It felt like a dirty little thing. Going to the movies. Like I shouldn’t have been out of the house. Hello and greetings, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic. It felt wrong going to the movies because I know I should still be at home. However, when GKids presented the opportunity to see one of my favorite thieves in action and in an American theater; well, the pandemic will have to wait. For those who know me personally or have been to one of my panels, then my unabashed love of Lupin III but if you haven’t been to one of my panels or read my blog then this may be new information. The suit-clad thief has been a staple in anime and manga since his inception by now-deceased creator, Monkey Punch, for decades. Lupin III is the fictional grandson of the fictional famed great thief, Arensine Lupin, and he is something. For those who are new to the franchise, the Lupin of the 70s and 80s is likely a Quaalude-fueled campy nightmare; a far cry from the more recent version who has algorithms and computers and actually kills people.
When I first saw the trailer for Lupin III: The First, I’m pretty sure I screamed. The CGI-animated feature looked so slick and so detailed that I was ecstatic as a longtime fan of Lupin, Jigen, Goemon and Fujiko’s adventures mostly stealing things and trying to avoid Inspector Zenigata. The plot of the movie is, well, it’s kind of a mess. It isn’t an origin story despite its name and really does expect you to come into the movie knowing Lupin and his crew. It does introduce a new character, Leattia and she’s…well, she’s there. She’s trying to steal an artifact from a museum that Lupin also wants because her grandfather wants it. Her grandfather is a bad guy and is working with another bad guy who shouldn’t be hot but is but that’s just because this writer has a type. I won’t spoil this movie because there are some genuine moments of shock that I really don’t want to spoil for fans of franchise; I will however, cover mine and FGN’s ass by saying there are some troubling motifs that if you are not used to Japanese media and its portrayal of certain events and people, then this movie may come with some whiplash for you. I audibly gasped in the theater at one of the reveals; but I’ve had 20 years of weebery under my belt.
The CG IS slick, that’s the first word that comes to mind. Lupin is already such a loose and fluid character, always slipping out of handcuffs and out of tricky situations: and the detail you can get with a computer is just superb. Some of the effects were great and there were plenty of moments where I was just on the edge of my seat at the actions, effects and graphics.
As far as going to the movies during a pandemic: well, let’s just say that I wouldn’t have seen a blockbuster. I chose the dubbed showing on a Sunday evening and it was a socially distanced and not packed theater. I bought my tickets early and went with a friend that’s been safely within my quarantine circle and even though it felt wrong to take off my mask to shove popcorn into my face or inhale my slushie; I had a good time. The theater staff did their best to keep things clean and enforce social distancing; I never once worried that I was in an unsafe environment or at least as safe as possible with a global goddamn pandemic going on.
Keep in mind that despite this movie being animated, it’s anime and it is not one aimed at children. Please don’t put Lupin III on and let the movie babysit your child. The film is out now wherever digital is available and I do recommend this movie if you are a fan of the old ways of the Lupin franchise; newer fans may not be used to this level of camp and it might be off putting to those hoping for a “gritty and realistic” Lupin which is a sentence I frankly struggled to type. If you’re a fan of the glory days of Lupin, I highly recommend Lupin III: The First.
