The story could equally have worked as live-action, and has been ‘laid out’ as if it were. The famous car chase, early in the story, is shot as if photographed from 'camera cars'. It’s an exciting scene, as well as amusing for using tiny little French cars, rather than flashy sports models.
I was also very impressed with the the endless inventiveness in the castle buildings’ many hidden secrets. Lupin has to face underwater traps, impossible wall-climbs, crowds of ninja assassins, and high tech defences. The look of the various background layouts also indicate that Miyazaki’s team must have at least done extensive picture research of Central Europe - I wouldn't be surprised that they actually made a visit.
This Manga Entertainment DVD release is notable for a spotless transfer that makes the film look brand new. Only the occasional, original animation faults (like a frame shift, or slightly rough-edged drawings), date the animation at all. The picture aspect is 1.85 anamorphic, like its original presentation.
There’s a 5.1 mix for the English soundtrack, as well as the original Japanese audio (which is what I listened to). The English subtitles take great pains to translate the jokes and the slang. My only criticism of the set is that the Japanese mix isn’t 5.1, just stereo, and that the cover art doesn’t do the beautiful and intricate art of the animation any favours at all – it makes it look like a soppy romance, rather than a gothic James Bond adventure.
This is a flipper disc with the entire film on one side and special features on the other. There are storyboards, and an interview with the animation director (who also worked on the first Lupin III TV anime), and a trailer for the original Japanese movie release.
If only we’d had Miyazaki films in the west 25 years ago, when they were released in Japan. He’d have given anime a good name.
Article comments
1 - Maximillian
"Steam Boy (director Mamoru Oshii’s first feature since Akira)"
AKIRA and GHOST IN THE SHELL are both influential anime that have impressed me greatly. But of course it was Katsuhiro Otomo that directed AKIRA and STEAM BOY. Mamoru Oshii was the director of GHOST IN THE SHELL, INNOCENCE and AVALON.