Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3426 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-10-17
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English, Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 92 minutes

Customer Reviews

Info on the this DVD
I think the other reviews here do justice in saying how good this film is, so I won't focus on praising the film. However, I would like to inform you about this version of the film. For the average person looking to buy this dvd, this information may not be that useful but for an fan it may be relevant.

So....

There are other editions of this film including streamline and manga editions.

This is the Optimum Asia release. This Optimum re-release marks a general improvement over the previous Manga edition. Whereas that version came without anamorphic enhancement and was essentially lacklustre in the visual department, here we find a fine clarity, superb colours and anamorphic transfer. That said, we also arrive at an NTSC-PAL conversation which results in some noticeable - if never overt - ghosting. The film remains watchable, but then this was never a problem with the Manga disc for all its other flaws. As for the soundtrack we arrive at both Japanese and English options in DD2.0 form. Both remain clean enough and technically sound though no doubt the purists will go for the Japanese original (which comes with optional English subtitles of the white variety, unlike some of Optimum's other Ghibli offerings). The English dub is the old Streamline edition and not the newer re-recording which appeared on the Manga disc. The Manga edition used David Hayter (the voice for Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid games) as the voice for Lupin, which I do think sounds better than Bob Bergen, who voices Lupin in this Optimum edition using the older streamline soundtrack.

This DVD edition still sounds great though and the voice acting is still brilliant. I would definately recommend it.

The ultimate crime caper.
With one of the first scenes set along European cliff top roads during a car chase after a heist, you can't help but think of the Italian Job. Then a belt-based gadget, a beautiful girl, and a boat escape have a hint of James Bond about it - Welcome to the Lupin films!

I have to admit that I wasn't a Lupin fan until I saw this film - Lupin III (known as 'Wolf' in this film, derivitive of the latin word 'Lupin' for Wolf) seems like an unlikely hero, but there's something charming about the skinny international thief.

This is one of the most slickly animated of the Lupin films, and you expect nothing less with Studio Ghibli genius Miyazaki involved in writing and directing this feature. The characters are basic, but the backgrounds and landscapes are lavish.

This hasn't dated as much as say Secret of Mamo (link here --> Lupin the Third: The Secret of Mamo), the music is less stuck-in-the-past and smooth animation helps. This is a yarn - it's a crime caper which is pure entertainment, with physics defying actions and a plot which stretches the realms of plausablilty - this isn't meant to be believable. It's fun, and at the end of it all, our hero is chivalrous and you understand more about him.

Really Good, One to Watch
Great film, especially if you like a mixture of action and comedy and love Ghibli studio films. Fun, fast and doesn't get boring. Would recommend.