Lupin III: The First

Nazi treasure in a Lupin story. What a shocker.

Great movie. Terrible art style. I will always choose the charm of hand-drawn over 3D/CGI.

Lupin teams up with a Disney princess who dreams of something more.

The characters are great. Except for the cliché Nazi villains.
Come to think of it, this movie is basically Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

The main cast get to show their kills.
... Fujiko is a treacherous beach as always. But still ends up being very likable.
Zenigata’s obsession with Lupin is funny as ever, and is willing to go to the ends of the Earth for Lupin.
The Disney princess is adorable I wont lie.
Jigen and Goemon get to do their stuff.
And Lupin’s design in these 3D animations always makes him look like a monkey. (Is it a nod to Monkey Punch? I doubt it)

Inspector Zenigata did nothing wrong! 😤

Possibly one of the most lavish uses of CGI animation ever, Lupin III: The First is an absolute visual treat, full of joy and zaniness, a charming and old-fashioned adventure romp. It's an unspooling like a mashing of James Bond and Indiana Jones, but equally reminiscent of The Adventures of TinTin's stylings. The animation has fun playing with the laws of physics, it frees itself from the constraints of anatomy with gorgeous fluidity. Yes, the story may be rather straightforward and its twists are easy to predict, but it doesn't make the movie any less fun as the film manages ... to pull it off with exceptional speed and scale. Matched by its incredible vocal performances and simply magnificent score by Yuji Ohno, Lupin III: The First balances a hilarious sense of humour with genuinely exhilarating adventure, making it perfect for newcomers and hardcore fans alike.

The pacing is whack, either too fast or too slow, the storyline is as cliched and predictable as it gets and the characters have about as much depth as a bowl of cereal. I watched the dub because I'm an idiot, and the actor for Laetitia is actually godawful, not communicating any emotions other than slightly nervous. Everyone else was okay, though the characters they were playing could not be more one note.

There are some good aspects though. As someone who despises anime and the art style of most of them, I loved the art style of this, it was absolutely wonderful, not Pixar ... level, but still very good. The music isn't the most memorable, but I have to give points for its unique jazz style that really works well with the aesthetic. Finally, while I wasn't a fan of the film, I can't say it was boring. The action was decent, there were some good jokes in there and the dialogue was actually quite competent.

In conclusion, while it's not something I would recommend anytime soon, its a fine way to kill a few hours. I just wish it had lived up to the high hopes I had for it.