Lupin III: Dragon of Doom Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Lupin III: Dragon of Doom Blu-ray Movie Review

Lupin the Third – Dragon of Doom is a thrilling adventure in the Lupin the Third anime franchise. The feature- film is the 6^th full-length television special. Broadcast on the Bandai Channel and Nippon Television Network, Lupin the Third – Dragon of Doom is produced by the Nippon Television Network (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG, Lupin the 3rd: From Siberia with Love) and Tokyo Movie Shinsha (Little Nemo - Adventures in Slumberland, Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo).

Created by Monkey Punch, Lupin the Third – Dragon of Doom comes from producers Hibiki Ito (Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus, Lupin III: Voyage to Danger), Tadahito Matsumoto (Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus, Lupin III: Part III), and Yasumichi Ozaki (Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody, Lupin III: Swallowtail Tattoo). The feature-film highlights a theme composed by Yuji Ohno. The ending theme song is performed by Nami Hirai. Lupin the Third – Dragon of Doom features voice-performances by Yasuo Yamada, Makio Inoue, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Gorō Naya, Eiko Masuyama, Banjou Ginga, Junpei Takiguchi, and Naoko Matsui. A thrilling spectacle for fans of the Lupin saga.

Lupin III (Yasuo Yamada), Goemon Ishikawa XIII (Makio Inoue), and Jigen Daisuke (Kiyoshi Kobayashi) are once again on a wild adventure as the gang goes on a journey to find new hidden treasures. The journey brings the gang together for something special – and the secrets behind the sword of Goemon may be answered once and for all! The main treasure in sight: Lupin and the others are after the famed small dragon – a statue that is golden and one of doom!

 The golden dragon resides undersea in the Titanic. Lupin’s own grandfather couldn’t even retrieve it back in his youth! Lupin and the others must seek it out. Goemon’s blade might not be able to slice through the statue but the journey brings all of the gang on a quest of epic proportions. Inspector Zenigata (Gorō Naya) is busy going after Lupin (as per usual) and Fujiko Mine (Eiko Masuyama) is always (par-the-course) wanting the treasure for herself.

The characters go on a fun journey in the film. The characters are given wonderful moments to shine in the spotlight. The film highlights the characters with superb character designs by Masatomo Sudō (Case Closed, Detective Conan - Episode One: The Great Detective Turned Small). The design work for the film is exceptional. The designs feel true to the legacy of the characters.

The animation is an essential part of the production. There is so much joy and wonder in the animation style. The animation is fantastic and features art direction by Yukihiro Shibutani (Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target, Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure) and chief animation direction by Masatomo Sudō (Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure, Lupin III vs. Detective Conan). Breathtaking animation for a television special, the work is a fun romp of animation. There is much to appreciate. The storyboards by Masaharu Okuwaki (Lupin III: Part III, City Hunter: Death of the Vicious Criminal Ryo Saeba) are used well by the animation team.

The cinematography by Hajime Hasegawa (Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target, Lupin III: Dead or Alive) is one of the highlights of the film. The cinematography has a bright and colorful aesthetic that adds some fun to the adventure. The visual style keeps the sense of action-adventure all the more fun. Engaging through-and-through.

The score composed by Yuji Ohno (Lupin III: Island of Assassins, Lupin the 3rd: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid) is an essential part of the equation. Composer Ohno is a masterful composer and continues providing great scores to Lupin films time and time again. The score here is entertaining and the jazzy element makes the film all the more engaging. A great score by Ohno.

Written by Nobuaki Kishima (Hunter X Hunter, Tetsujin 28-go FX), Lupin the Third – Dragon of Doom is an enjoyable romp with tons of great action beats. The script has a lot of fun with the concept of the film – bringing some great ideas to the table. The sense of adventure makes the film an essential view for franchise devotees.

Directed by Masaharu Okuwaki (Space Adventure Cobra, Mermaid Forest), Lupin the Third – Dragon of Doom is full of excitement and the style of the filmmaking is adventurous in the best way possible. A blast of cinematic popcorn, Lupin the Third – Dragon of Doom is an engaging action spectacle for the Lupin fanbase to enjoy. A must-see.

Lupin III: Dragon of Doom Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Lupin the Third – Dragon of Doom is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high- definition in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The presentation on the release features a solid encode by Discotek Media. The color reproduction on the release is quite impressive. The encoding capably handles the animation style. There is much to appreciate. The presentation has good detail and capably handles the line art.

Lupin III: Dragon of Doom Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles) and English uncompressed PCM 2.0. The lossless audio encoding sounds crisp and clear on the release. Dialogue is well reproduced. The soundtrack sounds great on the release, too. The fun score is certainly a highlight of the encoding. A good encode by Discotek.

Lupin III: Dragon of Doom Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Vintage English Credits (SD, 3:51)

Liner Notes includes 6 click-through slides.

Lupin III: Dragon of Doom Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin the Third – Dragon of Doom is a must-see action-adventure for fans of the beloved anime franchise. The film has outstanding animation. Fans of the franchise will be thrilled with the fun animation style. The filmmaking is exciting and there are some great moments for the characters. Presented with solid video and audio, the release is well worth owning for Lupin fans. Highly recommended.