Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure Blu-ray Movie Review

A first-rate Lupin action-adventure.

Lupin the Third: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure is an action-packed event set in the beloved anime franchise. The seventh television special is a must-see production that adds plenty of action, intrigue, and mystery to the film series. The original premiere was in August of 1995. Based on the original manga by Monkey Punch, the television special is as great as any theatrically released Lupin film (excluding Miyazaki's untouchable masterpiece). A must-see for fans.

Lupin sets forth on one of his most challenging missions to date: to recover Harimao's treasure (which is worth billions – and everyone wants it). Lupin and his comrades Goemon, Jigen, and Fujiko are all brought back together for another epic adventure that tests them at every turn of the story. The goal? Finding three rare statues that combine to form the special key to the long lost treasure.

Can Lupin gather every piece of the puzzle and get the billions or will he be thwarted by a Nazi-like group that goes by the name of Neo-Himmel? Joining forces with MI-6 special agent Sir Archer and his young granddaughter, Diana, Lupin makes it his mission to stop at nothing on the journey to Harimao's lost treasures! Don't miss a moment of the fun.

One of the best elements of Lupin the Third: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure is the elaborate action sequences. From the opening scene, a fast-paced and exciting tone is set. The thrilling fun is non-stop and engaging. Lupin continually finds himself in zany situations that push the action into exciting, uncharted territory. Fans of adventure won't be disappointed in the slightest.

"It's tea time."

The animation is similarly first-rate in the film. The art style is visually stunning. The background art work is enormously detailed and gorgeous in appearance (including all of the frames showcasing the foreign land). The character designs remain invigorating and distinctive for each of the characters. A exemplary effort from all of the animators involved, the team truly brings to life the art direction by Yukihiro Shibutani (Detective Conan, Sakura Wars).

Long-time Lupin composer Yuji Ohno once again handles the reigns on the scoring duties. The results are exceptional once more. The score gives the production a sense of energy and rhythm which is quite exciting. The themes created by Ohno bring the characters to life and highlight both entertaining action-scenes and the adventure within the stories.

The screenplay by Shinzô Fujita, Hiroshi Kashiwabara, and Shôji Yonemura is one of the most fun scripts in the Lupin franchise. The action scenes are imaginative and the dramatic moments are engaging. Lupin is given some great character-beats in the story and the filmmaking is all the more fun because of the added depth. Another impressive element of the script is how much screen-time is given to Lupin's sidekick, Jigen. In some sequences, Jigen steals the show and has some of the coolest moments (such as when he rides a motorcycle in a bad-ass way). The story has heart and humor in good measure. (And Lupin the Third: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure even references the great James Bond film series).

Directed by Osamu Dezaki (Space Adventure Cobra, Clannad), Lupin the Third: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure is an enormously entertaining thrill ride. Scene after scene, there are many elements in the production that seem to work perfectly. Dezaki brought together an expert team behind-the-scenes and the filmmaking soars to greater heights as a result of his collaborations. The action never misses a beat and the pace is spot-on. The rhythm of the filmmaking is jubilant and there are many visually outstanding sequences. Lupin the Third: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure is a must-see entry in the long-running anime franchise that no fan of the character should overlook.

Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek, Lupin the Third: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The video presentation on this release is top-notch: a massive upgrade for fans of the action packed anime film. Color reproduction appears to be splendid and the depth to the imagery on display is quite enticing. The print is in strong shape overall and has little in the way of print dirt, debris, and other imperfections. It is hard to imagine any fan of the television-film being disappointed by this high quality encode (which does a solid job of preserving the intended aesthetic).

Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: English uncompressed PCM 2.0 and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The audio clarity is downright exceptional to experience. One of the elements which stood out the most on the release was the superb detail throughout the music. The score sounds superb. Discotek has done a commendable job with the presentation and in preserving the original sound design. Fans of the Japanese language version will especially be pleased with the level of detail apparent throughout the sound mix: every action-packed sequence has a sense of weight and gravitas.

Subtitle options provided on disc: English, English Signs & Songs, and English Dub Captions.

Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Vintage English Credits (SD, 4:18)

"Homophobia in 90s Anime" is an essay written by Justin Sevakis. The piece explores homophobia and how some fans feel it made a mark on the anime industry circa the production of this film.

Linear Notes provide additional information about the feature-film and its place in the Lupin anime canon.

Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin the Third: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure is an essential Lupin the Third experience. The adventure, action, and comedy elements are top-notch. There are epic action scenes and the scope of the filmmaking is ambitious. The Blu-ray release from Discotek features a strong video-audio presentation. Fans of the Lupin franchise should consider it a must-see entry in the long-running series. Highly recommended.