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Lupin III : Island of Assassins
Anime DVD Review
What if John Woo directed a Lupin anime feature? That's essentially the premise of Lupin III: Island of Assassins, as there's plenty of gunplay, martial arts, thrown knives, and edge-of-your-seat action that never lets up in a darker, more "extreme" version of Lupin that defies the usual expectations of the Lupin franchise yet doesn't stray far from what makes Lupin (overall) great.
 Lupin's out for revenge this time around, as it seems that someone has made use of his gun to try and kill Inspector Zenigata. Although the basic plot sounds like it could have easily fit into a standard episode of the TV series, this 90 minute feature fills out nicely, as there's enough action going on to keep anyone entertained.
The character designs are a little more "sharp" here, not nearly as rounded as usual, but, it's a nice look that meshes with the darker theme and more intense action.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, September 2008
Lupin the 3rd -
The World's Most Wanted
(TV Series, Vol. 1)
Anime DVD Review
If you don't know about Lupin the Third, shame on you! It is without a doubt, one of the most popular anime/manga franchises of all time, spawning 228 television episodes, 14 TV movies, and 6 theatrical films (the second being 'Castle of Cagliostro' previously reviewed here). Based on the manga by Monkeypunch, it's the wild saga of the grandson of the French jewel thief Arsene Lupin. He and his 'gang' (a Chicago gunslinger and a Japanese samurai, (and sometimes-partner Fujiko) go through one madcap caper after another, with their javert, the indestructible Inspector Zenigata, close on their heels.
 Older anime fans know all of this all ready. But they should also know that they can now throw out their moldy, fifth generation, extra long/6 hour speed videocassette copies of Lupin III. Pioneer has brought the show to DVD, and they've done a brilliant job with it. The ADR writers at Pioneer are having a field day making sure that the English interpretation keeps to the fun (and funny) spirit of the series. The incredibly clever and witty dialogue is extremely well done — it's actually hysterical! American voice actors serve the characterizations well - comedy is timing, and they do a good job delivering funny lines. The DVD is packed with a whopping six episodes (plus some cool extras) and the crystal-clear transfer is so sharp you can see the dust on the cels. We were very impressed by what we've seen so far and can't wait for more to come out. Lupin rocks!
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, February 2003
Castle Cagliostro (1979)
Anime DVD Review
Steven Spielberg considers this to be one of his favorite films. So do we. This may be one of the greatest action-adventure comedy-romances ever made, animated or otherwise. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Laputa, Totoro, Mononoke) it's guaranteed to please everyone who watches it. That action starts five seconds into the film and never lets go, culminating in a fantastic battle that Disney shamelessly ripped off in "The Great Mouse Detective".
 Considering the film is over 20 years old, the animation is still amazing even by today's standards – consider the scenes where Lupin drives his Fiat 500 straight up a wall (in the best car chase we've ever seen), or later, where he's scaling the roof of the castle and everything is moving in the frame perfectly – it is just to die for. All this topped with Yuji Ono's inspired soundtrack make this one of the most perfectly crafted and executed films of all time. Absolutely not to be missed.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, June 2002
Lupin the 3rd -
The Mystery of Mamo
Anime DVD Review
If you read our first two Lupin reviews you can see how much we enjoy this franchise and it's great to see that Pioneer is bringing it to US audiences. Here's the first-ever Lupin theatrical film, and one of the most bizarre and certainly the truest to the original Monkeypunch manga, both in terms of the treatment of Lupin and the gang as well as the obtuse-ness of the plot in this twisted tale.
 Lupin is pronounced dead by execution and he wants to find out who did it. The object of Lupin's affection, Fujiko, has a new employer Mamo, a powerful man with a lot of resources at his disposal who has her using Lupin to steal some rather arcane objects. Lupin is out to find out who Mano is, why he is using Fujiko and what is his master plan. But in doing so he might lose his friends Goeman, Jigan as well as Fujiko — not to mention his own life.
This is a timless anime classic. While the animation is "vintage" the story more than makes up for it. The movie ran a bit long but it was funny and worth our time. The great story, the funny animation and Fujiko's topless scenes make this a must see.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, November 2003
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