Rupan Sansei: Russia yori ai o komete

The Lupin gang is back, and while this TV special is not anything special, it's still a pleasant watch.

The plot is not very strong in this one, pretty much Lupin and his buddy Jigen set out to rob a bank, with some help from Fujiko. Still, it's fun to see the gang do an old fashioned crime like a bank robbery, compared to the crazy stuff they are usually up to in these.

The villain is a flashy one in this, Rasputin. A crazy monk with a gimmick where he pokes his finger into various orifices on people's faces, like their mouth or nose. He's a very over the top evil villain, and of course he wants what is in the bank as well.

Lupin's samurai pal Goemon is used very oddly in this one. He's studying meditation and whatnot under Rasputin, so he doesn't have as much fun as usual. Inspector Zenigata doesn't have much to do here either.

Fujiko has some cute funny moments though, and the classic duo of Lupin and Jigen is great as always.

What makes this a merely decent Lupin movie is that it just feels like random events stuck together, with little holding it together. Cars explode, people shoot at Lupin, and they're always on the run.

That wouldn't be a problem if the movie relished the fun absurdity like Lupin often does, but this one lacks that feeling. This is the last special directed by Osamu Dezaki and with character design by Noboru Furuse. Which is good, because they really didn't bring enough flair to the visual department in these first four Lupin specials.

All in all, this is a decent Lupin romp, though uneven and a bit lacking in style. Lupin fans should have a pleasant enough time watching this, but I'd recommend checking out the gang's other better adventures.

Lupin iii film 15

Decent Lupin film for the fans of the saga but nothing special. Although the story is simple there are many characters. Not too many memorable or very funny moments honestly. There are just few scenes with zenigata, just to say he's there and nothing else. All characters gets equal screentime so it's not focused on anyone. I like the style of the drawings in this film even if different.

Now for the characters limit: Decent Lupin film for the fans of the saga but nothing special. Although the story is simple there are many characters. Not too many memorable or very funny moments honestly. There are just few scenes with zenigata, just to say he's there and nothing else. All characters gets equal screentime so it's not focused on anyone. I like the style of the drawings in this film even if different.

There are some good things in this film. There are some twists, turns, betrayals and double crosses that make for an entertaining heist. It is just distracting that this is Lupin's most poorly animated film. Static pictures will be repeated 3 or more times. Instead of something being animated it will cut to a still frame. Scenes appear unfinished as they will cross dissolve between frames to give the illusion of movement, when in reality they just fired all the clean-up animators. Explosions are just pictures of fireballs.

Rasputin is not a very compelling villain here. He has this annoying running gag about sticking his finger into people's mouths...or ears or nose or other places fingers don't belong. He is just annoying. And just because you can "read people's minds" doesn't mean you can dodge bullets.

"From Russia with Love", one of James Bond's best films. One of Lupin's worst films.

This is one cool Lupin the 3rd TV movie. Unlike Goodbye Lady Liberty or Hemingway Papers. I like this one the most. Aired back in 1992.

Lupin has been researching on the Royal Family of Anastaia. There's a family fortune in Gold that was once own by that family, but now it's somewhere in the USA. And Lupin gonna to steel that gold for himself.

He, Jigen and Fujiko get tracked down by 2 armed henchmen who work for a villain who's a monk that can read people's thoughts. Goemon being the Monk's bodyguard for a good reason, which you'll find out soon enough. And even Zennigata is still on Lupin's trail.

The animation in this one is the same as the 1989 and 1990 Lupin TV movies. A little old quailty in animation, but it's still Lupin the 3rd.

It's only available in Fansub form. No word on when it'll be available in English.