For the majority of the film, Conan and the gang get to chill and have fun experiencing the wonders of winter. To be fair, there hasn't been a Conan film so far that has been set in a snowy environment. As such, it wins points for originality. That said, it mostly feels like we're waiting for something to happen rather than doing anything about it. While it does pick up later on, the movie seems to be spending more time meandering around the town bumping into convenient clues that eventually lead to the case being resolved. Like The Darkest Nightmare, mystery is not the focus of this film.
Even though the majority of the second act is dedicated to frolicking in a winter wonderland, it does have a silver lining. Let's just say that a certain character appears who is crucial to the resolution of this case. His development as he tries to cope with reality is probably the most intriguing aspect of this film. Had it not been for this character, Conan and everyone else would've just been playing around in the snow the whole time.
Of course, when the movie does pick up, it picks up really fast. The third act is easily the best part of the film as everything that has been building up to this point has finally been resolved and we are treated to some of the best action scenes that has ever come out of the movies so far. If there is anything that is worth sticking around for in this film, its the climax.
When it comes to the art, the character models are on point and the environments are well detailed. The snow effects and the establishing shots in this films are very well done. That said, the running cycles do appear to be inconsistent with the ground they are running on. It's hard to explain, but you'll see what I mean. The music is still as serviceable as ever, but this time we get treated to two very prominent tracks: White Crisis and the Quarter of Silence Ballad Version. Both tracks are very good and worth listening to by themselves.
In conclusion, Detective Conan: Quarter of Silence is a movie that's... okay. Not too good and not too bad, but still memorable enough to be worth mentioning. Definitely the kind of movie to watch during Christmas season, like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer or The Day After Tomorrow (okay, maybe not that last one). Either way, be sure to bundle up when watching this winter-themed movie (preferably with hot coco and a warm fire).
