Rating: **
Review Date: 2/5/17
Cast: Yuki Meguro, Eiko Ezaki, Kunie Tanaka, Shiro Ito
A bizarre adaptation of Monkey Punch's manga and anime series that has very little in common with it. Master thief and notorious womanizer Lupin III (Yuki Meguro) falls in love with another thief named Fujiko Mine (Eiko Ezaki) and breaks her out of jail. She cons him into helping her with a jewel heist, while the hapless Inspector Zenigata (Shiro Ito) desperately tries to catch them. Meanwhile, gun expert Jigen Daisuke (Kunie Tanaka) tries in vain to convince Lupin to resurrect the former Lupin Empire which was previously destroyed by an international crime syndicate.
Unfortunately, the film is a cinematic mess and plays out like a campy slapstick comedy more than anything else. The actors are all talented and capable, but the humor consistently falls flat. If nothing else, they at least look like they're having fun. Lupin and Jigen bear no resemblance to their manga counterparts, while Fujiko and Zenigata fare slightly better. Unless you're a diehard Lupin fan, there's no reason to waste your time on this odd and silly farce.