Friday, January 31, 2020

Geekatana Review - Lupiin III the First - Lupin III doing what he does best


Lupin III: The First is the first cgi full 3d film. Lupin III also known as Lupin the Third, Lupin the 3rd or Lupin the IIIrd, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch. It follows the escapades of master thief Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of Maurice Leblanc's series of novels.


I just like to add that although I know a bit about Lupin III as this famous thief I haven't watched a single episode of the anime, novel or manga. I do know some of my friends that are fans of the franchise but that's just about it for me.



Lupin III goes into another grand adventure to unlock the hidden secrets of the Bresson Diary, a mysterious item that is tied to his grandfather. But it's not going to be easy as another organization also wants the secret of the diary for themselves and would use anyone and kill anyone to get what they want.


Plot wise this is Lupin being Lupin so expect the sort of mystery Robin Hood style escapades ala the Da Vinci Code with a little over the top flair you often find in anime of these sort. The plot is pretty decent and theres barely any boring part from the near 2 hour long film. The story scenes are done in style ala James Bond mix with some Indiana Jones with no shortage of action and intrigue but done in a more anime style.


The characters are interesting enough although some characters didn't get enough time to shine as I wanted as the story focuses more on Lupin and this new girl as they chase and solve the puzzle of the Bresson Diary. I just wished they spent a bit more time in introducing the characters properly as the movie expects you to know just who is who right off the bat. It doesn't hurt the film but newcomers will find the lack of a proper introduction to these characters a bit off putting.


The cgi is nice specially during action and chase scenes adding to the excitement of the film. The animation isnt perfect however as the dialogue and timing when the mouth move are not always in sync but I only found one or two scenes with this problem and not the entire movie itself. Most folks won't even notice them unless they are paying close attention to detail. The problem isn't enough to ruin the movie but it is there.


The comedy in Lupin III is there although not all of them landed for me as I find Lupin III type of comedy a bit on the dry side. Thankfully the action pieces are more than enough to cover for this. The music during chase scenes and action sequences is a nice icing on the cake as well that adds to the overall theme of the movie.


Also I just wished the film was a bit longer with Lupin using his thief skills in solving puzzles but that is just me. There are also some pacing issues as some scene sort of felt rushed and forced with plot devices being conveniently popping in for convenience and upon but I guess that is how most of the plot of Lupin III works. The action would have probably been a bit longer as well.


Overall if you are a Lupin III fan you will definitely enjoy this movie. if your new to the Lupin III then this is a decent jumping in movie for you to see what the series is about. Its really an entertaining film despite its minor flaws from time to time. If you are into Lupin III or simply new to the series than this is a film you since its a decent jumping into the franchise film. A definitely should see movie for fans.





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