Meitantei Conan Movie 22: Zero no Shikkounin

Do you like thriller movies?
Do you like sci-fi thriller with lots of fancy made-up terms?
Do you like movies with damsel-in-distress situations?
Do you like actions with thrilling near-death situations?
Do you like cool impossible-to-do-in-real-life car actions?
Do you like super smart main character that clearly out-do any other characters?

If yes, then this is for you.

Many people complaint that Detective Conan movies don't really focused on mystery-solving anymore, and instead filled with unrealistic actions. Well, I didn't come in expecting grand deductions and intriguing mystery-solving. I'm just here for some good action with cool smart characters. If you are here expecting the mystery elements of Detective Conan series, then ... you'll most likely be disappointed.

Anyway here's my ratings:
Story: 7/10 (the premise's quite good)
Art: 7/10 (usual characters design but the fancy actions are well done)
Sounds: 5/10 (nothing fancy)
Character: 7/10 (the usual some cool characters and some useless characters)
Enjoyment: 9/10 (well I was pretty much enjoyed it)
Overall: 7.5, but I'll give it 8/10

Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer successfully recaptures the magic of the first movies with excellent pacing, international stakes, and incredible characterization with its only flaw being an ungraceful translation.

From the bombing of the Edge of the Ocean to Kogoro's arrest, Conan must save his girlfriend's father and Japan from an international threat. This is definitely among the biggest movie in terms of scale and personal involvement as not only must he save Japan, but also his girlfriend's family.

The story coasts along a smooth and consistent pace that never bores the viewer and keeps them anticipating what will happen next. There is never a boring ... moment and (almost)nothing feels forced and unnatural.

Not only is the main cast in top form here, the film's original characters receive a lot of attention and development as the movie goes on. This is probably the most dynamic cast of characters I've seen in a Detective Conan movie so far.

That being said, a lot more could've been done to make this film more comprehensible. While the subtitles do a good enough job of letting the viewer know what the characters are saying, it occasionally struggles with explaining more complex elements such as the PSB's involvement with crime investigation and prosecution, both of which are essential to the film's story. Nevertheless, it's a gripe I can overlook since there's still a chance that a better translation will eventually replace the version I've reviewed.

I mentioned earlier that Zero the Enforcer captures the magic of the first few movies and I confess that it may be my nostalgia talking. I remember how amazed I was when I first saw The Time-Bombed Skyscraper and The Fourteenth Target. Watching this movie helped to remind me why I love Detective Conan(or at least the movies) and why it is such a great series.

So, yeah. I love this movie and I can't wait to see it again. If you have any doubts about this movie being worth your time, I can't convince you any more than this. You owe to yourself to watch this movie. And who knows; you might come away pleasantly surprised.

This one also begins with a terrorist attack, but we're not inside the building, so it's not as triggering(?) as "The Crimson Love Letter" was for me. This one also has considerably less going on for most of it. The investigation into Kogoro committing the bombing is essentially nonexistent because that idea is ridiculous, and so a lot of the movie spins its wheels around this. But.

I felt that was part of the point, because this movie was significantly more ACAB than typical for this series. And I was fucking here for it. As much as the police force is still portrayed as omni-competent and ... a protector of society because this is a Japanese movie and a significant part of the recurring cast we're supposed to like consists of police officers, this movie was not shy about laying down facts about how the justice system is engineered to convict people, not to conduct justice or discern the truth. Furuya, essentially a secret policeman, openly admits that covering up crimes committed by cops is part of a cop's job. And part of the resolution of the plot revolves around the fact that the justice system has us put ourselves into the hands of people, rather than "the system," and people are corruptible. It's an exercise in giving people power and expecting them to act as though they do not have it, and never checking that they use it well. This was all welcome for me, and it kept me going through a pretty slow movie.

But then the last 30 minutes escalated to an absolutely insane degree, with a lot of great shots and impressive CG car work. The way they drew Furuya during the climax was so fucking cool. The sax theme sting was perfect.

Also here for using the non-canon movie as an excuse to throw some food out there for those of us who enjoy pairing Furuya with Azusa. They're so cute.

And can we just talk about how easy Conan and Ai's relationship is, and how much they trust each other? I wish Ai had a more direct role in these stories than providing digital support and watching the increasingly vestigial Detective Boys, but I love the way she smiles at Conan and bristles when he asks her for help Yet Again. I love this for them.

Good movie, from start to finish, mainly thanks to Furuya, an interesting character with his many identities, but who had few appearances in the main series, so I'm glad he was the protagonist of a movie, I love him! The action scenes were thrilling but a little surreal and sci-fi. All DC films have always been a little unreal, but this one probably surpasses them, and in my opinion clashes with the main series which, in its "unrealism" always tries not to lead too much to science fiction. Ran in this movie she is particularly obsessed with Shinichi, I think the movies make me tolerate ... her less and less. Literally in every movie she is in danger and in every movie her lines are always "Shinichi, Shinichi, Shinichi" all the time! So, I would rate this movie 7 but I raise the rating to 8 only for Furuya.