Lupin III: Prison of the Past Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Lupin III: Prison of the Past Blu-ray Movie Review

Lupin III Prison of the Past is an action-packed extravaganza for fans of the beloved anime franchise. The feature-film stands as the 27^th television special in the series. Lupin III Prison of the Past is produced by Hiroyuki Inage (Flying Witch, Laughing Under the Clouds), Kōji Nozaki (Lupin Zero, Lupin the Third: Part 5), and Masaki Shiode (Run with the Wind, Wonder Egg Priority).

Produced by Nippon Television Network, Lupin III Prison of the Past features animation produced by TMS Entertainment (Magic Knight Rayearth, Fruits Basket). The film features theme music composed by Yuji Ohno and performed by Shigeru Matsuzaki (OP/ED). Theme song lyrics by Kazuya Senke (OP) and Yoko Narahashi (ED). Created by Monkey Punch, Lupin III Prison of the Past is a great feature in the franchise and a must-see for fans of the series.

Finnegan (Hiroaki Hirata) has gained a unique reputation as being the modern-day version of Robin Hood. The reputation of Finnegan has traveled far and wide. The news has even traversed so far as to be heard by Lupin III (Kanichi Kurita) and his allies Goemon Ishikawa XIII (Daisuke Namikawa), Daisuke Jigen (Kiyoshi Kobayashi), and Fujiko Mine (Miyuki Sawashiro). Yet this modern-day Robin Hood isn’t having the best time as he is set to be executed.

Though Finnegan is a master thief with the same skill set as Lupin himself, Finnegan cannot seem to escape the clutches of execution. Now it is up to Lupin and his allies to help break Finnegan free and prevent his death. In order to succeed in a rescue mission, Lupin must learn how to break through the guards of El Guille prison. The prison stands between him and Finnegan. The latest heist for Lupin is quite unlike any other – stealing Finnegan is priority one! Even so, Zenigata (Kōichi Yamadera) is never far behind!

The feature-film does an excellent job of highlighting the core cast of characters. The characters of the Lupin franchise have always been essential to the story and to the experience. The cast adds wonder and charm to the saga. Lupin is one of the best protagonists in anime history (television or film). It amazes how the character continues to be such an iconic lead – with charisma and energy. The character is always getting into tricky situations with plenty of mischief involved.

The supporting characters of the Lupin franchise are excellent here as well. It is wonderful to see the chemistry of the characters at play in the film. Jigen and Goemon remain essential allies to the journey of Lupin. Lupin also continues to come in to contact with the beautiful and complex Fujiko Mine.

The ensemble aspect of the film is something that makes the production all the more compelling. The characters are also brought to life with outstanding clarity through the excellent character designs by Hirotaka Marufuji (Lupin III: Goodbye Partner, Lupin the 3rd Part 6). The designs stay true to the original vision for these anime characters while still providing a modern aesthetic for the production. Though the art looks a little different with the series of films no longer being cell-based with prints on film, Lupin III Prison of the Past is an impressive showcase for the characters nonetheless.

The animation is stunning and manages to make a profound impact on the viewing experience. The film has outstanding art direction by Beom Seon Lee (Lupin III: Goodbye Partner, The Eminence in Shadow) and chief animation direction by Hirotaka Marufuji (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Macross Frontier: The Wings of Farewell). Lupin III Prison of the Past also features additional animation direction by Koji Watanabe (Blue Gender: The Warrior, Digimon Adventure tri.: Reunion), Koji Yamakawa (Strike Witches, Hatsukoi Limited), Rie Nakajima (Tales of the Abyss, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon), Satoshi Hirayama (Lupin III: Missed by a Dollar, Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo), and Yooko Kadokura (Attack on Titan, Lupin III: Goodbye Partner). The team of animation directors helped to bring forth outstanding animation and work from the team of animators involved with the production of Lupin III Prison of the Past. The film certainly is an impressive showcase for the modern aesthetic of the franchise and the sleek aesthetic given to new Lupin productions.

The score composed by Yuji Ohno (Lupin III: Part II, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro) is a highlight of the film. Lupin III Prison of the Past benefits from another outstanding score from the famed composer of the series and films. Ohno is one of the most talented composers in the anime industry and Ohno is someone with a great understanding of the medium and its potential.

The cinematography by Jiro Tazawa (Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, Lupin the IIIrd: Goemon's Blood Spray) is a highlight of Lupin III Prison of the Past. The visual element of the cinematography enhances the filmmaking. The lush visuals of the cinematography help to bring the animation to life. Outstanding work from Tazawa (as one of the most gifted cinematographers in the field). An important part of Lupin III Prison of the Past.

The screenplay by Shatner Nishida (Lupin the Third: Part 5) is entertaining and fast-paced. The script has good dialogue and characterizations. The characters are given plenty of opportunities to shine in the film. The script has an outstanding sense of flow and the storyline certainly unfolds well in the film. Entertaining scriptwriting that provides good energy to the entire tale. Nishida certainly works well within the Lupin franchise.

Storyboarded and directed by Hatsuki Tsuji (Lupin the 3rd Part 6, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX), Lupin III Prison of the Past is a terrific entry in the film series. The television special was well-produced and has plenty of outstanding merits. Director Tsuji did a solid job of exploring the series characters and their world. Providing Lupin III Prison of the Past with the right artistic elements, Lupin III Prison of the Past is essential viewing for series fans. The filmmaking is stellar and takes audiences on a thrilling ride.

Lupin III: Prison of the Past Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Lupin III Prison of the Past is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The film appears beautiful in high-definition and the transfer has plenty of outstanding merits. The transfer is crisp, detailed, and colorful. The color reproduction on the presentation is first-rate throughout the encode.

The encode quality is excellent as well. The release benefits from a healthy bit-rate and the presentation is all the more immersive as a result. The line art and animation looks stunning on the release and the Blu-ray is certainly is a noteworthy showcase for the efforts of the animators involved with the production. A quality encoding from Discotek Media.

Lupin III: Prison of the Past Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented with a selection of lossless audio presentations: English uncompressed PCM 2.0 and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding is excellent. The original Japanese language version sounds exceptionally crisp and clear during the presentation. Dialogue is well reproduced. The sound direction by Youji Shimizu is well encoded, too.

The stereo sound imaging is a lot more immersive than expected. An outstanding lossless encode from Discotek Media. The English subtitles on the release are excellent and are free from glaring spelling or grammatical errors.

Lupin III: Prison of the Past Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nice o-card slipcover. The slipcover on the release was nicely designed by distributor Discotek Media. The art underneath the slipcover contains the same main key-art. I personally would have preferred additional key art under the slip but the design is still pleasing. Interior artwork on the sleeve is also provided.

On disc supplements include:

Creditless Opening (HD, 2:15)

Art Gallery:

Keyart & Main Characters includes 50 click-through slides.

Side Characters includes 117 click-through slides.

Weapons & Items includes 90 click-through slides.

Vehicles includes 111 click-through slides.

Locations includes 79 click-through slides.

Lupin III: Prison of the Past Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin III Prison of the Past is an action-packed and exciting thrill ride that fits the bill for fans of the beloved anime franchise. The filmmaking is excellent – with good moments for the entire cast of characters to shine, outstanding action sequencing, and plenty of heart. The animation in the film is excellent as well.

The Blu-ray release from Discotek Media features an excellent video and audio presentation. It is wonderful that the encode quality continues to be superior on physical media. Fans of the Lupin franchise should consider Lupin III Prison of the Past to be an essential entry. The release also includes some art galleries and a well-designed o-card slipcover. A nice edition well worth owning and having in the collection. Highly recommended.