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Lupin
III: Twighlight Gemini
Produced by TMS.
Directed by Gisaboru Sugii.
It must be hard for Tokyo Movie Shinsha to think of new ideas for Lupin III movies year after year after year. The managers would end up tearing their hair out scripting original stories and I am told that the managing directors still possess their hair so how do they do it? It’s simple, they parody other movies and so with Twighlight Gemini we have a simple play on Casablanca brilliant!
Well not so much brilliant as tired. The result of all this rehashing has left its mark on Lupin. This movie may not be as good as the older Lupin III movies. It’s no Castle of Cagliostro or Secret of Mamo but Twighlight Gemini manages to retain the trademark Lupin stylings and humour adding some quality animation to the mix, this is certainly one of the better examples of a Lupin movie in recent years.
The plot of the movie focuses on Lupin III going to Morocco in order to uncover an ancient treasure. This movie is more adult orientated [though not as much as Lupin III Walther P38] than most Lupin III movies featuring violence a go-go and scenes of nudity. The movies main strength lies in Gisaboru Sugii’s numerous nods towards the aforementioned Casablanca from the bar scene with Fujiko and Lupin to the ending credits it's parodied amazingly well done Sugii-san!
In terms of design it’s the same as it ever was. Geomen still looks like Geomen, Fujiko still looks like Fujiko and Lupin still looks like Lupin in fact everyone looks like they always do and that’s what makes this movie the sense of nostalgia it may not be Castle of Cagliostro but it feels like it in terms of character design it doesn’t feel like it in terms of direction however. For all the fantastic action sequences Sugii creates there are an equal number of boring dialogue sections. This is to be forgiven however as the action scenes out way the dialogue greatly.
To sum up like the treasure Lupin is on the trail of this movie may not be the “Holy Grail” of the gentleman thief's exploits it is however a small fortune in laughs and general Lupin-ish style. Solid stuff.
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