In this latest Lupin anime TV movie, master thief Lupin and the gang try to break Finnegan, a famous Robin Hood-style thief, out of a formidable prison in the Kingdom of Dorrente.
This is one of the most lighthearted Lupin movies in recent years. The director Hatsuki Tsuji was a key animator during the second series during the eighties, perhaps a reason for it's more playful, old-school feel.
The movie's creative in a weird way. A lot of unexpected concepts are thrown at you. Though this isn't the first story where Lupin has had to get out of a prison, this is the best executed. In fact the movie manages to be one of the more memorable Lupin entries in general as it does things a little differently than the traditional formula. (Not to say that you won't find certain Lupin cliches in this.)
Movie's entertaining, but I admit it's not perfect. There are a lot of fun ideas, but, especially in the beginning when the exhibition is set up, you also get a bunch of dialogue scenes that are just okay. Some of the random or goofy parts might be too random or goofy, especially if you prefer more adult or serious Lupin. It's difficult to connect point A to point B when it comes to the villain's plan and how he or she got his or her operation set up in the first place.
The movie does a good job of juggling all the main cast and having them interact with each other. This is one of those situations where Lupin and his rival Investigator Zenigata end up being in the same boat and have to work together. That's always fun because it doesn't happen too often. I'm liking how they handled Zenigata all together here. The script manages to include him in the main story more than a lot of other films. They also play him smart and resourceful here, which not always interpretation of Zenigata does. Interestingly, this special reuses a character other than the main five. (Lupin is like Scooby-Doo in that's it's a small gang of recurring characters.) Zenigata's assistant Goro Yatagarasu returns from Lupin series six. I'm okay with adding someone new to the formula. Since Zenigata isn't on Lupin's side, it makes sense to finally give him a regular to talk to and interact with. Though the movie might lean a little too hard on Goro's being wet-behind-the-years, he's a decent enough character who's endearing in his earnestness.
Since this is TV, you can't expect the film to be theatrical quality. The budget only goes to far, but the animators are clearly doing the best with what they have. Especially like the backgrounds in this; nice use of color.
Recommended. Not perfect, but it's fun. Not one of the best Lupin entries, but one of the better ones. Definitely more likely to leave an impression than many of the other Lupin films that tend to merge together in your memory.
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