One Piece (2023)

While this live-action version does an admirable job of showcasing the spirit of One Piece, its abridged treatment of the plot removes most, if not all of its heart.

To call it truly good would be a stretch worthy of Monkey D Luffy’s rubbery limbs. To call it dull, however, would be outright dishonesty.

An honest attempt has been made to turn the exaggerations of the source material into something recognizably human. If, for the most part, the characters are collections of characteristics — Nami is tough, Zoro stoic, Sanji refined, Usopp nervous — the actors inhabit them attractively. Where it fails, critically if not quite fatally — that is to say, it almost put me off but I did carry through — is with Luffy. .... He’s meant to be the spirit of the tale, but turns tiresome in human form.

To an even greater extent than the Netflix “Cowboy Bebop,” the Netflix “One Piece” feels bland and generic. It may satisfy fans of the original who are happy to see events more or less faithfully replicated, but most of the verve and personality of the anime are gone, replaced by busyness, elaborate but uninteresting production design and — a sign of the times — an increased piety regarding the story’s themes of knowing and believing in yourself.

At its best, “One Piece” is a candy-colored confection with a childish glee to match its straightforward coming-of-age arc. Just as often as these efforts transport the viewer, however, they also evoke the original medium of “One Piece” and underscore what an awkward fit it can be for live action, no matter the expense.