Lupin III: Kutabare! Nostradamus

There isn't much to differentiate this movie from the rest of the series in terms of originallity. However, this particular movie is the only one I know of where the main female of the movie is a kid. This forces Lupin to be a gentleman around her since he can't act his usual lecherous self in front of a little girl. All in all, the art is good, the storyline decent, and the characters work well together. A worthy movie in a long line of Lupin the 3rd titles.

This is one of the best, to me! This is a feed from the Lupin series, so it is already what I'm use to and what I expect to see! The characters are exaggerated! People for funny qwhips and personalities! And, there's a kids! Kids never let me down in a Lupin installment! The girl's a brat, but it's funny and she gets character development! And, she's not a brat for no reason, which makes her relative.

It's a heist adventure that takes less emotional twists and turns than some others. The twists in this are more the thriller type. Everything works out in the end, ... and the gang more on to the next adventure.

I was excited to watch this and there were a lot of laughs and gaspes. I didn't feel the emotional stuff that was going on because of the corruption plot. I the emotional was attached and they really tried to put it on, but it didn't get me.

Other than that, I suggest Lupin fans watch it! I don't suggest it for anime new comers.

Before we start, a few words concerning my relationship with the Lupin franchise:

I haven't yet dug in any series, since the episodic format doesn't easily appeal to me. Instead, I picked the option of movies and specials. My impressions remain mixed, as some works simply manage to draw out more qualities of the franchise's kooky charm.

Nonetheless, a major strength is the lack of an overarching plot; excluding the trilogy of movies related to the Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna series, one can watch in any order they desire.

On to the review!


[1. Visual production...]
Rivaling the quality of Cagliostro, this movie had nothing to envy. Its strongest ... aspect is the backgrounds: whether a cityscape in the USA, the carnival in Rio de Janeiro or a vivid rainforest by the Amazon River, they are brim with details. Also, the palette of colors is smooth to the eye and natural-looking.

Animation is consistent and smooth for both stunts and fights. Among my favourite sequences occur while a structure collapses, with dutiful care in depicting the crumbling building and the people falling or running away from the debris. Further impressing was the clever cinematography in certain sequences. An example is a skyscraper elevator scene: as it ascends, the viewer is treated to an outside view of an part of the cityscape, steadily revealing more and more layers of city blocks.


[2. Audio production...]
The music fits with the adventurous and old-school feel of Lupin III, featuring upbeat jazz soundtracks. The ending song is notable as a soothing ballad fitting, contrasting well with the rest of the OST. The sound direction is decent, with both sound effects and voice acting maintaining a consistent quality to them.


[3. Story and characters...]
Despite its start, the plot takes more of an action thriller approach, shown by including themes of political conspiracy and terrorism. After the kidnapping occurs, the gang is going back-and-forth to the USA and Brazil in order to uncover the conspiracy and save the victim, overcoming obstacle after obstacle.

Transitions between settings and scenes were glued together so well that I lost track of time at times. As for the conclusion? Fitting for a typical Lupin work, but also delivered a great relief after the previously intense thriller.

There is not much to say for the main cast, of whom Zenigata was of particular interest. We are treated to two neat facets of his personality: his occasional inventiveness and insight on how much he values his archrival. The villains are fitting for their roles as crafty and ruthless antagonists willing to use any means. My only character-related complaint is about an introduction in the middle; a certain character (related to Lupin) is introduced hastily and disposed in a way that makes his relationship with Lupin fall flat.