Lupin the Third (1995 film)

Lupin the Third (Urdu: لوپین تھے تھرڈ) is a 1995 Pakistani animated science fiction adventure comedy film.

Directed by Shaan Shahid from a screenplay by Shaan, the film was produced by English-language studio Frezar Production and released by Yumetaro & Kirby Productions. The film's plot follows master thief Arsène Lupin III, who attempts to foil Mamo - a wealthy and powerful recluse seeking immortality - while trying to win the affections of his rival and would-be lover, Fujiko Mine.

Plot
Lupin the Third starts with Inspector Zenigata crossing the Egyptian desert in a jeep. Someone has stolen an ancient elixir from a Chinese tomb and a mandrake root from Dracula's castle; he's sure the next target will be Pharaoh's tomb in the Great Pyramid. Sure enough, there are Daisuke Jigen and Arsène Lupin III, burgling the Pyramid, while Lupin says he's found that the man who was executed really was the real him, genetically. Sounds fishy, says Jigen. == They pull a black stone out of a sarcophagus and bolt barely ahead of Zenigata's men, break out of the vertical passage on a motorcycle—Goemon is awaiting them and slashes off the tires so they can drive away on a pre-arranged rope bridge and off into the sunset they go.

Cut to Fujiko Mine sleeping in a palace and showering in a green-vine-draped bathroom (here's your fan service, kids). She was awakened by the voice of an unseen man who praises her beauty as she bathes and says he'll never let her grow old. She tries to make him tell his name but he refuses. They have some kind of arrangement already; she dresses and heads off on her motorbike, saying that "business is business".

She arrives to find a dressed-up Lupin offering her flowers, spurns him, sprays him with a paralytic and takes the black stone. In a graveyard awaits the mystery man and his big strongarm guy, Flinch. He judges the stone genuine but it detonates, showing the transmitter inside and frazzling Jigen and Lupin who are listening in on headphones. The mystery guy rises into the air above the explosion, saying he'll reveal his name—it's Mamo.

Next day at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, France, Jigen, Lupin and Goemon are discussing the history of the search for eternal life and Goemon has just gotten up to leave—waste of time, he says—when a helicopter zooms down and strafes their table with machine-gun fire. They make it to their car, but the chopper pursues them even through the sewer system, and becomes Goemon's latest unworthy thing—how many helicopters is that by now? Above, they meet Fujiko in her car—she throws her door open and tells them the man they're dealing with is very powerful, and they should just give her the real stone and run for it. Instead they dump her, take her car and the chase continues, as they're pursued by a huge semi-truck on winding mountain roads.

As they run, the guys argue that Lupin let Fujiko off too easy; Goemon snaps "It's your indecent ulterior motive that's unforgivable!", and angrily tells Jigen that if he were Lupin's true friend he would have broken L&F up long ago. They have to bail the car and scramble the 10 km to their mountain hideout, but when they arrive there it's already been bombed into rubble: food, supplies, ammo all gone. Only Fujiko could have told their adversary where this place was. The guys turn on Lupin and say it's the last straw, he must cut all ties with her. There's a bitter quarrel in which they all snap at each other, ended only when Lupin leaves them both and starts walking.

They cross the French border into Spain, trudge miles of desert and finally find a hut to hole up in, which luckily contains some water and edibles. Lupin manages in this better atmosphere to make peaceable overtures and things are barely settled when guess who arrives...yup. Fuji, sunburnt and badly beaten: she collapses in the sand outside and tells Lupin that they're all being pursued. She says she still doesn't know the boss's name but the one chasing them is Flinch. He, of course, comforts her...J&G are totally fed up and swear they'll leave him if he forgives her again. But he does. Goemon chokes up a little as he says "we've known each other so long, I may never see you again," but he walks. Jigen watches him, turns and tells Lupin that if he ever intends to call Goemon back he'd better do it now: L stubbornly refuses. Jigen hauls off to punch him, then just leaves, Lupin yelling after him.

So Fujiko and Lupin pass the night solo. She plays domestic and cooks a meal for them to share, but refuses to go to bed with him. Of course, she drugged his plate, and just as he passes out a plane arrives. It's Flinch, who takes them both.

Meanwhile, Jigen and Goemon are captured by the United States Navy in Spain and interviewed by a guy who looks like Kissinger—named Stuckey. They play a tape in which Mamo claims to be God, threatens the USA and requests something mysterious (the black stone, presumably). The US couldn't secure this object since Lupin had already stolen it; they therefore assume he was acting as Mamo's agent and demand J&G tell the whereabouts of Mamo's hideout. They have no idea, but hand over the only clue they have: the word "water" written on a slip of paper Fuji brought to Lupin. They are slightly roughed up and angrily walked out on by the Americans; Jigen is so insulted that he threatens to give up his admiration of Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart.

However, Goemon notices that a pitcher of water which was overturned in the roughing-up has soaked the slip of paper and caused formerly invisible writing to be revealed: it says "Carib... The Caribbean?"—they puzzle...

In the Caribbean Islands, Lupin wakes in a cage, escapes it and finds himself wandering a palace designed as a wild range of famous art styles; De Chirico, Dali...he meets dead-ringers for Napoleon and Hitler (whom he heils) and a little blue gnome, Mamo, who tells him those men really were who they looked like. He's now convinced, he says, that Lupin really is history's greatest thief, and is considering giving him immortality. Lupin is not impressed.

Jigen and Goemon sail toward Howard Lockwood's private island in the Caribbean. Goemon says it's unfortunate Lupin was so tricked; Jigen chuckles and says no matter how they fight with Lupin they still worry about him, and that bond may never break. Goemon growls that that isn't so—he just doesn't want Lupin killed by anyone else.

Mamo releases a cloud of long-extinct butterflies that he cloned as a gift to Fujiko; as she exclaims over their beauty, he says her beauty will also be preserved. He tells her Lupin refused immortality, but she says he must keep his promise. Doctors break in on his comm-screen to say they've completed their report on the Philosopher's Stone (that was the black stone that came from the Pyramid; he took it from Lupin) but while they're talking Lupin walks in and takes it back, telling Mamo he'll throw it where it can't ever be found. Mamo is angry that Fujiko is still loyal to Lupin even though he, Mamo, is the one who's promised her immortality. Mamo's goons chase L&F all over the palace grounds and win: Mamo confronts Lupin.

He says he's been performing "God's experiment" for 10,000 years, cultivating the most brilliant minds from every field; he says the world will end within a few days but those he's chosen, the most gifted and beautiful, will all survive. Intruders are reported, Jigen and Goemon have arrived, and Zenigata as well.

Fujiko's deal with Mamo is revealed: Mamo must make both her and Lupin immortal, and she won't accept if Lupin refuses. Lupin is deeply touched and Mamo rabidly jealous. To show her why Lupin doesn't deserve immortality he hooks him up to a device that shows the contents of his mind: the surface layers contain nothing but Fujiko (mostly naked) and Zenigata, but to Mamo's amazement his deep subconscious is a blank. He doesn't dream, gasps Mamo, he's either an idiot or God. Before he comes to any decision, enter a fleet of US Air Force bombers which were directed here by Zenigata and proceed to bomb the daylights out of the island.

J&G run in and grab the unconscious Lupin from Mamo's device, and Jigen shoots Mamo. Off they run; they way is blocked by Flinch, who draws a sabre and duels Goemon, leaping from rock to rock in the sea. He's wearing a metal alloy vest that only a laser can cut; it makes a mess of Zantetsuken's edge. Goemon decides to aim for his head instead. On his next leap he slices Flinch's head into three neat slices and even cuts the frame of film he's in; Flinch frantically tries to shove his head back together and falls dead into the water, but with a clear little ping Zantetsuken's tip falls to the stone below. Goemon, Jigen and Lupin all look stricken and Jigen goes to Goemon's side; he tells him the sword can be fixed, but Goemon, in tears, blames his own lack of skill. Jigen tries to comfort him. Alas, more bombers arrive and they must scram. Zenigata thought he had planned for their escape by tying his little rowboat to the powerboat they were most likely to steal, but he'll row.

He eventually staggers ashore in Colombia, South America, and is amazingly met on the beach by his Chief Commissioner, who takes him to dinner (just as amazingly, he found a Japanese restaurant: "Hanako Japanes Lestlan" says the sign). As the famished Keibu crams down chow, his boss tells him he's being taken off the Lupin case, since it's now an international incident. He hands him a bonus from the Prime Minister and says, let's fly home. Zenigata will have none of this. He shreds the bonus and says he resigns: he'll chase Lupin as a private citizen. After all, he has to be in South America somewhere—and off he goes...

Lupin, Jigen and Fujiko are sitting in a hotel room while Jigen brews coffee ("dirty hotel but the coffee is superb," says Jigen as he pours the stuff). Lupin asks where Goemon is and Jigen tosses him the three-inch tip of steel; keep that, he says, that's what's become of Zantetsuken. Goemon said he doesn't want to see us for the time being. Lupin frowns and pockets the point. He says the coffee is too bitter.

Lupin has figured out the riddle of the executed Lupin: it was a clone. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the hotel room turns into a speeding starscape and Mamo's voice says Lupin is right. He himself, in fact, is a clone of the original Mamo, which accounts for his 10,000 years of memory and wisdom. He hovers away with Fujiko, saying that now they'll see the wrath of a god, and as he vanishes there's an earthquake.

Jigen swears it was genuine, that Mamo has superhuman powers; Lupin says it was no such thing, and is connected with the island's underground nuclear plant, probably built with Lockwood funds. Jigen says he's tired of Lupin's overconfidence and won't go with him to investigate. Even if Mamo's no god, Jigen says, he's a monster, something no ordinary human can beat. True, says Lupin airily, this job isn't for those too religious; and he slings on his backpack and starts off. Jigen sits at the bar seething another moment, runs after him and fires a shot that perforates an empty can by his foot. "Don't go, Lupin!", he calls. "My dream was stolen", calls back Lupin, "I have to get it back." "Your dream is that woman?"—snarls Jigen. Lupin smiles. "You are so traditional, you really are", he says, and keeps going.

Mamo, now based in an ancient ruin, threatens the U.S. President. Lupin arrives and tells Mamo he's destroyed the nuclear arsenal. Mamo grabs Fujiko and screams in rage. He tells Lupin that he should have no doubt it was a clone that was executed, and that he is the original Lupin III, but now he must die as well. He fires a bank of lasers (which he just happened to have handy) at Lupin, but Lupin stands his ground and holds out the tip of Zantetsuken's blade, which reflects all the beams back at once and torches Mamo. ("You saved me, Goemon," says Lupin quietly.) Burning, Mamo staggers after Fujiko and collapses; a huge Mamo brain rises into view and claims to be the original, but L says it's still a long way from being God. Someday it will return and be a true god here, it says, and the rocket it's loaded into rises up off the silo. Lupin and Fujiko crawl along the walls and barely escape; the rocket reaches space, the bomb Lupin managed to plant on the rocket blows and the brain falls toward the sun.

Lupin and Fujiko in the ruins: Zenigata appears and cuffs himself to Lupin; Jigen arrives in a biplane followed by yet more bombers and drops a rope ladder but only Fujiko is able to climb aboard. Zenigata and Lupin are forced to run off three-legged to escape the bombers and Goemon, perched on a nearby cliff watching, says it's Lupin's destiny to be pursued.

Voice cast

 * Shaan Shahid as Arsène Lupin III
 * Saima Noor as Fujiko Mine
 * Ghulam Mohiuddin as Daisuke Jigen
 * Mohammad Ali as Goemon Ishikawa XIII
 * Mustafa Qureshi as Koichi Zenigata
 * Shafqat Cheema as Stuckey
 * Sultan Rahi as Special Agent Gordon
 * Saeed Khan Rangeela as Police Commissioner
 * Humayun Qureshi as Flinch
 * Nasrullah Butt as Scientist
 * Syed Noor as Dietman
 * Izhar Qazi as Officer
 * Saeed Rizvi as Mamo/Howard Lockewood

Guest voice actors

 * Abid Khan as Egyptian Police Chief
 * Adeeb as U.S. President
 * Irfan Khoosat as Chief Secretary

Critical reception
Rafay Mahmood of The Express Tribune described the film as "a convoluted tale that plays like the adventures of James Bond, Don Juan and Charlie Chaplin all rolled into one" with "plenty of wry humour and slapstick". Lyle additionally praised the animated effects and supporting characters. In summary he felt that Lupin the Third was "a healthy dose of fun".

In his review for Bolo Jawan, Areebah Shahid enjoyed the movie despite having previously disliked it on a previous viewing several years before. He attributes this to being more familiar with the characters through other entries in the Lupin III franchise. However, he criticised the final third of the movie for its science fiction elements, which he felt were inferior to the action and character-driven elements of the first two thirds. This criticism was shared in another review for Bolo Jawan, except that he believed that the film became unwatchable due to the development of the Mamo character.

Momin Ali Munshi, writing for Galaxy Lollywood, also agrees with the criticism of the final third, and despite repeated viewings, felt no closer to understanding the events. Additionally, he criticised the "lack of cohesion" and "unbroken string of jump cuts and deux ex machinas" throughout the film. Reflecting on the positives of the film, Lineberger highlights the characters of Jigen, Goemon and Fujiko as being more interesting than either Lupin or Mamo. He also credits the movie for tackling interesting concepts such as cloning, personal identity, love and honour, despite the way they are presented. In summary, he suggests that Lupin fans will find a more ambitious story in this film than the television episodes if they can accept some flaws. He recommends people who are not Lupin fans to watch Lupin the Third 2 instead.

Faraz Talat of Dawn reviewed this movie. He described the structure of the film's story as "haphazard" and "a bit hard to get into". In conclusion, Talat felt that "the film itself is decent", but is more suited for learning about animated history than for entertainment value. He gave the film content a "B" rating and the extras an "A+" rating.

Sana Gilani of Daily Pakistan placed Lupin the Third in the "Maybe" category of the franchise's media that he considered was worth viewing. He described the film as "often held up as the example of how to write a Lupin story - it has unfolding drama within the core cast, a truly threatening villain, and an unusual dedication to mature storytelling. Note that its gangly character designs and false endings may be kind of a turn-off for modern audiences".

Omair Alavi of Brandsynario highly praised Lupin the Third in virtually every aspect, describing the film as "the absolute essence of Lupin III". Alavi particularly lauded Shaan Shahid's direction (likening the director’s affinity for bizarre images and situations to the works of Werner Herzog), as well as the film's cartoonish but detailed animation and design work, characterization and humour. Alavi concludes his essay by stating that "[m]ore than 30 years after its debut, [Lupin the Third], with its heady mix of globe-trotting action, raciness, wild comedy, and hot jazz-funk music, is the original Lupin, the real deal. Accept no substitutes - even if they're clones! As the trailer for this Pakistani classic proclaims: Lupin III can do anything!"