Directed by Shigetsugu Yoshida (nothing of note) and key animation by Satoru Utsunomiya (Akira), there is a reason why this is a decent anime to look at but nothing more. The action is fun at first, but each scene just consistently drags on with Lupin and the gang dodging hundreds of bullets one after the other. For example, the beginning starts with Zenigata chasing Lupin on a bike on the weird face billboard for 15 plus minutes in a Scooby-Doo door to hallway fashion.
Our “story” is seemingly forced for Lupin to find the lost gold of Babylon based on an ancient stone tablet found under Madison Square Garden in New York City. Mob bosses and the like join in on the search, and the constant need to try and kill Lupin along the way. As crazy as it sounds, it really is that crazy; nothing more and nothing less with this movie.
Everything is over the top in this Lupin movie and not for the better. All that’s been witnessed and written before plus just a few more examples: Goemon can slice lightning now, Lupin has all sorts of gadgets always on him and can pull them from out of nowhere (dynamite, parachutes, etc; has not been done to this extent), and even a random international police beauty pageant that manages to be as racist and stereotypical as possible to every major country at the time.
Unless there is the itch to watch more Lupin and the gang, just skip over this one.
