“Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine”: A Disappointing Dive?
I had been eagerly anticipating the release of “Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine.” I even made a point of attending a Japanese-language screening. However, my excitement quickly turned to disappointment. Before the movie even ended, I was already formulating my complaints.
Douban Score: 6.7
As the 26th film in the “Detective Conan” franchise, it has garnered significant attention since its release. Putting aside the controversial romantic elements, I had high expectations for the plot, especially given the advertised “Peak Showdown, Black vs. Red” theme.
Synopsis: The story unfolds at the “Pacific Buoy,” an ocean facility near Hachijo Island, Tokyo, boasting the world’s most advanced surveillance system and age-recognition technology. The Black Organization seeks to seize this technology, discovering Ai Haibara’s true identity through the system, leading to a confrontation with Conan and his allies.
It’s truly remarkable how the promotional materials managed to highlight the appealing aspects of this film, because the flaws are numerous!
Major Grievances
1. Character Checklists and Nonsensical Villains
The film felt like a checklist of popular characters making their signature moves and delivering iconic lines. Ran’s brief display of martial arts felt perfunctory, and the Black Organization members acted like complete buffoons.
2. A Pathetic Excuse for a Mystery
The actual investigation was woefully underdeveloped. The culprit was obvious from the start, and the method was easily deduced from the surveillance footage. The mystery and deduction aspects were laughable, feeling like an afterthought. The time dedicated to the case itself probably didn’t exceed 10 minutes. For a detective movie, shouldn’t solving the crime be the main focus? Instead, it’s relegated to a mere side note.
3. Conan’s Over-the-Top Stunts
Conan’s increasingly absurd stunts have become a major issue. Skateboard acrobatics are now commonplace, and he’s apparently mastered underwater combat against submarines! At this point, Conan should just compete in the Olympics. The large-scale action sequences have become increasingly ridiculous over the years. I fully expect the next installment to involve mechs, nuclear weapons, and tanks, completing the land, sea, and air trifecta of over-the-top mayhem.
4. The Haibara Conundrum
I genuinely like Ai Haibara as a character. She’s typically portrayed as a reserved, intelligent, and composed woman. However, her internal monologues in this film were questionable. The final few minutes, with the double rescue by Conan and Haibara, were particularly jarring. While the artificial respiration wasn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, Haibara’s “returning the kiss” to Ran, along with her dialogue and expression, felt unsettlingly like she was gloating.
This film amplified the romantic tension between Conan and Haibara to an uncomfortable degree. If Ran had been the one rescued instead of Haibara, Conan’s concern and anxiety would have felt perfectly natural. This created the illusion that Ran and Haibara hold equal importance in Conan’s heart. Combined with Ran’s repeated pleas to Shinichi over the phone, I felt a surge of anger towards Conan’s deception.
5. A Muddled Theme
The movie attempts to address themes like racial discrimination, technological advancement, and surveillance privacy, but only in a superficial manner. There’s no depth or meaningful exploration of these topics, making the film feel like a disorganized hodgepodge.
Final Verdict
I left the theater feeling utterly disappointed. For a franchise that’s been around for nearly 30 years, this 26th installment is a significant step down. I’d rather rewatch the previous films two or three times than endure this again! I can only hope that I’ll live to see the series reach its conclusion.