough...they're a lot, but not near the level of Stampede's famously enormous list of participating pirates.

  That said, I found even the secondary or tertiary characters to have a more convincing in-universe reason to show up. You still need a certain amount of key One Piece figures to really sell the scale of the threat. Quite a few get their own small moment too.

  Is that fanservice? Sure, but celebrating existing characters is fine. When it serves a valid narrative objective it actually doesn't bother me. In a perfect world, I'd have liked to see the Straw Hats taking on a more formal leading role, yet one of the unique freedoms provided by the concept of a non-canonical One Piece movie is that the staff can afford to experiment. In other words, the camera can temporarily move away from them a little bit to serve other purposes. They'll continue getting more than enough development and a strong public profile in the main story, so there's no overwhelming urgency to feature them at this point.

  Having said that, let's talk about the more central players.

  Without being the deepest psychological examination ever, I think the storytelling's focus on the new character of Uta adds up to a fairly complex and potentially appealing characterization. From a bird's eye view, you could even draw a couple of contrasts with Nami's and Robin's arcs from way back in the day. All of which is part of why I'll honestly give Film Red a good amount of credit here.

  Uta's motivations are tricky, because there's technically three of them, depending on what part of the movie you want to consider and how you interpret the meaning of these events. In this regard, her status as the daughter (!?) of Shanks provides a common starting point of understanding. Uta's background allows us to compare her with Luffy and his own aspirations. In practice, this achieves the goal of successfully introducing her to the existing One Piece world. The flashbacks are quite helpful as a method of humanization in this respect. Which is vital, given the twisted path the movie takes.

  In a few words, there really isn't any other music-related character in One Piece with quite the same combination of positive and negative traits, especially not in the movies. She can go from genuinely funny and friendly to courageous, selfless, selfish, frustrating, annoying, pitiful, desperate and, yes, endearing. As a result, we can almost track Uta's emotional journey as communicated through the different songs. That's quite a novel approach for a One Piece project and, in and of itself, already makes her stand out. Furthermore, I recommend paying a bit of attention to her facial expressions.

  I am not entirely surprised that people will either find a lot to love or a lot to hate in her, because both evaluations can be objectively supported. If we asked ten different people, we would get a significant split in terms of their judgments of Uta. Similarly, my own range of emotions towards her went through a lot of highs and lows...until the end, which left quite a lasting impression. With that in mind, I believe the creators of the film made the right decision to focus on Uta. Rather ambitious and even risky as an artistic decision, yes, but you'll never win big if you only ever dare to make entirely safe bets.

  The other new individual of note is Gordon. Even though his screen presence in Film Red is significantly less than Uta's and his looks aren't anything special, I think Gordon was a surprisingly good fit for this story. While it's easy to dismiss him, especially without going into spoilers, there's a reason why ageless wisdom teaches us to avoid judging a person by his or her external appearance.

  Next, there's the significant matter of Luffy. He is still Oda's eternal protagonist for the larger story of One Piece, by all rights and with all the benefits this position brings, but in this particular movie it's going to be a little different from the usual.

  Luffy's still going to participate in battles and remains our nominal entry point into the situation. Yet, for once, his normal level of importance was held back by the nature of a standalone narrative focused on, gasp, someone else. Imagine that.

  All the same, he still serves an interesting role in Film Red. In a sense, it's another way of putting him to the test compared to the usual type of enemies he has had to deal with.

  You can also ask a number of questions as a result, not necessarily in the strict canonical sense but as general themes. What is Luffy's exact relationship to Uta? Does Luffy share her beliefs or does he maintain his own way of thinking? Can Luffy really solve every problem? What does Uta's story imply about Luffy's?

  While it would require spoilers to address those points here, for me Luffy's role was still more of a positive than a negative.

  Now I've finally come to discuss Shanks, who is the obvious elephant in the room.

  Most viewers will be incredibly glad to see Shanks in Film Red. In fact, Shanks gets to do a lot more during this one movie than you might expect. More than what he's done in years, regardless of whether or not you're up to date with the manga. This inclusion might be debatable, because some other One Piece fans would prefer to keep Shanks strictly away from the spotlight until the original creator gives us all the details about him in a completely canonical work.

  I can respect this way of thinking, despite not sharing it. Sure, there is also going to be some skepticism in light of the commercial nature of anime production. After all, Shanks was part of the promotional materials for the movie, but he isn't the protagonist. If you haven't paid any attention to the trailers, which make clear he isn't supposed to be the one central figure in this new story, that might be disappointing.

  And yet, I would argue using Shanks in Film Red was a valid creative choice for two reasons.

  First, because it's naturally cool to see Shanks as an active player in the action after so long. Why shouldn't we be hyped about that? They even found a creative solution to the "impossible problem" posed by Shanks being in a movie featuring Luffy.

  Second, perhaps more importantly, because the movie does serve to tell us more about him. Both directly and indirectly.

  There's his relationship with Uta, which has value in and of itself by developing Shanks as a father figure as well as by providing us with a curious method to reflect about the meaning of his relationship with Luffy. The way he reacts (or doesn't) to the events of this movie can show us more about his personality.

  While almost the totality of the movie can never happen in the original storyline, I am confident that Oda made sure to supervise how Shanks would be depicted to guarantee he would be fully in-character here. Plus, as a bonus, we also get a couple of pieces of extra information about the past of Shanks that can add fuel to the fan theories about what's really going to happen with him.

  ART AND ANIMATION: 8/10

  Film Red was a very nice looking movie, for the most part. In particular, the musical performance scenes are a visual highlight for anyone who cares about this medium. Outside of the minor use of 3D with mixed results, I was pleased by the presentation, including quite a few nice storyboards. Great job!

  Let's get this out of the way: yes, you can still find a number of less relevant sequences with pre-Wano arc levels of animation, particularly during a bunch of regular conversation scenes. It doesn't bother me, but I can see why those moments could take a few of the viewers out of the experience if they're used to the best parts of the TV series in terms of animation.

  When the animators put their skills and resources at work, however, Film Red can be a feast for the eyes.

  SOUND: 10/10

  Perfect. No, seriously.

  If you're going to make a movie where the use of music plays a central role in the storyline and one of the main characters is a singer, then the songs should be excellent. Otherwise, what would be the point of such an enterprise?

  I'm glad to report that Film Red's creative staff made an impressive decision when they selected Ado to provide Uta's seven songs. She's great. Ado's collaborations with many famous artists cover a wide spectrum of emotional expression and musical genres, which bring a welcome variety to the sound of the movie and also feeds into Uta's characterization by reflecting her mental and emotional state.

  They're used very well. I would say my favorites are "Backlight", "New Genesis", "Tot Musica" and "Where The Wind Blows".

  Significantly, even the lyrics gain a different layer when you sit down to listen to them after watching the movie.

  ENJOYMENT: 9/10

  I like One Piece. Not as the most hardcore of fans, but enough of one to appreciate Oda's skillful storytelling and follow along with the storyline at my own pace.

  At the same time, I think it's good to have movies where different aspects of the world of One Piece can be explored, even outside of strict canon. I welcome creators who try to do something new, even if it means taking a risk and not pleasing all of the audience.

  The real goal of these movies isn't to satisfy every single person, which is almost impossible in this age, but to add new blood to the property and, at least in a manner of speaking, provide a path for new people to come in (and to make money, yes, but that is already evident to anyone reading this).

  For me, Film Red has achieved the majority of what was required in this respect. As a work of entertainment, you don't necessarily need to be an expert on One Piece to appreciate this movie. In fact, I have heard of former One Piece fans in Japan who came back to see this film and had a good time. If at least some of them decide to pick up the manga or the anime, then this represents a net gain to the community.

  Even so, there are specific things that will be more appealing to existing fans, especially those who are less interested in the result of a battle than in the emotional fallout. As mentioned elsewhere, this is less of a rollercoaster of action than a rollercoaster of emotions. If you are strictly logical and not particularly romantic (in the classic sense of the term, mind you), then Film Red may disappoint you.

  In my personal case, I would like to invite anyone who found anything of interest in this review to give the movie a chance.

  OVERALL: 8.5/10

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• 

  mrphilip

  60/100
  This is a brutally honest review on the new one piece film red, I will be honest so please dont be offended and enjoy.

  I'll keep this review brief and straightforward.

  Story
  The One Piece narrative The problem with Film Red is that it's okay but not amazing, and I'll explain why that's a problem because we, the fans, had extremely high hopes for it. Film Red isn't horrible by any means; in fact, I think its a decent plot. The story is a bit unique, I suppose, but not that great to be completely honest with you. I won't spoil anything, but I will say that I pretty much knew exactly what was going to happen from the first 20 to 30 minutes of the film. Thats how generic and predictable it was. Keep in mind that generic doesn't always mean bad; it just means that it was normal, which is not a great standard for the iconic one piece.

  Fun?
  Despite the chaotic nature of the film and its stunning visual appeal, without a compelling storyline, all is for naught. It's not their fault; rather, it's my or, should I say, our fault for setting the bar too high for this movie. It's a good movie, but it just felt so boring. To be completely honest with you, the pacing of the movie is shit. The first hour feels like a waste of time. It was stretched out a lot and didn't accomplish anything. I really do love one piece and its movies, which is why I cant lie to myself and tell you that this movie is good when it clearly isent good or fun in any way. one piece could be so much better then this, And I find it sad that they wasted such potential on this generic and boring story. so yeah the movie wasn't fun it was just "OK"

  last thoughts (sad reality)
  Sadly the movie was generic and honestly it could have been way better. We expected way more than this but they disappointed us with this boring film. Also uta's character and reasoning for being the "villain " was very dumb and didn't seem realistic or interesting at all I liked Uta because of her cheerful personality, But making her the villain wasn't the best idea here. She could have been way better as something else if you compare her to Bullet (stampede villian)  she is in comparison nothing but garbage she lacks everything a Villian needs meanwhile, Bullet has everything a Villian needs, I view this movie as "bad" when compared to the previous movie stampede which was amazing in my opinion.

  Conclusion
  please dont take this in a negative way, i love one piece but at the same time i have to be honest and call this movie out for what it is which is "bad" or "average" Depends on how you see it but it cannot in no way be greater then a 7. It lacks a lot and doesn't excite you for what comes next because you already know what's going to happen. It is so predictable and boring I'm sorry one piece fans but this movie has failed us :(.

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