Lupin III: The Secret Page of Marco Polo Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Lupin III: The Secret Page of Marco Polo Blu-ray Movie Review

Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo is an entertaining action-adventure and another great installment in the Lupin franchise. Created by Monkey Punch, Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo comes from the original concept by Maurice Leblanc. Produced by Naoki Iwasa (Kaiji: Against All Rules, Napping Princess), Satoshi Kojima (Case Closed, Lupin III vs. Detective Conan), and Toshio Nakatani (Lupin III: The Secret of Twilight Gemini, Lupin III: Island of Assassins), Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo was first broadcast on the Nippon Television Network. Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo is the 23^rd Lupin television special.

Lupin (Kanichi Kurita) is on another high stakes adventure. This time around, Lupin is tossed into an unexpected scenario. Researchers have discovered a lost page from the coveted Travels of Marco Polo. The page contains a secret clue to uncovering more treasure. Lupin aims for the treasure and walks away with empty pockets. Yet Lupin finds more than he bargained for when he is accused as a murderer. Now Lupin is called a murder suspect and he finds himself being framed by villains.

The death of a highly esteemed archaeology professor has been chalked up to Lupin. Yet Lupin manages to bypass the accusations and continue his treasure-hunt. With Inspector Zenigata hot on his trail, Lupin and Jigen find themselves tossed into even more adventure. Can Lupin find the mysterious treasure and clear his good name? Meanwhile, Lupin’s beloved friend Goemon might find some unexpected romance. Treasure awaits and new adventures – all from the page of Marco Polo.

The characters are the heart of the storytelling. The Lupin franchise is one that is all the better due to the great cast of characters. Lupin is a perfect lead character and always provides the film series with incredible charisma, strength, and charm throughout. The supporting characters are excellent, too. Zenigata is always a compelling inspector hot on the trail of Lupin. The rivalry is one of the great elements of the series. Goemon is stoic and philosophical in his approach to swordplay. Meanwhile, Jigen is an ace gunslinger and a first-rate sidekick to Lupin. The characters and their jubilant interactions are a huge part of the fun of the entire anime franchise.

The character designs by Masatomo Sudō (Detective Conan - Episode One: The Great Detective Turned Small, Lupin III vs. Detective Conan The Movie) are well-done throughout the feature-film. Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo is a great showcase for top-notch character designs. The fun character design artwork builds on the legacy of the anime franchise. The end result is top-notch. Outstanding detail in each character design and the character artwork serves the entire production enormously well.

The animation is stunning and an essential part of Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo. Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo features stunning art direction by Masaru Satō (Armitage III: Poly-Matrix, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing). Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo also features chief animation direction by Masatomo Sudō (Detective Conan: Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure, Lupin III: Dragon of Doom). The animation is bold, colorful, and engaging. The art style is key to the production working so well. The team of animators involved on the production deliver something special for the feature-film in spades.

The cinematography by Tatsuo Noguchi (Lupin III: The Secret of Twilight Gemini, Lupin III: the Last Job), Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo is a beautiful production. The cinematography shows wonderful depth and beauty to the filmmaking. Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo is a terrific showcase for the efforts of cinematographer Noguchi.

Featuring a score composed by Yuji Ohno (Lupin III: The Legend of the Gold of Babylon, Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure), Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo features excellent compositions by the acclaimed composer. Ohno is one of the most essential contributors in the wonderful Lupin franchise. Ohno provides exciting music with great jazziness and plenty of style.

Written by Katsurō Hidaka (Lupin the 3rd: Princess of the Breeze!, Akiba Maid War), Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo is a wonderful script. The storytelling is well-done in Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo. Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo emphasizes the cast of characters while also providing a fun adventure.

Directed by Hajime Kamegaki (Puzzle & Dragons X, Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody), Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo is enormous fun. Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo is essential for any fans of the franchise. Director Kamegaki did a superb job with the production and each action sequence feels invigorating and exciting. Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo delivers a wonderful experience.

Lupin III: The Secret Page of Marco Polo Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation is impressive in spades. The animation is beautifully reproduced.

The colors "pop" off the screen with great depth and clarity. The art style of the feature film is superbly showcased. The crisp line art and fine details add a lot to the presentation quality.

Discotek Media provides excellent encoding, too. Physical media can provide higher bit-rates and more consistent video encoding compared to streaming services. Streaming video sometimes has drawbacks due to plan tiers, service quality, connection strength, number of connected users, weather issues, and other unforeseen issues – such as internet outages. Physical media provides a consistency that is well worth appreciating.

Lupin III: The Secret Page of Marco Polo Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release provides excellent clarity and detail. The audio presentation capably preserves the sound direction by Yōji Shimizu (Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, Lupin the 3rd: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid). The score is well reproduced and capably integrated into the soundstage. The English subtitles are well- done and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

One of the great things about physical media and the Blu-ray disc format is the lossless audio encoding. The lossless audio on the release adds to the experience and to the presentation quality. Streaming video services only offer lossy (non-lossless) audio encoding. For home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles alike, the Blu-ray disc format offers noteworthy gains.

Lupin III: The Secret Page of Marco Polo Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nicely designed o-card slipcover. The slipcover artwork is top-notch and adds to the collectability of the release. The packaging design is well-done. For slipcover fans and collectors, having a nice physical copy with a beautiful package design adds to the fun. A release that will look beautiful both in hand on and the shelf.

On disc supplements:

TV Commercials (HD, 2:03)

Liner Notes includes 12 slides of click-through notes.

Unfortunately, the release has a sparse and lackluster supplemental package. The release could have been improved with some audio commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes, making-of documentaries, cast/crew interviews, roundtable discussions, photo galleries, art galleries, and more. For some anime fans, a nicely well-rounded supplemental package can be essential for determining between a purchase and a one-time stream in the streaming era. Some fans prefer simply streaming when the supplemental package isn't enticing enough for them.

Lupin III: The Secret Page of Marco Polo Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo is enormously entertaining and a must-see gem in the Lupin anime film series. Fans of the television specials will appreciate Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo and its robust sense of adventure. The animation is remarkably beautiful and there is much to appreciate. Director Hajime Kamegaki (Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody) made an engaging film in the long-running anime franchise and fans won't be able to resist experiencing the thrills of Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo.

The Blu-ray release provides excellent high-definition video and lossless audio encoding. The release also includes a nicely designed o-card slipcover. Lupin fans will want to add this fantastic release to their collection. Highly recommended.