TL;DR: Even though it is not one of the greats or classics of the Lupin III franchise, this Mystery of Mamo-inspired TV-flick still brings something incredibly important to the table; change. This movie strikes a tone with its late 80s aesthetics, comedic flare and unorthodox characterizations that other Lupin III movies have yet to replicate. It is however different than the usual Lupin III outings, so I do not recommend anyone new to the franchise to watch it without some introduction beforehand.
Now, for the long-form review.
Lupin III to some of its most ardent fans can seem to get a little bit repetitive at times. You've just seen it all, y'know? Big womp when Lupin himself dies for the twenty billionth time in the series, we all know it won't stick. That's where this movie comes in. It definitively breaks the mold on a lot of the main Lupin cast (except Jigen, but Jigen never changes); Lupin himself seems fairly apathetic to Fujiko (instead choosing other women over her), Goemon seems to discover his inner romantic attraction and Fujiko herself has manned up to become the effective master thief she hasn't been since part I. Unfortunately poor ol' Zenigata was done dirty in this movie, as he gets very little of the spotlight. He does shine with each of his appearances though!
The story in general follows a quite generic structure for anyone acquainted with the franchise; it is however the way they execute it that surprises. It is quite similar to both Mystery of Mamo and Farewell to Nostradamus, borrowing plot elements that are frankly done better in the aforementioned movies. This however does not mean that it is per say a poorly done job; even though the pacing and revelations are done weirdly the film still keeps you hooked with quite interesting strings, and at the end you have closure for the main story which still leaves a bit of room for your own interpretation of what happened in the little side story.
What this movie however certainly doesn't hold back with is the late 80's theming. Did you know computers were getting big? Well, during a watching of this movie you certainly do. Just like in luxury cars from the late 80's everything now centres around the hip, hot and happening early age of the personal computer! In the year of our lord 2024 this is all quite amusing to see, and it adds a fun time capsule factor to your watching of the film.
They did not hold back on the animation and music either; the animation borrows heavily from the style created in Mystery of Malmo (only now with a budget about triple that of the aforementioned movie), while the music remains true to Yuji Ohno's fusion jazz roots. Unlike in part III there is not a single bit of computerization to find in this soundtrack, I'm afraid. Still makes for an absolute joy to recognize the new renditions of the classic Lupin themes while watching, and - as always - the sound is supreme.
The most important subject however when discussing any media made in Japan is the battle between the Japanese and English dub. And I'll be honest, even though the main dub cast of Lupin III is not present for this iteration and Lupin's name being censored to Wolf for copyright reasons (thanks, Leblanc family), the English dub still reigns supreme. Its cheesy, offbeat and absolutely deranged, and thats exactly what this movie needed. If you however want to hear more consistent voices, watch the original Japanese dub, which features the omnipresent Japanese cast.
In general, this movie shines most when its allowed to let the characters interact a bit; the action sequences are good and all, but the comedy and very unique interactions are something which I thoroughly enjoyed and wished to see more of. Even though it can be generic at times (looking at you, child character of the week) it is still a fun time, and that's what we are all here for. So I implore any Lupin fan tired of the same old tropes to go check out this movie, as it spices up the character dynamics in ways most other movies have yet to attempt.
