Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar Blu-ray Movie Review

Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar is an action-adventure epic in the franchise. The feature-film is the 12^th television special in the franchise canon. Created by Monkey Punch, Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar features animation production by TMS Entertainment (Case Closed, Lupin III: Part IV). Produced by Hiroshi Yamashita (Lupin III: Alcatraz Connection, Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo) and Yasumichi Ozaki (Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo, Lupin III: Dragon of Doom), Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar features production by Kyokuichi Tokyo Movie Shinsha, Nippon Television Network, and VAP. Broadcast on the Bandai Channel and Nippon Television Network, Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar is a thrilling adventure for fans of the series. Featuring the voices of Kanichi Kurita, Gorō Naya, Jōji Nakata, Mami Koyama, Eiko Masuyama, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Makio Inoue, and Rica Matsumoto.

Lupin III (Kanichi Kurita) has stolen a valuable ring. It isn’t long before the ring goes on auction. The bidding starts at only $1. Inspector Zenigata (Gorō Naya) is continuing to pursue Lupin (and in this adventure – the valuable ring). Former KGB agent Alexei Nabikov (Jōji Nakata) and boss Cynthia F. Kremov (Mami Koyama) are also hot on the trail of Lupin. Cynthia leads the Bank of the World.

Determined to possess the ring herself, Cynthia is aware the ring holds a valuable secret: the mysterious location of a special brooch previously worn by world conquerors. Unlike an ordinary brooch, this item is foretold to provide secret abilities to those who wear it – abilities that can help someone with their own conquests of world domination. Can Cynthia acquire the brooch and become the fearless leader she has always dreamed of becoming?

The adventure provides plenty of great moments for the cast of characters to shine. Lupin remains one of the most lovable protagonists in television history. As an anime icon, the legendary character has a huge fanbase. The exciting escapades of Lupin and his friends makes the franchise an essential. With compelling moments for the entire cast of characters, Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar has great moments for the entire gang.

The animation is exquisite. Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar is one of the most beautiful looking of all of the television specials in the franchise. The animation has an abundance of wonderful art and these stylistic flourishes add so much to the experience. The animators bring to life the storyboards by Hideki Tonokatsu. Featuring character designs by Ryō Tanaka (Virtua Fighter, Akikan!), the design work capably brings things together in a compelling way. The characters feel true to the essence of the franchise style and this is a wonderful part of the film.

The animation features art direction by Takashi Miyano (Lupin III: Alcatraz Connection, Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo) and animation direction by Ichiro Ogawa (Lupin III: Elusiveness of the Fog, Lupin III: The Secret of Twilight Gemini), Satoshi Hirayama (Lupin III: Operation Return the Treasure, Lupin III: Return of Pycal), Toshimitsu Kobayashi (Lupin III: Alcatraz Connection, Lupin III: The Columbus Files), and Yoshihiro Ōsugi (Heart and Yummie, Doraemon the Movie: The New Record of Nobita's Spaceblazer). The animation is superb. The team of animators involved on the production brought the best out of the production – a stunning showcase for the franchise at its absolute best.

The cinematography by Hisao Shirai (Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus, Millennium Actress) adds a great deal to the production, too. The cinematography is essential to the experience. The aesthetic highlights the animation and the stylistic flourishes contribute so much to the production. Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar is one of the most visually intriguing of all the Lupin television specials. The work here is fantastic.

The score composed by Yuji Ohno (Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo) is jazz-infused genius. Composer Ohno is a gifted composer with a superb knack for music. Helping to explore the landscape of the animation film, Ohno provides the right ingredients for an exciting, jazzy, and fun score. The music brings out of the best of the filmmaking.

Written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara (Case Closed, Cat's Eye), Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar is charming, entertaining, and fast-paced. The script is well-written and there are great moments for the entire cast. The script has fun dialogue and a good sense of ambition. The writing makes the film feel like more than a typical television film and the script feels right at home alongside the theatrical features in the anime franchise.

Directed by Hideki Tonokatsu (Moeyo Ken, Lupin III: Alcatraz Connection) and Atsushi Yano (Black Jack, Hamtaro), Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar is one of the most ambitious television specials in the popular Lupin film franchise. The filmmaking is exciting and there are some great set pieces in the production. The filmmaking is fast and fun with good energy throughout. A must-see Lupin film adventure.

Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar 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 Blu-ray release is enormously pleasing with a quality high-definition presentation. The transfer on the release is excellent with good color reproduction and detail. The clarity of the encode is excellent. A wonderful presentation by Discotek.

Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound, English uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo, and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding on the release is excellent sounding. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and engaging. The soundtrack is well reproduced. The score sounds especially great on the release and the music adds a lot to the sound presentation.

Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Vintage English Credits (SD, 6:05)

Liner Notes includes 3 click-through slides.

Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin the Third: Missed by a Dollar is an exciting action-adventure epic. Fans of the beloved anime franchise will be thrilled with the non-stop adventure of the film. The animation is outstanding and this is an ambitious production for the franchise. The Blu-ray release provides an excellent video and audio presentation. Highly recommended.