Lupin III: Prison of the Past

Lupin III and the gang plan on breaking out a famous thief named Finnegan out of a notorious prison. They want the thief so that he can show them where he stashed all his ill-gotten gains. Complications arise when it is revealed that Fujiko has likewise corresponded with several other criminal groups who are trying to break Finnegan out of jail.

The jail is a very unique design and has a creative back story. It used to be a castle but has been now repurposed to be a stone prison complete with secret passages and trap doors. The other criminal groups who try to break Finnegan out are a bunch of fun and colorful characters.

The setting is creative, the characters are fun, the animation, music and voice acting are all good.

However, it does has its fair share of negative qualities. The movie just has a few character decisions down the line that do not add up. One character makes one of the stupidest decisions towards the ending, just for the sake of making a thrilling finale.

There isn't much suspense in the situation. At this point we know Lupin is going to end on top, but the situation should at least be intimidating for him. As Fujiko herself says, "Lupin couldn't even die if you killed him."

It does little to make this stand out from the other Lupin movies. Of the 26 that I've seen, this one falls at spot number 14. So, in general, a middling Lupin adventure.

If Lupin wants to do better, it has to start looking forward. The film's biggest problem is that it is too stuck in the past.