Lupin III: Dead or Alive

Another Lupin movie and surprisingly directed by Monkey Punch. He has been stated on record that directing this film was not a good experience, the deadline was too short, and he only accepted the role because the film did not have a director. This time Lupin and the gang, based on a rumour, head to a mysterious island to find a massive hidden treasure. Upon their arrival, they are attacked by a super sci-fi based security system and narrowly escape. The key to finding the treasure on the island is by unlocking some secret a small dictator nation has. Although the plot is not too bad noris it really good by any means, this Lupin movie is pretty average for the most part. Production was incredibly rushed and Monkey Punch basically only designed the opening and ending sequences, the most action packed parts of the movie. The rest of the team “filled” in the rest of the movie, which is why Dead or Alive has a bit of a slower pace and many questions and plot holes until magically filled in at the end. Basically, Monkey Punch did what he could to make this respectable. Animation and sound are nothing spectacular. All of the usual Lupin characters are present as well as a change in Fujiko’s look and the basic Lupin driven femme-fatale character. Nothing really seems to stand out as good or bad in this anime. Even the evil villain in Dead or Alive seems too much of an evil gimmick. Dictator General Headhunter collects knives and is ruthless enough to kill with said knives. This character may be a gimmick but at least fits the evil villain role well right up until the end as he should. The sci-fi element is what drives Dead or Alive. As opposed to the usual Lupin heist, this is more of a mystery treasure hunt. With this aspect it can either disappoint those who wanted more or intrigue those who wanted something different out of Lupin. However, for the fan familiar with Lupin and the gang, it is an average anime with a neat little science twist to drive the plot.

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